“And when I got to you — Zach was there yelling my name. And so I’m like ‘Oh my gosh he’s dying like this is it,’” Tori recalled

Zach Roloff is getting candid about a health scare that left him hospitalized in the ICU.

The Little People, Big World star and his wife Tori Roloff revealed on their Raising Heights podcast that Zach, 33, faced a major medical emergency when a shunt, which was placed in his brain to drain fluid down to his stomach, failed.

Zach explained that he had gone through shunt revision surgery when he was younger and thought he had not been dependent on it anymore, but that wasn’t the case. He said he noticed signs that something was wrong when he started having migraines on and off for about 10 years before finally checking in to a hospital — which led to a frightening moment for the family.

“It’s been a year since Zach almost died,” Tori, 32, shared on the podcast. “I get woken up that morning at 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and this nurse goes, ‘Your husband’s getting moved to ICU.’ I fled in a panic to ICU.”

“And when I got to you — Zach was there yelling my name,” Tori told her husband. “And so I’m like ‘Oh my gosh he’s dying like this is it.’”

Tori explained when she got to his room that the doctors “were manually draining the fluid” from his brain. When there is a shunt blockage, extra fluid can build up in the brain causing pressure on the brain, which could lead to brain damage, according to the National Institute of Health.

“You were still in so much pain,” Tori told her husband. “Your heart rate started dropping.”

The pair noted that doctors determined that Zach needed to go into surgery immediately. Tori recalled being told that they were going to do an “exploratory surgery” and that they didn’t know what they were “going to find.”

She said, “There [were] a lot of unknowns” at the time. However, the doctors were eventually able to determine the cause.  “And so they went in [my brain] and they replaced the shunt,” Zach said.

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The couple noted that Zach had previously gone to doctors to get his migraine checked and had MRI’s done, but the scar tissue from previous shunt surgeries prevented them from seeing the issue.

“I really feel like with spinal stuff, fluids, shunts and of those issues, the brain, headache, the idea of a migraine… it’s hard to pinpoint sometimes,” Zach admitted. Though he added that he was relieved to have finally solved the issue.

“We’re up on a year on that and I haven’t had a migraine since then,” Zach shared.

Tori Roloff Gives an Update on Husband Zach After He Undergoes Brain Surgery: ‘A Scary 72 Hours’

“He is doing well and recovering,” Tori Roloff wrote on Instagram with photos of her husband Zach in a hospital bed after undergoing emergency brain surgery

 

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A post shared by Tori Roloff (@toriroloff)

She shared photos of Zach giving thumbs up in his hospital bed, while thanking friends, family and supporters, as well as Zach’s neurosurgeon team for “their attentiveness to Zach’s needs!”

“We feel so loved and supported by you,” she continued. “Also shout out to [Zach’s mother Amy Roloff] for holding down the fort and playing hide n seek for who knows how many hours.

“I’m here praying that Zach’s recovery is quick and easy and that this will be our answered prayers to relieving his migraines! You’re a freaking bad ass, Zach. You just had brain surgery… and handled it like a rock star. I’m so proud of you. Jeremiah 17:14 #storyofzachandtori,” wrote Tori.

A shunt is a hollow tube surgically placed in the brain — or occasionally in the spine — to help drain cerebrospinal fluid and redirect it to another location in the body where it can be reabsorbed, according to John Hopkins Medicine.

Zach’s father Matt Roloff previously announced on Wednesday that his son was preparing to have an “important shunt revision,” asking their supporters for prayers.

Tori also filled in followers with a since-expired Instagram Story on Wednesday night, explaining that she “hesitated” sharing the news, “but I believe strongly in prayer and could use some tomorrow.”

“They say it’s routine surgery but it’s far from my routine and Zach and I are nervous,” added Tori. “It feels big to us but we trust his doctors and their ability and knowledge! Any prayers are greatly appreciated!”