Rosie O'Donnell On Heart Attack: 'I Almost Died'

Rosie O'Donnell opened up about her recent heart attack in a new interview with People magazine published Friday.

O'Donnell suffered a heart attack in August, which she revealed in a blog post on her site. At the time, she said that she felt "nauseous" and vomited after helping a woman out of her car, and was told by a cardiologist the next day that she had in fact experienced a heart attack.

She offered more details about the harrowing experience, telling People that she was overcome with emotion at the doctor's office. "I started crying," O'Donnell recalled. "I almost died – and that's not an over-exaggeration. That's a fact."

She credited the heart attack for teaching her "to take care" of herself. She said that she has been eating healthfully ever since, and lost twelve pounds so far.

O'Donnell will also appear on the October 8th episode of "Dr. Oz," and appears to be involved in advocacy for women's heart health. She recently tweeted a call for stories from women who have experienced heart attacks.