Selling Sunset star Amanza Smith has shared an update after undergoing surgery to treat an infection that spread from her bloodstream to her spine. The interior designer, who works at the real estate company The Oppenheim Group, has revealed in a new interview how osteomyelitis, a painful bone infection, had affected her lower vertebrae. Smith, 46, discovered the infection after experiencing severe backache that lasted nearly a month. After she collapsed while at her Los Angeles home back in May, her friend encouraged her to visit the hospital. “I thought I had a backache, and I almost died,” Smith told People in the magazine’s latest issue. “The doctors and my friend saved my life.” Smith told the publication that she was given antibiotics to treat the infection but faced some complications. She underwent surgery on her lower spin to “clear the infection from the bones” but later found out that the osteomyelitis had affected another area at the front of her spine. “The risk was the antibiotics wouldn’t penetrate the bone, and my entire back could collapse,” she said. Smith had two surgeries to treat the osteomyelitis, which included having part of her spine replaced after it “deteriorated” as a result of the infection. The second operation lasted six hours, in which doctors inserted a titanium mesh cage in her back. She previously said: “Part of my spine has completely deteriorated due to the infection and I’ll be getting a new vertebrae and a couple of screws and rods in my spine to replace what has been eaten away from the bacteria.” In the new interview, she told People: “I am an iron woman, with rods and screws.” Smith returned home from hospital in early July, but her recovery period involves six months of antibiotics, physical therapy and “treading lightly on her feet”. “There are so many things I can’t do, because I can’t lift more than five pounds,” she told the publication. “Sometimes my purse is too heavy. You can’t speed up time, but I’m very anxious to be able to do the things that I love to do. I like to decorate. I like to rearrange. I want to be able to hang things, but I’m very limited right now.” Reflecting on her period in hospital, Smith said that she would never take her mobility “for granted” again. “When I can walk and jog again and do Pilates or ballet, I hope I stick to them because I plan on living to be 107,” she said. According to the NHS, osteomyelitis is a painful bone infection that usually goes away if treated early with antibiotics. However, it can cause serious long-term problems if not treated. Anyone can develop the infection, but a person may be more at risk if they have diabetes, a broken bone, a weakened immune system or recently had an infection or surgery. Smith joined Netflix’s hit reality show Selling Sunset in the second series in 2019. The show follows the drama surrounding employees at The Oppenheim Group, an elite real estate brokerage selling luxury properties in Los Angeles. Read More Queen’s service to inspire young writers in Commonwealth challenge High infidelity: why do people have affairs? Bride tries on mother’s wedding dress 30 years after parents’ wedding Revlon hits back at Selling Sunset star after she found makeup in her husband’s van Strictly’s Amy Dowden finding it ‘so hard’ as she shares hair loss update amid cancer How to help your teen with comparison culture on GCSE results day

Mark Cuban revealed on the Showtime podcast 'All The Smoke' that he will exit 'Shark Tank' after Season 16

The Steelers are the lone NFL team sending a scout to Colorado vs. Oregon in Week 3 of college football. Are they looking for a Kenny Pickett replacement with Shedeur Sanders and Bo Nix?

Emoni Bates was once the highest-rated NBA Draft prospect in his class. Now he might not get selected at all.According to Seth Davis of The Athletic, a scout has said that Emoni Bates is considered "too much of a circus" to end up being drafted. This is a low blow for the player who wa...

Germany’s governing coalition has put off until September a vote on contentious legislation to encourage the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems after the country’s top court shot down plans to push it through parliament this week

Gigaclear Ltd., a startup building out fiber-optic connections in the UK, has attracted investment commitments for as much

Gio Reyna could play his first match under Gregg Berhalter since their family feud began 11 months ago, though the U.S. coach did not detail the midfielder’s exact role in Saturday’s game against Germany

There are two kinds of people out there: those who have mastered the art of letting their hair air-dry to accidental perfection and those who’d rather reach for the hairdryer than deal with the uncertainty.

China’s wheat imports are booming, but one top supplier is missing out: Russia. The Asian nation is on

Billionaire Ken Griffin snapped up a property on Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue for $83 million, located next to

SAVE $500: The Peloton Bike+ is on sale for $1,995 in the Amazon Prime Big

'The View' host Sara Haines was fired up after a heated discussion on a controversial topic in the studio among all the hosts