Jon Gosselin says he coughed up a 'blood clot' in terrifying medical crisis weeks before wedding
Jon Gosselin opened up about experiencing a terrifying medical crisis in the weeks leading up to his wedding last November.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 47-year-old "Jon & Kate Plus 8" alum detailed how he suffered a health scare ahead of marrying his now-wife Stephanie Lebo, recalling that he realized he needed serious medical attention after coughing up a "blood clot."
Gosselin explained that he began feeling unwell in late October ahead of the Halloween party that he hosts every year.
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"I had this pain in my calf and I was like, ‘Whatever, you know, it could be anything,'" he remembered. "But about 12 hours later, I had a pain in the groin and my calf wasn't hurting anymore, and I told my boy Eric — I was like, 'Dude, something's wrong.'"
"I went home that night and my groin pain went away, and then my shoulder started to hurt," Gosselin continued. "I was like, 'Uh-oh."
The reality star shared that he then dissolved into a coughing fit and became increasingly alarmed when he began coughing up blood.
"And I was coughing, and I cough up this coagulated blood clot thing," he recalled. "That was a huge sign. If I wouldn't have coughed that up, I would not have gone to the hospital."
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"So I coughed up this blood thing, and then I was really scared," Gosselin continued. "It was like one o'clock in the morning. Steph was sleeping and I'm like — I just shook her. I'm like, ‘I got to go to the hospital.’
Gosselin recalled that he drove himself to the hospital which he described as a "no-no" due to his medical state.
"And they took my blood pressure, and it was skyrocketing," he said.
WATCH: Jon Gosselin recalls terrifying moment he coughed up 'blood clot' during medical crisis
Gosselin said that he subsequently underwent an MRI, during which doctors discovered a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his leg, along with two pulmonary embolisms—one in each lung —a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Gosselin was admitted to the hospital and treated with IV blood thinners, including heparin.
He explained that he previously experienced a DVT a month after being hospitalized with COVID-19, which at the time was thought to be related to immobility.
"I thought it was just coincidental because of COVID, being on bed rest," he recalled. "And now it's more of a thing now. Is it chronic? I don't know. I'm going through testing for that."
Gosselin went on to share how he handled experiencing the health scare so shortly before his wedding.
"It really upset Steph, you know, the added stress," he said. "So I was trying to not let her worry so much before the wedding."
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The celebrity DJ noted that he was very concerned at the time due to the unforeseen nature of his medical scare and focused on taking care of his health ahead of the nuptials.
"I reflected more on looking after myself, but I didn't even know I had this problem," he said.
Gosselin also explained that he was working with doctors to determine the underlying cause of his health issues.
"I take testosterone, which increases your red blood cell count," he said. "So you're supposed to go get blood draws, like phlebotomy, to reduce your blood cell count. And I missed my appointment. So was it because of that? So I came off testosterone a little bit to make sure that my levels are just normal."
"No supplements or anything like that," Gosselin continued. "So then I just got my insurance all cleared up. So now I'm going to go back and get my lab work done and stuff like that to see what my red blood cell count is now.
"This could also be a bone marrow problem," he added. "You produce too many red blood cells. They told me that, my pulmonary doctor and my pulmonologist, so they're going to look at all that stuff as well. But it's not like I was doing anything different. I was on supplements, I was on testosterone. I take my supplemental GLP-1, but that didn't cause clotting issue."
"So I was more concerned. So I just kind of cold-turkeyed everything and just took the medicine that they gave me. And Steph was on me about like being more healthy and all that kind of stuff. But we made it through the wedding. So that's all, and I'm still here today."
Gosselin also recalled how his children Hannah and Collin reacted once they learned of his health crisis and how they worried work as a DJ, which often requires late hours, may have contributed to his condition.
"I only told Stephanie when I was admitted and my mother, and then Steph called Hannah and Hannah called me right away," he said. "She was super upset and like, "Dad.' They're always blaming it on like, working late, and Colin was upset too. Like, ‘Oh, your hours.’ I'm like, 'That has nothing to do with any of that. It really doesn't have to do with a lifestyle."
"It has to do with genetics, [my doctors] were saying, and it has to with maybe testosterone and other supplements, but they can't rule either out," Gosselin explained.
He noted that years had passed since he was last diagnosed with a DVT and the condition had not reoccurred until recently.
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"And then, I've been on supplemental injectables for, I don't know, two years, and I've never had a DVT or anything like that," he said. "So it's kind of like maybe a culmination of things, but it wasn't my actual lifestyle or my DJ career or anything, or anything that. So that's what I was trying to explain to my children. Like it [has] nothing to do with me making money. It has to do with genetics. So you need to go get tested too."
Gosselin is father to eight children, all of whom he shares with his ex-wife Kate Gosselin, including twins Mady and Cara, 25, and sextuplets Hannah, Collin, Leah, Aaden, Alexis and Joel, 21. He has said he is close to Hannah and Collin, while he has been estranged from his other six children for several years, though he has expressed hope that those relationships can heal over time.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Gosselin said that he sought help from his friend and health strategist Rachel Strauss after being confronted with a staggering hospital bill following an 18-hour stay upon his discharge.
"I received a $20,000 bill, and it really shocked me," he said. "So I was working with this lady named Rachel Strauss, who is a healthcare specialist who helps people navigate their billings and invoices through hospitals or any healthcare facility."
Gosselin explained that Strauss instructed him to request an itemized bill for her to look over. Each line item on an itemized bill is tied to a medical billing code that tells insurers exactly which procedures were performed.
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For many people, medical billing codes can be confusing since they are written for insurers and billing departments, not patients. Codes are usually long strings of numbers and letters that are not easily understood by patients unless they are already familiar with the system.
Gosselin told Fox News Digital that Strauss "knows everything about coding and what you're being charged for and what you weren't charged for and what we aren't charged for. So, you know, pretty much it came down to that."
He told Fox News Digital that the hospital where he received treatment is a nonprofit and said the payments were already subsidized. Gosselin accused the hospital of "trying to double-dip and bill me for $20,000."
"So [Strauss] steps in and says, ‘No, no no no,’" he said.
"So what she did was she just looked at it, realized that it was already paid, and the hospital was double billing me," he said.
Gosselin explained that after Strauss looks at the bill, "she brokers it for you and writes letters and does all this other medical stuff to reduce your bill or get it down to zero."
He told Fox News Digital that he was "really upset" by the situation.
"It's like, you know, I had to go to the hospital," he said. "There was no choice for me."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Strauss said, "Healthcare in America isn’t broken, it’s working exactly how it’s designed, which is not in the patient’s best interest."
She continued, "Sadly, it’s a money-making scheme. The more people that understand what’s happening behind the curtain, the harder it will become for big insurance carriers to get away with it."
On Jan. 26, Gosselin attended a special screening of "Side Effects May Include," a documentary that was produced by Strauss, who is also known as the "PBM [Pharmacy Benefit Manager] Princess.
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According to a plot synopsis, the film investigates how prescription drug prices are set in the United States, focusing on the hidden role of intermediaries like pharmacy benefit managers and how their practices drive up costs for patients.
The premiere was held in Park City. In addition to Gosselin, who DJed the event, other celebrities in attendance included Brandi Glanville, Meredith Marks, Tom Welling and more.
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Gosselin also noted that Strauss has also recently released a book titled "Side Effects May Include: The Hidden Costs of Prescription Drugs."
"I wanted to give back and help her out as much as possible and get the word out about what she's doing in pretty much the world," he said. "Explaining this to people because I don't want to be ripped off, and I don't want other people to be ripped off as well."
Gosselin, who told Fox News Digital that he and Lebo are embarking on their long-awaited honeymoon, also reflected on what he had learned from his medical scare.
"My health scare came out of nowhere. There was no way to predict it. But know that there's someone like Rachel out there helping people navigate their medical billing. I didn't even know, really, that there was people like that. But I'm really excited to work with her. And not just for my own self, but for other people and help other people out."