Calling it “the scariest moment in my life”, Serena Williams went on the CBS Today Show this morning to talk publicly for the first time about her rush to the emergency room for a pulmonary embolism.

“I had a lot of swelling in my leg which really is a telltale sign of an embolism and then I could not breathe,” she told Matt Lauer of the first she was hospitalized on February 18. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m walking, but I could not breathe.’ That’s when my physio forced me to go to the emergency room.

“I went and got the CAT scan and that’s when they found several blood clots and I was, like, wow. They told me that they had to check me in immediately or it wasn’t going to be a good result.”

Serena went back into the hospital last week to get further treatment on a “grapefruit” sized hematoma.

Here is video of Lauer’s interview with Serena this morning:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The 29-year-old is still hopeful of returning to the tennis tour this summer, although reports could have her out as long as another year. Serena has not played since winning her 13th career Grand Slam title at Wimbledon July 3.

We all wish Serena the best in her recovery!

Filed under: Injuries, Videos
Tags: Serena Williams