Montel Williams says he's 'blessed to be alive' after stroke

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Montel Williams says he's "blessed to be alive" after having a stroke earlier this year.

The 62-year-old television personality went public Wednesday about the life-threatening cerebellar hemorrhagic stroke he had during a workout in May.

"I'm very lucky," Williams told People. "When it happened, I didn't realize the veracity of what this was. When you start thinking about it those statistics? That's harsh reality."

"I'm so blessed to be alive and I'm not taking it for granted," he said.

Williams was lifting weights May 31 when he experienced symptoms and realized he had had a stroke. He managed to alert his wife, Tara Fowler, and was rushed by ambulance to a hospital in New York.

The former Montel Williams Show host was in an intensive care unit for 21 days and started physical therapy in Jackson, Tenn., following his release. He has made notable progress in the four months of his recovery.

"I'm way ahead of the rehab game right now," the star said. "I really need another month before I'm beyond that acute phase of having a stroke. But I made it back. I got it back."

Williams expressed his gratitude to fans and his caretakers in a tweet Wednesday.

"I'm so incredibly grateful for all the well wishes and prayers," he wrote. "I'll never forget the love you all showed my family and I, and I'll always be grateful to my wife and to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the team at New York Presbyterian on the Cornell side for saving my life."