Judge Judy Says She Thinks She Suffered A Mini-Stroke

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For the first time Judge Judy is speaking out about a health scare that landed her in the hospital and she's admitting she suffered a mini-stroke.

She's known for feisty one-liners in her courtroom. But back in March, it was Judge Judy Sheindlin's health that took center stage during a show taping.

"And the people that had watched me for 15 years noticed something was wrong. And without asking, which was probably a good thing, because I would've said 'don't go there,' they called paramedics," Sheindlin told CBS 2's Katie Fehlinger.

The following is from the 9-1-1 call her colleagues made:

Caller: "She's awake and she's breathing but she just doesn't seem like herself. They're saying it seems like she's about to pass out right now."

Dispatcher: "She needs to lie down, OK? Somebody needs to get in there and tell her to lie down."

Sheindlin, who is originally from Brooklyn, thinks she may have suffered a transient ischemic attack -- or a mini-stroke. Earlier that day, she experienced double vision, which quickly disappeared. But while filming she began speaking in what she described as slow motion.

"The director called back to my dressing room where I have an executive producer sitting. And he said to him 'is she loaded this morning?!'" Sheindlin said.

"Those symptoms could be a sign of a stroke -- or the beginning of a really large, major stroke. And that's why you really don't want to ignore them," said CBS 2 chief health correspondent Dr. Max Gomez.

Millions of viewers witnessed similar symptoms just weeks earlier when KCBS reporter Serene Branson suffered what appeared to be a mini-stroke -- live on a post-Grammy's newscast. Branson's episode was later diagnosed as a migraine.

"So there are a lot of things that it could be, some of which are lethal and some of which are not really that serious," Dr. Gomez said.

Doctors released the 68-year-old from the hospital after a day of tests. And now, she said she feels fine.

"But it was a very good lesson and something that women -- especially women -- tend to ignore, little signs of something wrong," Sheindlin said.

They are little signs that Sheindlin is encouraging others not to disregard.

Earlier this week Judge Judy signed a deal to stay on the air through 2015.

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