Heidi Montag claims she died briefly during a day of 10 procedures

Heidi Montag‘s decision to undergo 10 cosmetic procedures in the span of 24 hours nearly cost her her life.

“Spencer thought he lost me,” Montag, 31, told Paper. “I died for a minute. With that much surgery, I had to have 24-hour nurse care and Spencer didn’t want to leave my side. I was at a recovery center and had Demerol to deal with the pain because it was so extreme. My security guards called Spencer and told him, ‘Heidi’s heart stopped. She’s not going to make it.’ And I easily could’ve. Cutting yourself up isn’t something I’d recommend, and Demerol isn’t anything to play around with. That’s how Michael Jackson died.”

Almost a decade has passed since Montag underwent a dramatic transformation in 2009, which included a breast augmentation, brow-lifts and a chin reduction, among other alterations. The former “Hills” star said she “had to hit that rock-bottom moment” to realize what was really important in life.

“A lot of positive things came out of that. I had to look at myself in the mirror every day healing, and be like, ‘What did I do to myself? How did I get here? What is going on?'” she said.

Montag also said she and husband Spencer Pratt, 34, hope their son, 6-month-old Gunner, builds his own legacy, whether in California or Montag’s native Colorado.

“I just want him to enjoy his life, and not live in his parents’ mistakes or shadows,” she said.

This article originally appeared in Page Six.