Sandra Lee out of hospital after new operation

Infection forces longtime Food Network star to undergo new breast surgery in New York

Spirited Sandra Lee in hospital.

Sandra Lee, Food Network star for more than a decade, has undergone a new surgery following complications from her recent double mastectomy.

News and gossip media immediately ran photos of her — alongside her longtime live-in partner, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — giving a thumbs-up sign as she left the New York hospital Wednesday, Aug. 12, a day after the two-hour surgery.

"Everything went well," said Cuomo, "so it's all good."

Cuomo, who's been Lee's boyfriend for a decade, has assumed the role of prime caregiver, one with which I, Woody Weingarten, author of "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," am totally familiar.

Staffers had reported on Facebook earlier that she seemed "to be back to herself" in the hospital, "rearranging flowers on the table, cleaning countertops and organizing seating for her visitors."

Facebook post: Sandra Lee, Andrew Cuomo.

Lee had explained on Facebook that she chose the new surgery when a painful fluid buildup and infection followed the original operation.

She called the infection an "incredible monster," and said she'd done everything possible "to avoid"  the second operation — including modern Western, Eastern and holistic treatments.

Just before her release, her staff wrote that Lee was "up and energized" to go home. Her recovery, they indicated, would probably involve intravenous infusions because she need "massive antibiotics for a couple of weeks to fight against infection."  

Lee, a Daytime Emmy winner who's released 25 books (including a memoir), apparently will need nursing care during that time.

The 49-year-old, known for her show, “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee,” which premiered on the Food Network in 2003, underwent her first operation in May after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Lee, whose second cable show, "Sandra's Money Saving Meals," debuted in 2009, also noted on Facebook that “I am a long way from where I was and a long way from where I need to be, but at this point I understand that right now I just need to complete this unexpected phase of a tough journey.” 

N.Y. governor supports cable star's surgery

Famed TV chef recovering from double mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis in New York 

Sandra Lee gets kiss from partner,
N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in
hospital after double mastectomy.

Sandra Lee, celebrated Food Network chef and longtime partner of N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is recovering from a double mastectomy.

He was by her side during last month's operation — along with her sister, Kimber.

Cuomo, who's been the 48-year-old's boyfriend for a decade, has assumed the role of prime caregiver, one that I, Woody Weingarten, author of "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," am totally familiar.

Lee reported that the 57-year-old Cuomo had been "extremely supportive."

The star of "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee" underwent the procedure last month after tearfully announcing it to co-anchor Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America." 

She said she'd been stunned by the diagnosis by her medical team that she was "a ticking time bomb." 

Lee said she hoped her story would inspire women to get mammograms, even though the cancer industry is split on what age those screenings should begin. 

Sandra Lee, recovering at home,
 admires gifts from fans.

Some groups recommend they don't start until age 50; others prescribe 40 as a beginning point.

Lee said that one of the first things she planned to do next was encourage the women in her family to have mammograms. She emphasized that if she'd waited until she was 50 to have the screening, "I probably wouldn't even be sitting here."

Her original lumpectomy hadn't resulted in clean margins, so she faced six to eight weeks of daily radiation. She opted not to do that.

She said, however, that she was opting for reconstruction surgery.

Roberts herself had breast cancer more than four years ago.

According to ABC News, a "devastated" Cuomo, when he originally heard the news, had said in a statement to the media that "a situation like this quickly puts life in the proper perspective and reminds one of what's truly important…I want to be with Sandy to support her in any way I can as she handles the trauma of her operation and the pain of the recovery."

Lee, who lost 15 pounds during her hospital stay, earlier had exclaimed that cancer "beats up your body [and] beats you up emotionally…I wasn't going to let it rob me from one day of happiness."

On her Facebook page, she subsequently wrote, after her week in the hospital and "a rough couple days" — "So happy to be in my own backyard. There is no place like home."