I just made it home from Vegas which was a great trip. I feel so honored to be involved with such a worthy cause. I love JT for that. So for all those who missed this show, this is only one of many to come. YES TLC is going on tour next year. Thanx 4 all the love and support.

Looking at her now, you’d never know that Tionne Watkins, better known as T-Boz of the 90’s girl group TLC, has secretly battled a brain tumor for nearly three years. She hid her struggle (which took away her ability to speak for months) on The Celebrity Apprentice in March. “I didn’t want pity – I was there to help sick children,” says Watkins, who also has sickle-cell disease, an often-fatal blood disorder marked by chronic fatigue and organ failure. “I was told I wouldn’t live past 30 or have children.” Watkins, who lives with daughter Chase, 8, in Atlanta, shares her store for the first time with People’s “Jessica Herndon.

Because of my sickle-cell disease, I have a high tolerance for pain. By 2006, I’d have headaches for six years. I thought it was stress. But when my vision went blurry, I got an MRI.

Turns out, she had a grapefruit-size acoustic neuroma (which are noncancerous) on her vestibular nerve, which affected her balance, hearing, sight and facial movement.

I thought, “God, why now?” I told the doctor my goal was not to die – I had to be there for Chase.

Watkins consulted many doctors who refused to remove the tumor, citing sickle-cell-related complications, like lung or heart failure. The alternatives (like burning her brain stem) were grim. Keith L. Black, M.D., and Rick A. Friedman, M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, thought surgery was possible if they worked with a blood specialist.

Dr Black asked me in what order did I want to save these three things: my hearing, balance and facial movement. I said save my facial control first and hearing second, because you wouldn’t be able to tell if I can’t hear well just from looking at me. At least I’d have hearing on one side. Then save my balance last. But I worried about it. What if I couldn’t sing or dance? Music is my heart.

During the November 7th, 2006, surgery, Dr. Black cut behind her ear and peeled the tumor from the brain stem. The surgery took about seven hours. (I had written my will – I might not have made it.) When I woke awoke, I could hear and looked normal. But then I had a sickle-cell crisis. With the pain meds and steroids, they said I kept flopping and hitting my head. They gave me IV fluids in order to stop it.

After I was released, more than a week later, the ride to my L.A. apartment was like vertigo to the 10th power. I had to sit up in bed for two months. They propped me up, but I kept sliding down, which made my head swell. It was so painful. At one point, fluid poured out my nose. I was readmitted. I couldn’t walk or really see. I heard screeching noises. They said “We may have to cut you open again” I was like, “No!” I praid, and the fluid stopped, so I got out.

When I was eating pancakes four days later, they fell out my mouth. I couldn’t feel my cheek. I couldn’t blink, walk or form words. When I saw my face was distorted -- I cried. Two weeks later Chase, who stayed with my aunt in Atlanta, and I were on iChat and she was like, “Mom, you look pretty.” I don’t know what she saw, but it made me feel better. In rehabd, I had to relearn how to walk and how to say my ABCs. I can relate to deaf people: You think you’re saying “where” but your mouth goes “whaa”. When Chase visited me, she’d hold my cheeks and kiss me. She didn’t treat me like I looked funny.

Though self-conscious about her face, Watkins’s speech improved within a year, and she performed with TLC at the June 2008 BET Awards.

I knew I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t talk straight or keep my balance, and my lungs were weak. Fans asked if I had a stroke. It was not a good night.

Now, with dance therapy, Watkins hasn’t fully regained her balance, but she feels ready to perform. TLC will play at Justin Timberlake’s charity concert in Las Vegas Oct. 17.

If you say “sick kids,” you always get me. People like Justin have shown me love. He’s excited. So am I.

To this day, the headaches are unbelievable. My facial nerves jump, and I want my smile back. But if that’s all? No problemo. I fight to be here daily because I want to see Chase get married and have kids. I want to party and laugh. I’m doing a solo album, and I want to tour. I have t o see if I can do it. I’m still here. It will take way more to s top me.

I had to keep it a secret because I couldn't let Chase hear about her Mommy on the news, etc.. that way, She never knew what happened. Just that Mommy had a cut on her head to fix something. She still doesn't fully understand what really took place. She just knew I didn't feel well. Plus I didn't know what my outcome would be, I had to keep it quiet. It was a 2 year healing process.

To: The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Committee
TLC has been the #1 selling female R&B/Hip Hop group since 1992. They have broken countless records, recieved hundreds of awards, and sold well over 50 million albums world wide. Awards including but not limiting include 4 Grammy's - 5 VMA's - 3 Billboard Music Awards, 1 American Music Award, 6 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, 5 Soul Train Music Awards, and MANY MANY more! It's about time the world shows some recognition on the ORIGIONAL number one girl group of all time, with an official star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA,

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

I was in Washington DC today and i went to the bet headquarters and i was asking how do we make a suggestion about who get's the BET lifetime Achievement Awards at next years BET Awards, They gave me the information and what you have to do is call and send them letters and they will read them. I need all of your help, we need to make sure TLC get's this before Destiny's Child does. Here's the information

BET Networks
1235 W Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20018-1211
202-608-2000

BET Interactive
General Inquiries
1235 W Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20018-1211
202-608-2000 or 212-258-1000

Left-Eye Productions

*Worked with Ian Burke (Feb. 2001) and offered opportunity to produce songs for Lisa “ Left-Eye” Lopes of TLC. Offered an In-house production agreement contract with Twin Dragons to produce music for Left-Eye’s Solo album “ Supernova”.

*Worked as company engineer (March 2002)

*Developed music production for Left-eye productions R&B group “ Eygpt”

*Worked with Lisa Lopes on Artist Development for “Eygpt” and Engineered Recording sessions for group.

*Produced the last Lisa Lopes song for her “N.I.N.A” album entitled “Crazy”

*Involved in the fatal car accident in Laceiba, Honduras (April 2002)

*Starring in Lisa Lopes reality television show filmed by Lisa Lopes and Bluebox Entertainment. Contains: One month of exclusive footage of Left-Eye’s Artist Development Boot Camp at Dr.SEBI Usha Village. Release date: N/A

Chilli & myself have the same lawyer as Michael. We were trying to go on tour with him. I never thought I would see this day come. I thought I'd be old & gray with grandchildren. He is the epitome of ALL entertainers. There will NEVER be a person in this lifetime to achieve or accomplish or have such an impact on our lives the way he did. He not only changed the music industry but the world. He is #1 and always will be.

Ok I feel like this episode SUCKED! First of all even though this episode was only an hour instead of two like the other 2 episodes. Man they could have shown better footage. I thought the purpose of having celebs on the show working hard for charity was to actually SHOW the hard work along with the typical drama. I feel both sides the men and women were slighted. We ALL worked our asses off. We hand picked and pulled all those dresses, helped pull all those heavy racks in the store, hung all those dresses, did inventory, priced every dress (1,000 + dresses), walked out on the street handing out flyers, flyers that we had made and had to go and pick up to help bring people in while some of the girls were walking around drinking champagne trying to be cute in the dresses, so ALL of us didn't work hard because some were down right lazy. Not to mention I had to work in the dressing room as well and try an fit women who were sometimes too big for the dress in 2 sizes smaller not being realistic. I would just say suck it in and I would pull hard and snap the buttons anyway. If that's her goal to be in that dress by her wedding date then I support it as well. But it was just hard as hell because this is not the month nor the date, but we're pretending it was and the dress wasn't trying to hear it. I could have just went without all the blisters it caused on my hands and fingers. Now I don't have a problem working hard and I always will. But I just think it would have been better to see us slave in a way you've never seen before besides showing the same ol' spoiled celeb who has everything ready and prepared for them. Now honestly when Dennis went out to bring in more people to the show, he was at the bar drinking. So unfair. Then he had allergies boy stoppppppp. I have worked under way worse circumstances hell I didn't stop with the sinus infection and high grade fever on the show and other celebs who were sick didn't as well. But you know some men can't handle being sick and wear what I like to call "PUNK PANTIES" suck it up, shut up, and show up. But I don't know I think NBC needs to be careful because sometimes it's hard enough to get some people to watch a show like that as is, so at least be creative a little. Me personally I would have loved to see Dennis Rodman do some hard labor or any of us for that matter. So here's to wasted footage and a lot of hard work and blisters, aching back, sore feet , and no sleep for nothing. Until week 4 please NBC don't let wk 5 be a bore.