Teresa Giudice has had one rollercoaster year, and she's opening up to E! News about how she felt just moments before leaving the comforts of her New Jersey home to begin her prison sentence at the Danbury Correctional Facility in Connecticut.
"I felt like I was dying, I really did," the Real Housewives of New Jersey told Catt Sadler. "It's like that movie Stepmom, I felt like I was dying and that I only had three months left to share every precious moment with my daughters before I left."
The author of Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again added, "I felt like, especially with my baby Audriana [Giudice], I was like, ‘Oh my God, is she going to forget me?' I mean, she was only five years old at the time. I don't want her to forget about me."
The mother of four stopped herself from going on before saying, "I'm going to cry. I've never been away from my children, they're my life. I live for them."
It's been just a few short months since Teresa and the rest of her family has been reunited.
The day before Christmas Eve, the reality star left Danbury after serving nearly a year-long sentence and headed home with her attorney, James Leonard Jr., by her side.
Shortly after returning to be with her loved ones just in time for the holidays, a source told E! News that she was "doing well."
"There's no question she's spending all the time she can with her family, including her parents. She's savoring being back with everyone."
Our insider added," Everyone's just very proud of how she's handled things and gotten through it and stayed strong."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the same NBCUniversal family.)
For more on our exclusive interview with the Real Housewives of New Jersey star be sure to tune into E! News at 7 & 11 p.m. tonight only on E!
Also catch Teresa Giudice on a special two-part Watch What Happens Live tonight at 11 p.m. and tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. ET & PT on Bravo.