Guitarist Buckethead has revealed in a new interview that he is dealing with a possibly life-threatening heart condition. The iconic musician discussed the diagnosis on the Coming Alive podcast (via Guitar World).

“It’s been doing it for a long time, but recently it just really kicked up and became really intense,” Buckethead says on the podcast. “I really didn’t know what was going on.” The guitarist goes on to explain how he eventually saw a doctor about the condition’s increasing intensity and was told he was “on the verge of having a stroke.” After a cardiac ablation procedure to help the condition “didn’t really stop it,” he was put on medication that has helped the situation.

“It’s been really difficult, because it’s scary [when] it comes on,” Buckethead continues. “Even walking across a room is difficult. Luckily the medication, I’m thankful for, because it’s kept it from going berserk, but it’s pretty intense.”

The guitarist says he has still been recording music, even the same day as the procedure. “I just lied in bed and recorded it, because I felt like, ‘I’m here still – I don’t want to sit around and mope,’” he says, also noting that the condition has caused him to practice guitar “lighter” so as to not over exert his body. “Yeah, I could be gone tomorrow – anybody could be gone – but for me, that was a heavy experience. I want to play right now, and I want to play that experience.”

Listen to the full conversation below.