Nick Cannon has lupus-like autoimmune disease

After a series of hospitalizations for kidney failure in January and blood clots in his lungs in February, Nick Cannon is now saying his health problems stem from a "lupus type" of autoimmune disease.

"The blood clot thing was probably the scariest because ... I've known people who have passed away from that," he tells People. "I thought I was getting better, and then that happened, so that kind of came out of nowhere."  

Mariah Carey's husband was forced to quit his "Rolling with Nick Cannon" radio show in February under his doctor's orders. His doctors also tell him that his kidney condition is "something I'm going to be living with all my life."  

Cannon adds that he's trying to take care of himself and get at least six hours of sleep a night.

"I'm just trying to make sure I put my health first," he tells the magazine. "I feel blessed to be alive. If it wasn't discovered, I don't know [what would have happened]."