[Park Araam, Sportschosun] Actor Ahn Jae-wook looked back on the frightening moment when he collapsed from an acute brain hemorrhage while traveling in the United States.
On the October 15 episode of tvN (Total Variety Network)'s What to Do with Leftovers, Ahn Jae-wook appeared as a guest and spoke about a past health crisis he had experienced.
That day, Ahn Jae-wook recalled the moment he suffered a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and said, "I suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed." A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage is a cerebrovascular disease caused by bleeding in the space beneath the arachnoid membrane surrounding the brain, and it often occurs without any warning signs.
He explained, "I did not usually have headaches, but at one point it felt as if the back of my neck suddenly snapped, and I collapsed right there." He added, "I was told I was sweating heavily and had turned pale at the time."
He went on to recall the situation at the time, saying, "I collapsed while on the phone, but fortunately I was found quickly and taken to the hospital." He added, "I was transferred to a university hospital in the United States."
He also described the urgent treatment process in the United States. Ahn Jae-wook said, "Because there was a chance I might not regain consciousness, surgery consent was needed, but the procedure was complicated since I was unmarried." He added, "I asked my manager to pretend to be my father, but in the end, we had to contact my parents directly."
He also spoke about being shocked by the unexpected hospital bill. He said, "In the United States, they treat you first and bill you later, and the total came to $500,000, or about 500 million won at the time." He added, "It was such a huge amount that it did not feel real."
Ahn Jae-wook later received help from a medical lawyer and negotiated with the hospital. He added that a settlement was reached about two years later for a sum in the 100 million won range.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
