[Sportschosun Lee Woo-joo] Im Hyuk shed tears as he watched his wife change on 'Special Report World.'
The episode of MBN's 'Special Report World' aired on the 16th followed actor Im Hyuk as he took on a new challenge.
Im Hyuk became widely known as one of Korea's leading historical drama actors, thanks to his deep voice and strong screen presence. After delivering powerful performances, he successfully transformed his image through 'New Tales of Gisaeng.' More recently, he has been trying a second act as a trot singer.
He has been staying fit through exercise so he can live a long and healthy life with his wife, but at some point, she began showing unusual signs. While preparing meals, she could not find ingredients and kept forgetting things. Im Hyuk's wife said, "Even I can see my own behavior. I'm just glad I didn't put my cellphone in the refrigerator."
At first, they thought it was a natural part of aging, but her symptoms gradually worsened. Recently, she has been having more frequent trouble finding things. Even ordinary outings have become difficult, so Im Hyuk now tries to accompany her whenever possible. He said, "She keeps asking the same questions over and over. When I come home, the lights are on and the pot isn't boiling, but it has gotten to the point where food is burning because she dozes off. It's heartbreaking, and I feel uneasy. I feel sorry for her and worried all the time."
Im Hyuk said, "My wife is positive and very bright. She is someone who has no inner conflict. But she married me in the prime of her life, and seeing her change like this makes me feel bad for her." He added, "What if she gets worse and later doesn't even recognize my name? What if she doesn't recognize my face? That thought breaks my heart."
In the end, Im Hyuk took his wife to the hospital because he was so worried. He tried to comfort her as she grew tense, but he himself could not feel at ease.
Test results showed that her brain waves were significantly slower than normal. The doctor said, "Two test results were poor, and her attention and memory are weak," and diagnosed her with mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment is a pre-stage of dementia. The doctor explained, "People should not take mild cognitive impairment lightly. Among patients, 40% eventually develop dementia within five years. Family members often notice it, but many patients keep insisting that nothing is wrong. If it is detected early and addressed early, with medication and improvements in daily habits, it can be prevented." Fortunately, with steady treatment and lifestyle changes, her condition was still manageable. Hearing the diagnosis, Im Hyuk was moved to tears and apologized to his wife.
wjlee@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
