Ashton Kutcher “lucky to be alive” after vasculitis diagnosis
While appearing on the latest episode of National Geographic’s Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge, Ashton Kutcher revealed that, two years ago, he was diagnosed with a rare form of vasculitis, which left him unable to see or hear. Apparently, the disease was so intense that it took the actor a full year to recover.
Speaking to Grylls during the episode, Kutcher said: “Two years ago I had a weird, super-rare form of vasculitis that knocked out my vision, knocked out my hearing and knocked out all my equilibrium. It took me like a year to build it all back up again. You don’t really appreciate it until it’s gone, until you go, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to see again; I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to hear again; I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to walk again.’”
Vasculitis is an autoimmune disease that causes the inflammation of blood vessels. Cogan’s Syndrome, for example, falls under the category of vasculitis, although Kutcher did not name his diagnosis. However, he did say that he’s “lucky to be alive”.
The actor went on to open up about his mindset following the diagnosis: “The minute you start seeing your obstacles as things that are made for you to give you what you need, then life starts to get fun. You start surfing on top of your problems instead of living underneath them.”
Kutcher recently returned to our screen in a supporting role in Vengeance, the debut directorial effort of B.J. Novak. The actor is also set to reprise his role as Michael Kelso in That ’90s Show, the sequel series to the beloved That ’70s Show. During a conversation with Variety, Kutcher said that it felt “really nostalgic” to be back on the set after so long. “It’s all the same folks that made That ’70s Show,” he continued, “So it was pretty bizarre.”
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