Tyler James Williams Nearly Died From Untreated Crohn’s Disease, “I Lost Six Inches Of My Intestines To That”

Tyler James Williams almost died from Untreated Crohn’s disease.

In a recent interview with Men’s Health, the ‘Abbott Elementary’ star discussed how an undetected condition almost killed him.

The actor, who admitted to going overboard with trainers, weights, and diet management, recalls being afflicted with severe stomach discomfort when he was 24. On top of that, he couldn’t eat anything.

This was around the time when he was acting on both ‘Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders’ and filming the film ‘Detroit’. As a result, the ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and ‘Walking Dead’ alum was already stretched pretty thin.

“I was really pushing my body to the limit,” Williams recalled, saying that by December, “everything shut down.” He wasn’t even able to keep down the colonoscopy prep given to him by his doctor.

In a severe flare-up with scar tissue obstructing his bowels, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the hospital. Six inches of lower intestine were removed in emergency surgery.

Even yet, his intestines weren’t strong enough to repair. Instead, he perforated and went septic, nearly dying as he was taken back into surgery.

“The last thought I had was, ‘Holy s—, this could be it,'” he remembered thinking. “‘If this is it, I’m not happy. I worked a lot. I did a lot of things. I didn’t enjoy any of this. This can’t be it.'”

From a starting weight of 130 pounds, the months of recovery and intravenous feeding left him at only 105 pounds and unable to stand on his own.

As a result, though, he’s made a positive change in his life and learned how to find a better balance. “I had to learn how to stop making a dramatic change happen really quickly and learn how to have a better relationship with my body,” he said.

He’s not making this change alone, either, as the actor revealed that his brother Tyrel has also been diagnosed with the incurable disease. He now focuses with both of his brothers on healthy eating and living.

“The important thing for me, and those like me, to remember is that longevity is a big part of the game,” he shared. “If you can’t [stay strong] and be healthy, there really is no point.”

It’s also pushed him into seeking more “purpose-driven” work as an actor, which is what led him to his critically-acclaimed role on “Abbott Elementary.”

He feels a connection to his character Gregory Eddie, who Williams describes as someone who “wants to be in this position of power ’cause he feels like that’s what he needs to be successful.”

Gregory’s journey is finding out that this blind ambition is not his path, which parallels the journey Williams feels his life has taken him on.

Source – Tru News Report