Singaporean actor Richard Low, who was warded in hospital for six days in May, has shared that his health condition cannot be completely cured.
During a press session on July 13 to promote his latest drama series Old & Dangerous, the 74-year-old told The Straits Times that he was hospitalised because of intestinal bleeding caused by diverticulosis, also known as diverticular disease.
According to Mayo Clinic, diverticulosis is the inflammation of irregular bulging pouches in the wall of the large intestine. This can cause severe pain, fever, nausea and changes in one’s stool habits. The common gastrointestinal disease affects mainly those over 50 years old.
Low said: “Part of my intestine is bulging out and becoming distended. If the stool rubs against this area, it will rupture and bleed. Simply put, there is blood inside (my body), and this causes blood in my stool.
“And although modern medicine is so advanced, there is no medicine that can stop the bleeding.”
This is not the first time he has suffered from the condition. He once had it more than 20 years ago, when he noticed blood in his stool.
Back then, the bleeding lasted only a day, and stopped on its own.
“I was young then, and doctors said it might happen again,” he said. “Now, it has, 20 years later.”
On May 21, he noticed blood in his stool again, but otherwise felt fine. That day, he filmed a video for The OG Gang TikTok account, which he shares with fellow Singaporean actors Chen Shucheng, 76, and Zhu Houren, 71.
But when the bleeding continued, he asked his wife to accompany him to the hospital that afternoon. He was eventually warded for six days, as it took three days for the bleeding to stop.
Low said he takes fibre supplements to promote regular bowel movement and add bulk to his stool. Even so, the chance of a relapse is high, he admitted.
He told local Chinese-language publication Lianhe Zaobao that he lost 5kg during his hospital stay.
“Because I had to have tests done for the first three days, I could not eat anything and had no appetite. For the next few days, I could only eat liquids.”
He is also currently watching his diet, avoiding fried foods and abstaining from alcohol to prevent the disease from recurring.
His new show Old & Dangerous centres on five former elite special forces operatives in their 70s who come together again for a special mission, reigniting their long-dormant warrior spirit.
It will air on weekdays at 9pm on Singapore's Channel 8 from July 27, and will also be available on mewatch. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
