After an eight-year break, actor Lee Jeong-ho opened up in a recent interview about his return to acting post-treatment for pancreatic and liver cancer.
Lee, a has-been child performer from more than 200 series, then appeared on the YouTube account' Recent Updates Olympics' on December 3.
He talked openly about his health issues, which made him step away from acting for a long time after his previous daily soap.
Lee recounted, as quoted by Xports News, "I was going for a health checkup — something was wrong — and I ended up having all these tests done on me."
"I was told it was a big tumor near my pancreas and it was bad. When I heard that, I just did a blank stare."
It was the news that smashed into Lee worst of all, for he remembered getting the diagnosis while his wife was in a postpartum care facility with their newborn daughter.
"Our youngest daughter had just been born at that time. It came as such a shock," he said.
When he had more tests, he was told his chance of survival was 20 to 30 percent. He said, "They would not even look me in the eye." But driven by his family, he encouraged doctors to try to operate. He said, 'they went with surgery."
Lee had surgery to remove numerous organs and then chemotherapy. He persevered through the side effects (which included vomiting and losing his hair) and finished the regimen. But on a follow-up visit, he learned the cancer had spread to his liver.
He said, "It struck me like lightning."
Two years ago, Lee was cancer-free after four months of treatment. He is currently teaching acting, living life to the fullest.
Watch the interview below:
