Ashton Kutcher has revealed that he recently struggled with an autoimmune disorder that left him unable to hear, see, or walk for nearly a year. In a preview clip of Bear Grylls’s National Geographic show, Kutcher spoke with Grylls about his struggle with vasculitis, a disorder involving inflamed blood vessels that, in extreme cases, can cause temporary or permanent blindness and loss of hearing.
“Two years ago,” Kutcher said, “I had this weird, super-rare form of vasculitis that knocked out my vision, it knocked out my hearing, it knocked out all my equilibrium. It took me, like, a year to build it all back up.” He continued:
“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.’”
Kutcher added that he feels “lucky to be alive” after the experience. The full episode airs Monday night.