Tyler James Williams<\/strong><\/a> opened up about the health struggles he dealt with before being diagnosed<\/a> with Crohn\u2019s disease in his early 20s.<\/p>\n During an interview with Men\u2019s Health<\/em><\/a>, which was published earlier this month, the Abbott Elementary<\/em><\/a> star, 30, recalled his attempts to build up muscle at the gym<\/a>. Williams noted that he overdid it by hiring trainers, doing weight-training and force-feeding himself.<\/p>\n After ending up with horrible stomach pain, the actor wasn\u2019t able to keep any food in his system<\/a>. \u201cI was really pushing my body to the limit,\u201d he explained, adding that he weighed 130 pounds at the time<\/a>. \u201cBy the time December hit, it just crashed. Everything shut down.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams was diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s disease after visiting a gastroenterologist in New York City. His X-rays alerted medical professionals that he had inflamed bowels which were clogged with scar tissue.<\/p>\n According to Mayo Clinic, Crohn\u2019s disease is \u201ca type of inflammatory bowel disease\u201d that causes swelling of the tissues in your digestive tract. This can lead to \u201cabdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.\u201d<\/p>\n The disease, which has no known cure, can be \u201cboth painful and debilitating\u201d and sometimes may lead to \u201clife-threatening\u201d complications. Crohn\u2019s can be treated with various therapies which can reduce its signs and symptoms<\/a>. Treatment may also help bring long-term remission and healing of inflammation to patients.<\/p>\n For Williams, his visit to the doctor resulted in him being rushed into emergency surgery to remove six inches<\/a> of his lower intestine. Following the flare-up, the New York native revealed he went into septic shock after his intestines were unable to heal back together.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last thought I had was, \u2018This could be it. If this is it, I\u2019m not happy. I worked a lot. I did a lot of things. I didn\u2019t enjoy any of this. This can\u2019t be it,’\u201d he recalled to the outlet, noting he had to go through more surgery.<\/p>\n Following the health scare, the former child star spent several months on an intravenous feeding system. Williams ultimately ended up weighing 105 pounds and couldn\u2019t stand up to walk.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to learn how to stop making a dramatic change happen really quickly and learn how to have a better relationship with my body,\u201d he detailed. \u201cThe important thing for me, and those like me, to remember is that longevity is a big part of the game. If you can\u2019t [stay strong] and be healthy, there really is no point.\u201d<\/p>\n The Everybody Hates Chris<\/em> alum discussed how his brother Tyrel Williams was diagnosed with Crohn\u2019s as well. The siblings have since shifted their focus to a healthier lifestyle \u2014 which includes no alcohol, coffee or red meat.<\/a><\/p>\n Tyler also noted that the health scare caused him to look for more \u201cpurpose-driven\u201d roles in his career<\/a> \u2014 such as Abbott Elementary<\/em>\u2018s Gregory Eddie. \u201c[He] wants to be in this position of power \u2019cause he feels like that\u2019s what he needs to be successful but then finds out that that\u2019s not his life,\u201d he explained. \u201cI was like, \u2018That sounds like the very journey I had to come to.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Abbott](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Abbott-Elementarys-Tyler-James-Williams-Recalls-How-He-Nearly-Died-From-Untreated-Crohns-Disease-Was-Really-Pushing-My-Body-to-the-Limit-059.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
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