Kwame Appiah has opened up about a harrowing health ordeal he faced in the latter part of 2024. The The 34-year-old, who rose to fame in Netflix’s Love Is Blind US, initially felt a ‘little bit off’ in November before his symptoms suddenly deteriorated.
By December, not only had he suffered persistent fevers for three continuous weeks, but had also shed an alarming 20 pounds, propelling him to seek medical advice. Detailing his ordeal on Instagram, he shared: “In November, I got just a little bit sick, I felt just a little bit off, but I didn’t take it too seriously.
“And then next thing you know, we’re about a month in. So, here’s why that month of waiting really hurt me. Because by the time I actually got to the doctors in December, I was having fevers for about three weeks. I had lost 20 pounds.
“So, based on those symptoms, the doctor determined it could be an array of things and one of those things was cancer.” Kwame ultimately received a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that leads to inflammation of the colon and rectum.
Frequent symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, stomach pain, and an increased need to use the toilet, as well as a loss of appetite and weight loss, according to NHS guidelines. Approximately one in three people with ulcerative colitis may also experience complications in other parts of the body, which can potentially be life-threatening.
One such complication is toxic megacolon, a ‘a rare and serious’ condition in which inflammation in the colon ’causes gas to become trapped, resulting in the colon becoming enlarged and swollen’. Advice from the NHS adds: “This is potentially very dangerous as it can cause the colon to rupture (split) and cause infection in the blood (septicaemia).”
Despite his frightening experience, Kwame expressed gratitude for the support he received from his wife Chelsea Griffin and others during this challenging period. He continued: “Let’s bring this full circle, back to the purpose behind why I’m actually telling you this.
“We actually figured out that I had something called ulcerative colitis which I was, at that time, just experiencing its absolute worst. So, if there’s anything I can leave you with from my experience in the last two-and-a-half months, I’m going to leave you with three things.
“One, just a quick reminder that life is incredibly precious. I didn’t realise how important the normal things I did in my day were for me until I couldn’t do them anymore. Lesson number two, small things can lead to big problems if we ignore them. So don’t.
“Lesson number three, information is everything. You have to know what it is if you are going to fight it.”
NHS’ list of potential ulcerative colitis symptoms
- Loss of appetite
- Bone problems, including osteoporosis
- Unexplained weight loss
- Swollen fat under the skin causing bumps
- Stomach pain
- Frequent diarrhoea
- Painful or swollen joints
- Tiredness
- Irritated and red eyes
- Mouth ulcers
- Needing the toilet frequently