Kristel Fulgar recently revealed in a new YouTube video that she underwent knee surgery for a rare type of tumor found in her leg. The 29-year-old actress and content creator revealed that it's one of the "scariest" things she's ever done in her life.
READ MORE: Kristel Fulgar On Living In South Korea Alone: 'The hardest part for me is budgeting'
Kristel Fulgar Undergoes Knee Surgery For Rare Leg Tumor
In the video, Kristel posted old footage from August 2022 where she talked about discovering a lump in her calf area. "I have never imagined that I would be undergoing a biopsy test in my 20s," she wrote in the vlog, noting that it was one of the "scariest" things she's done.
She shared that she had to wait for 10 days to get the result, and that it has taken a toll on her emotional health. It was eventually diagnosed as schwannoma, a rare type of tumor that forms in the nervous system. According to the National Cancer Insitute, "schwannoma tumors are often benign, which means they are not cancer. But, in rare cases, they can become cancer."
After a year of contemplation, Kristel decided to undergo surgery to have the tumor removed to prevent it from becoming larger. It's also preventative, according to her, as this type of tumor has a tendency to become malignant.
Since she didn't have any family or relatives in Korea, her suitor, Suh Hyuk, took care of her during her entire journey. Kristel shared that he even took time off his work to attend to her needs and take care of her.
"I don't think kaya ko gawin lahat ng ‘to kung wala si Oppa, so I’m so thankful," she shared on her vlog.
At the end of the vlog, Kristel's Korean suitor accompanied her to the airport so that she could go home to the Philippines where her mom would be able to take care of her for the rest of her recovery.
