Joe Manganiello shares hospital photos from seven-year ‘mysterious’ illness that nearly killed him, reveals 60-pound weight loss and intestine removal in new Insta post

Joe Manganiello has shared hospital photos showing the effects of a serious illness that he battled for seven years. The True Blood actor said he lost 60 pounds in two weeks after surgery to remove his large intestine. He also showed his recovery after later surgery and skin problems he experienced during the illness. He mentioned it as ‘BLOODLINES Chapter 1 In Pictures' on his Instagram post.

Joe Manganiello shares photos from his health battle

Manganiello shared three photos on Instagram on October 15. He introduced the post with a trigger warning. “In the days following the amputation of my large intestine, my weight began to plummet,” he wrote. “I would ultimately lose a total of 60 lbs during the two weeks following the surgery.”

Also Read: Who is Kelvin Chiu? California prep school athletic trainer accused of filming sexual assault on 16-year-old female student


Read Manganiello’s full Instagram caption below:

1. In the days following the amputation of my large intestine, my weight began to plummet. I would ultimately lose a total of 60 lbs during the two weeks following the surgery. If you zoom in, you can see the top of my first ostomy bag creeping up over the sheets.

2. A shot of my abdomen after the reconnection/take down surgery or anastomosis, in which my ostomy bag was removed and what was left of my digestive tract was reconnected.

3. An example of the multitude of skin conditions I was plagued with during the seven years I was sick. My skin, an immune organ, was stricken with just about every condition known to man, usually in combination.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JOE MANGANIELLO (@joemanganiello)

What illness did Joe Manganiello have?

Manganiello has described his condition as a mysterious autoimmune illness, according to PEOPLE. However, he has said he never received a definitive diagnosis. His symptoms included severe abdominal pain, fever, skin rashes and rectal bleeding. He underwent several colonoscopies and other medical procedures. His condition eventually led to surgery to remove his large intestine and the temporary use of an ostomy bag.

Also Read: Who was David Surkamp? Pavlov’s Dog frontman passes away at 73 as band recalls his “unmistakable artistry”

Manganiello also mentioned that doctors prescribed medication for nerve pain. These treatments are commonly used for Crohn’s disease and colitis. However, he said, “None of them worked on me.”

As he did not get relief from pain, he turned to hydrocodone pills, fentanyl patches and marijuana for relief. He was married to Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara. Later they got divorced after seven years of marriage.