In 2012, Kevin Sorbo published a book containing some shocking revelations. While Hercules: The Legendary Journeys aired from 1994 to 1999, people started to notice more of a shift away from the title character and onto the shoulders of other stars as the series went on. No one knew why there was a sudden flood of guest stars, and it wasn't until Sorbo published his book that fans learned the truth: in 1997, he suffered three strokes as the result of an aneurysm.
True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal — How Nearly Dying Saved My Life is the story of just what happened to him, and the aftermath. He was in the middle of a promotional tour for Kull the Conqueror when he started to feel some odd sensations in his left hand and arm, but doctors brushed it off. The pain worsened during a workout, and he went to his chiropractor. After driving home, he started suffering all the symptoms of a stroke: difficulty walking, slurred speech, blurry vision, and a buzzing sound in his head. It was then that doctors discovered—and removed—the aneurysm that was blocking blood flow to his arm.
After returning to the set of Hercules, Sorbo suffered aftereffects like fatigue, depression, and anxiety attacks. "I felt like I had been transformed overnight from a youthful, carefree jock into someone who needed to grasp the backs of chairs and counters for an arduous five-yard trip to the bathroom," he told Neurology Now. Years after the end of Hercules, Sorbo still suffers from nerve damage, residual pain, the occasional migraine, and a ten percent loss of vision, and says the experience made him realize what was truly important to him: his wife and his faith. It also made him want to share his story in the hopes of helping others through similar experiences.
