Kristin Davis was warned she might lose her vision after she was struck down with shingles.
The Sex and the City star is opening up about her experience with the disease, in the hope that she can help others recognise the symptoms and get help quickly.
She spoke to New Beauty magazine about how she was diagnosed, and admitted the doctor warned her that she could suffer permanent consequences if she ignored the illness and continued with her work.
Kristin said: “Once the spots showed up, I flew home and saw my doctor, who confirmed it and told me to start an antiviral right away and see an ophthalmologist, because the nerve was heading toward my eye.
“The ophthalmologist told me to lie down and not go to work. I said, ‘You don’t understand, ‘I have to film.’ He said, ‘No, you don’t understand. You don’t want to lose vision in that eye.’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t.’”
The 61-year-old actress, who is urging others to be aware of the disease and how they can prevent it, also said that having shingles helped her realise that she can’t take her health for granted.
She said: “I feel more confident about what I know about my own body than I did before the shingles. When we’re young we take it all for granted, like youth itself, but as you get older you can’t.
“So it’s important to talk really honestly about getting older.”
And Just Like That… star Kristin also spoke about how she’s come to terms with growing older in recent years.
She said: “There’s so much joy to be had in this era of our lives. In this last decade, I’ve accepted it all more. I realised I don’t have to compare myself to my 30-year-old self, because that doesn’t benefit anybody.
“I feel more calm and at peace. I’m happy to be alive, happy to be healthy and happy to be there for my kids and my friends. Life is fun, so let’s focus on joy and learning.”