Sharon Stone Reveals Misdiagnosis of Brain Hemorrhage Due to Assumptions of Faking

When Sharon Stone experienced a brain hemorrhage in 2001, she shared in a recent interview that doctors initially believed she was pretending to be ill.

The Emmy-winning actress suffered a stroke in 2001, which led to a nine-day brain bleed and a slim 1% chance of survival.

As a result, Stone took a hiatus from the entertainment industry.

In a candid conversation with Vogue, the 65-year-old star of Basic Instinct recounted being rushed to the hospital after experiencing an excruciating “lightning bolt-like” pain in her head.

Stone recalled waking up on a gurney and questioning the person pushing it about their destination.

To her surprise, she learned that she was headed to brain surgery without her knowledge or consent.

“What I discovered through that experience is that women are often not listened to in a medical setting, especially without a female doctor,” Stone explained.

Due to the healthcare professionals' dismissive attitude, Stone's brain hemorrhage was initially overlooked.

“They missed it with the first angiogram and concluded that I was faking it,” she revealed.

Fortunately, Stone's best friend advocated for her and persuaded the doctors to conduct a second angiogram.

This time, they discovered the hemorrhaging in her brain, spanning her entire subarachnoid space, as well as a ruptured vertebral artery.

Had they sent her home, she would not have survived.

However, her journey to recovery was far from easy.

After her hospitalization, Stone faced challenges such as difficulty walking and significant weight loss.

She described how the right side of her face drooped, her left foot dragged severely, and she stuttered severely due to the excessive bleeding in her head, neck, and spine.

Stone also experienced vision problems and memory loss during the early stages of her recovery, as she disclosed in a previous interview with PEOPLE.

Throughout her healing process, Stone would frequently experience painful knots resembling knuckles on the top of her head, which she likened to being punched.

The level of pain she endured was unimaginable.

Twenty years later, Stone decided to share her health scares publicly, although she expressed concerns about the public's reaction.

The actress admitted that she had concealed her disability and was afraid to go out because she believed people would not accept her.

However, she has grown more comfortable with openly discussing her experiences, stating, “For a long time, I wanted to pretend that I was just fine.”

Stone acknowledged that her health scare has significantly impacted her career, noting that she does not receive many job offers because she is considered a “disability hire.”

Presently, Stone serves on the board of the Barrow Neurological Foundation, which supports the medical institution led by her brain surgeon, Dr. Michael Lawton, in Arizona.