In the Korean drama Queen of Tears, when Hong Hae In (Kim Ji Won) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, he was surprised because he didn’t feel any symptoms. However, the doctor said that the brain tumor he had was quite serious. Cloud cytoma, as it is called, is a rare disease that has yet to be treated. Hong Hae In is the first patient in South Korea. Due to his illness, he had to travel to Germany for treatment so it could be studied more deeply.
Hong Hae In was told he had only three months to live. Since then, his health has declined drastically because his immune system is weak due to abnormal white blood cells. Gradually, the symptoms predicted by the doctor began to manifest in Hong Hae In. Here are three symptoms of cloud cytoma that Hae In experienced in Queen of Tears.
1. Hallucinations and Decreased Memory Ability
still cut drama Queen of Tears (doc.TvN/Queen of Tears)The first symptom of cloud cytoma that Hae In experienced was hallucinations, which led to a decrease in memory. Each time his hallucinations occurred, Hae In would forget what he had done previously. He also frequently forgot important appointments because his hallucinations occurred unexpectedly.
As a result, he once kept Hyun Woo (Kim Soo Hyun) waiting for hours at a cafe because his hallucinations recurred just before he was supposed to meet him. Additionally, Hae In became lost in Youngdu-ri when his hallucinations returned. He was frightened and trapped in the illusions created by his brain. When he was found, he was in poor condition, with dirty, mud-covered clothes and injuries on several parts of his body.
2. Difficulty Recognizing Faces of Closest People
still cut drama Queen of Tears (instagram.com/tvn_drama)As the condition worsened, Hae In began to experience difficulty recognizing the faces of others. He admitted to struggling to recognize his own younger brother, Soo Cheol (Kwak Dong Yeon). Furthermore, he failed to recognize Eun Seong (Park Sung Hoon)’s face. When Eun Seong approached him, Hae In mistook him for Hyun Woo, leading to a kidnapping incident. Even afterward, he continued to confuse Hyun Woo with Eun Seong, making life more challenging.
3. Difficulty Remembering Directions and Locations
still cut drama Queen of Tears (doc.TvN/Queen of Tears)This severe symptom coincided with Hae In’s declining ability to remember faces. During a conversation with Hyun Woo, Hae In mentioned having difficulty recalling locations. He struggled to remember where places were, including his hospital room. He even had trouble finding the main gate of his own house when Eun Seong brought him home, wandering around the garden because he couldn’t locate the gate.
These three symptoms of cloud cytoma made Hae In’s daily life quite challenging and rendered him unsafe when left alone. Without assistance, incidents like what Eun Seong did could occur again. However, on the bright side, this situation strengthened his relationship with Hyun Woo.