Cape Town - Ex-All Black flank Adam Thomson has been unable to walk after being struck down by a mystery illness in Japan.
According to the Stuff website, Thomson, 35, has been in hospital in Tokyo for over a week with doctors struggling to identify the problem that has given Thomson "excruciating pain".
The 29-Test All Black was rushed to the A&E department in the middle of the night.
Thomson's partner, Jessie Gurunathan, said there was still no official diagnosis, but Thomson's illness was suspected to be "a severe infection that's caused serious internal inflammation & excruciating pain".
Thomson mustered enough humour over the situation in a post on his Instagram account to write: "It was touch and go for awhile (sic) and we almost had to amputate but to the credit of this crack Japanese medical team they were able to save the moustache".
He added: "... it's been a tough week full of unexpected challenges. It's going to be a long road to get back on my feet but I'm up for it".
Thomson played almost a century of Super Rugby matches for the Highlanders, Reds and Rebels and first played in Tokyo in 2013.
Gurunathan said the illness gave her the "biggest fright in the 6 years we've been doing life together."