Nobody is as funny and horrifying as Kathy Bates, who won accolades for her parts in thrillers, comedies, and dramas. Although she hasn’t received a Hollywood award for her difficult role as a two-time cancer survivor with lymphedema, she has gained international reputation as an inspiration.
The 75-year-old performer said she feels “blessed” to utilise her “celebrity to do something that can maybe help people.” She was diagnosed with an incurable lymphatic disease after having her uterus, breasts, and lymph nodes removed.
Discover more about the remarkable actor’s health journey by continuing to read! Kathy Bates is an actress and stage and movie actor from Tennessee. She is most recognised for her award-winning roles in American Horror Story: Coven, Richard Jewell, Misery, and Primary Colours, all starring Clint Eastwood.
Since beginning her career in the early 1970s, the actor has received multiple nominations and is well-known for her comic, serious, and frightful parts.
In 2003, Bates discovered she had ovarian cancer, just a year after startling everyone by showing up in her pants for her leading part in About Schmidt opposite Jack Nicholson. After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2012, she underwent a double mastectomy. Bates’s unfortunate health trajectory was not going to change.
Because cancer is an invasive disease that frequently spreads through the lymphatic system, lymph nodes are frequently removed during treatment. Following the removal of the nodes, excess lymph fluid may accumulate in the tissues and result in swelling, most commonly in the hand and arm.
The Dolores Claiborne actress revealed to SurvivorNet that lymphedema, a side effect of her operation, was more difficult for her to deal with than cancer during her medical journey. “I lost my mind,” she exclaimed. “I bolted from the premises after leaving the examination room. I thought to myself, “What am I doing?” as I held a pillow to my t*ts while still wearing my drains. I’m standing outside in the sweltering heat of July, trying not to damage anyone, and I’m still recuperating.
The Fried Green Tomatoes actor went on, saying, “I was depressed and I was bitter.” I believed that my professional life was gone and that “there is no way, I’m done, everything is done.” The National Health Service (NHS) notes that although lymphedema is an incurable and progressive disorder, its primary symptoms can be managed with the use of techniques that reduce fluid retention.
But after that, she discovered a lymphedema specialist who supported her.
Still furious, I went to her and told her what I had to tell. “Well, that’s all in the past, and now you’re going to begin the rest of your life,” she then stated. Bates went on, referring to her physician, saying, “Some people just have light inside.”
The Blind Side actress found solace in helping others, in addition to receiving treatments and wearing compression sleeves to control the discomfort and swelling in both of her arms.
As the national spokeswoman for the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN), Bates is now an advocate for lymphedema and uses her platform to raise awareness of the illness. “Approximately 10 million individuals in this nation are thought to be affected by it,” she informed Clarkson. That surpasses conditions including AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, MS, ALS, and muscular dystrophy.
Bates also told Clarkson that if a patient isn’t feeling well, they should insist on getting a formal diagnosis. mostly because physicians may fail to detect lymphedema. “Nobody knows about it, and especially if we’re big girls and we go to the doctor and say, ‘Oh, just go have a salad,’ they say, ‘Oh, I don’t feel right, my legs are swelling,’” she said.
Thankfully, the main character of Are You There, God? It’s Me: Margaret hasn’t let her health stop her; instead, she has discovered a network of support to help her cope.
The Miracle Club, which Bates most recently starred in, followed. “I didn’t want to have cancer,” Bates said.and I genuinely hope to avoid developing lymphedema.I consider myself fortunate to have the disease because I couldn’t use my fame to potentially benefit others if I didn’t. We can’t think of a greater way to use celebrity for good than Kathy Bates, who is so inspirational!
