No one is as funny and horrifying as Kathy Bates, who won honors for her work in thrillers, comedies, and tragedies.
Although she may not receive a Hollywood Oscar for her continued role as a two-time cancer survivor with lymphedema—her most difficult to date—she has gained international reputation as an inspiration.
The 75-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with an incurable lymphatic disease after having her breasts, uterus, and lymph nodes removed, said she feels “blessed” to utilize her “celebrity to do something that can maybe help people.” Discover more about this amazing actor’s health struggle by reading on!
Born in Tennessee, Kathy Bates is a stage and film performer most recognized for her award-winning roles in American Horror Story: Coven, Misery, Primary Colors, and Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell.
The actor, who’s earned several nominations since she started her career in the early 1970s, is recognized for her terrifying, dramatic, and comedic roles.
In 2003, only one year after shocking audiences when she appeared all nude in her starring role opposite Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt, Bates learned she had ovarian cancer.
After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2012, she underwent a double mastectomy.
Bates’ health problems were not likely to get any better.
“I lost my mind.”
She said, “Then I got something called lymphedema,” during her 2019 appearance on Kelly Clarkson’s show. “I’m not sure whether you’ve heard, but they remove lymph nodes to treat cancer. Nowhere on your body does it matter to me. A dysfunctional lymphatic system frequently causes fluid to pool in the afflicted limb.
Because the invasive disease frequently spreads through the lymphatic system, lymph nodes are frequently removed during cancer treatment. After the nodes are removed, excess lymph fluid may accumulate in the tissues, resulting in swelling, typically in the hand and arm.
Speaking with survivors Net, the Dolores Claiborne star shares that the hardest part of her health journey wasn’t cancer, but lymphedema, a side effect of her surgery.
“I went berserk,” she said. “I left the examining room and ran out of the building. I still had my drains in, I was holding a pillow to my t*ts, and I thought, ‘What am I doing? It’s July, I’m standing out here, it’s hot, I’m still healing, I don’t want to hurt anything.’”
The Fried Green Tomatoes star added: “I was bitter, I was depressed. I thought my career was over, I thought, ‘There’s no way, I’m done, everything is done.’”
According to the National Health Service (NHS), the main symptoms of lymphedema can be managed by taking steps to reduce fluid buildup, even if the condition is progressive and irreversible.
“Inside light”
She eventually found a lymphedema specialist, though, who made things easier for her.
Still furious, I went to her and told her everything I had to say. “Well, that’s all behind you, and you’re going to start the rest of your life now,” she continued. Bates went on to say, “Some people just have light inside,” in reference to her physician.
The Blind Side actress found solace in assisting others, in addition to using compression sleeves and therapies to control the discomfort and swelling in both of her arms.
Now an advocate for lymphedema, Bates – acting as the national spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&RN) – uses her profile to bring awareness to the condition. “It’s estimated that 10 million people in this country suffer with it,” she told Clarkson. “That’s more than ALS, muscular dystrophy, MS, Parkinson’s, and AIDS combined.”
Bates also told Clarkson that if a patient is feeling ill, it’s important for them to demand a specific diagnosis. mostly because doctors may fail to recognize lymphedema. “No one is aware of it, particularly if we’re older girls and we visit a doctor and tell them, ‘I don’t feel well, my legs are swollen,’ they say, ‘Oh, just go eat a salad,'” she said.
“I didn’t want to have cancer,” Bates, who most recently starred in The Miracle Club in 2023, continued.and having lymphedema is something I absolutely don’t want.I consider myself fortunate to have the illness because without it, I wouldn’t be able to use my notoriety to potentially benefit others.
