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.