If you believe Hollywood celebrities are different from us, touching stories like this one remind us that they experience pain and challenges just like ordinary people.
In a recent interview with Dr. Phil, Academy Award winner Kathy Bates opens up about her illness and what she endured without sharing it with the world. Life gave her the toughest role she ever had to play: a real-life fighter and a warrior battling cancer for the second time. In 2012, she told US Weekly, “It’s no secret that I am an ovarian cancer survivor, nine years and counting. But few know that several weeks ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer.” Describing the diagnosis, she said, “You think American Horror Story is scary? You should’ve been in that room with me.”
After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, Bates underwent multiple painful surgeries and nine months of chemotherapy but kept it private. She told PEOPLE, “I didn’t tell anybody. I continued to work right after the operation, doing Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy. My agent at the time didn’t want me to be the poster child for ovarian cancer. I didn’t want anyone to know, but it really took a lot out of me.”
Her strong will helped her overcome the situation and remain cancer-free until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She wasn’t surprised, as “breast cancer runs like a river in my family.” Bates opted for a double mastectomy to prevent it from spreading. This time, she decided to turn her tragedy into inspiration for other women. She joked, “I don’t miss my breasts as much as I miss Harry’s Law,” and thanked her fans for their support.
Currently, Kathy Bates is cancer-free but lives with lymphedema, a condition affecting around 30 percent of breast cancer survivors. It resulted from the removal of her lymph nodes and causes pain and swelling. “It’s a souvenir you definitely don’t want. I really felt that life was over for me. I probably wouldn’t work again, and I was angry for a long time.”
Bates speaks about her condition publicly to inspire other women to do regular check-ups and know they are not alone. She became an ambassador for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN), saying, “I’m grateful my hardships have given me a purpose. Funny how that happens.”
