We sometimes hear about people who go through extraordinary difficulties and come out on the positive side of it. When we look at these individuals, we are inspired to do greater things and sometimes, they may even come from an unexpected source.
One of the people who has gone through these difficulties is Kathy Bates. You likely remember her from the movies and shows she has been in, but she has been facing a cancer illness and she is now sharing her difficulties with the world.
After being on top of her game for so many years in Hollywood, she was handed a difficulty that would prove to be one of the toughest roles she ever played. She ended up being a real fighter who faced up to cancer in the best way she could.
She spoke about this in 2012 when she said: “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 her diagnosis, she said with this disease, she says, “You think American Horror Story is scary? You should’ve been in that room with me.”
She was given a diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2003. At that time, she went through a number of surgeries and through difficult chemotherapy but decided she would keep it to herself.
She said that she didn’t tell anyone and continued to work right up until after the operation took place. Her agent was old school, in her words, and didn’t want her to become a poster child for ovarian cancer.
Due to her strong will, she was able to overcome the difficulty and come out cancer free. Unfortunately, her doctor then revealed that she had cancer again. She wondered if she would be able to fight the same fight.
After learning about her breast cancer, she said that she wasn’t surprised. In her words, breast cancer runs like a river in her family and she decided to have a double mastectomy to prevent it from spreading.
This was a difficult time for her but it was also inspirational for other women. She didn’t let her personality drop during that difficult time and she fought a good fight.
At this time, Kathy Bates is cancer-free but she now has a condition known as lymphedema. 30% of those who had breast cancer and survived struggle with this problem, and it comes from having lymph nodes removed. It results in pain and swelling.
In the end, she says that she is grateful for the hardship she has experienced because it gives her a purpose. You can learn more in her video below: