Kathy Bates, a veteran actress, has been diagnosed with a significant chronic health issue

Kathy Bates has been a television and film presence for decades. She is known for playing strong characters, and she is equally scary in real life.

The actress was afflicted with a chronic illness, which led her to undergo some significant lifestyle modifications.

Kathy Bates moved to New York in 1970 to pursue a career as an actress. She remembers the period when she was not an ingenue but still managed to make things work. “I was never an ingenue,” she admits. “I’ve always been a character actor.” When I was younger, it was a major issue because I was never considered attractive enough. It was difficult, not only because of the lack of work, but also because you had to confront how others perceived you,” Bates recalled.

Her Broadway career took off in 1980 when she played Stella May in Come Back To The Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. The actress missed out on film versions of characters she performed a few times.

She discussed the types of jobs she earned, saying, “You’re either young and glamorous and you’re going to get the lead, or you’re not attractive enough.” So you’re playing a friend, a killer, a lesbian, a doctor, or whatever,” she explained. “But whoever gets to play the young, pretty, gets-the-boy-at-the-end role has no power.” And vice versa: a character can have both power and femininity.”

She began directing episodes for shows such as Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, Oz, and the highly acclaimed television series Six Feet Under.

In her personal life, the actress has had some health challenges. Cancer struck her twice in her life, in 2003 and 2012. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003 and breast cancer in 2012.

Kathy Bates began to discuss her lymphedema diagnosis after undergoing breast cancer surgery. She is the Lymphatic Education & Research Network’s spokesperson.

She revealed that she had shed 80 pounds in the last few years. To keep her arms from swelling, the actress must wear compression sleeves. She wears them when flying or performing heavy tasks because her condition worsens without them.

In order to handle the disease, the actress has to remind herself to calm down. “If I can stop rushing, relax my shoulders, straighten my spine, breathe deeply, and focus on each little moment of completing a task, I have more confidence in my ability to live with LE,” she says. The pandemic pushed me to take it easy.”

She tells everyone suffering from the ailment not to let it prevent them from living their lives. “Going out in public wearing a compression garment, especially when people aren’t educated about LE, can sometimes be more painful than the disease itself,” the actress remarked. Hiding at home and leading a sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand, will only make matters worse for your body and brain.”

She emphasised the importance of not allowing your illness to define you, which she does herself.

She is making certain that she advocates for further lymphedema research and that funding is directed to those trying to raise awareness about the issue.

Kathy Bates is not letting her illness slow her down; the actress is still pursuing jobs she enjoys and doing work she enjoys!

The actor has learnt not just how to survive with her illness, but also how to thrive in it.

Share this post to motivate others to combat lymphedema.