The last time I covered Kathy Bates was a couple of years ago, when she discussed the fact that she had a double mastectomy to treat her stage II breast cancer in 2012 and had opted to skip reconstruction. (She had talked about her breast cancer before.) She was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003. The good news is that she’s beaten both. Kathy has been working since 2014 to raise awareness for lymphedema, a condition where the lymph nodes get blocked and can cause painful swelling, which she developed after having her lymph nodes removed. I’ve known several people who have developed lymphedema and apparently it’s very common but often goes undiagnosed. Kathy recently lost 60 pounds and dyed her hair dark. She looks great and I almost didn’t recognize her! At a recent event in her honor, she explained that she did it to treat and prevent her lymphedema from worsening. She also discussed her cancer battle and how it can be disheartening to lose friends who don’t stand by you.

“[Lymphedema] affects more people than ALS, MS, AIDS and Parkinson’s combined. Ten million Americans. But people just don’t know about it,” she says…

Bates worked with LE&RN, the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, to find a doctor who understood the condition.

“I’m feeling great,” she says. “I’ve lost a lot of weight and it’s really helped with my symptoms. I just still have to wear compression sleeves or guard against nicks and bug bites because that can lead to sepsis.”

But Bates knows that not all lymphedema sufferers are as lucky to have that support, so she became the national spokesperson for LE&RN to spread the word. She was honored at the WebMD event as the 2019 “Game Changer” for her work.

“When I heard those figures I got involved,” she says. “I got very pissed off because it was unfair. I’ve been asked to lend my name to a cause [before] and I’ve made it my policy not to do that, but this is the first one I’ve felt strongly about.”

Bates says that for both lymphedema and cancer, the best thing people can do for friends or family who are dealing with the conditions is to stick by them.

“I think going through breast and ovarian cancer you feel like you’re a burden,” she says. “I’ve lost friends because some friends want to help but don’t realize it’s a long process. So they sort of drop out. It’s a problem. I think families try to do the best they can but it’s very difficult to help.” – From People

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On how she lost the weight
“Mindfulness, just knowing when to push my plate away,” Bates revealed to Us. “My niece told me this little secret, I guess it’s no secret, it’s a biological thing, that at some point when you’re eating, you have this involuntary sigh and that’s really your brain and your stomach communicating that you’ve had enough,” she said. “The trick is to pay attention to that and push your plate away.”

In addition, the Oscar winner said she’s been avoiding temptations such as junk food and soda…

“It took a few years,” Bates admitted. “I would say you have to be really patient … I don’t like the word willpower, but I like the word determination.” – From US

[From People and US Magazine]

I love how she said it took years to lose weight and that she didn’t discuss her diet specifically, just that she learned portion control and to stop when she was full. That description of your body sighing was so cool. She’s not out here touting some cleanse or giving up carbs. *cough* Plus she seems to genuinely care about and be affected by this cause and it’s not for a pharmaceutical company. (Although multiple companies do sponsor it and if she was getting paid there’s not shame in it.) I love Kathy and I’m glad she’s feeling great now.

Oh and I put the thing about losing friends in the title because I was chronically sick, many years ago, and I could relate. Some people stop showing up for you when you get ill.