Kathy Bates

Well, I had breast cancer. Let's see. Right. I think right as I started, after I started working with you guys, it was 2012. Yeah. And, um, I, I had a very bad experience with it. I, um, I'd had ovarian in 2003, and for some reason, even though I went through nine rounds of chemo for that, the chemo was really hard.

We had to do, I can't remember the names of the drugs, but I remember they gave me steroids, and then I would be coming off the steroids and just getting... I don't know if you've gone through that, but that's been really difficult. That was very difficult.

We had to do, I can't remember the names of the drugs, but I remember they gave me steroids, and then I would be coming off the steroids and just getting... I don't know if you've gone through that, but that's been really difficult. That was very difficult.

We had to do, I can't remember the names of the drugs, but I remember they gave me steroids, and then I would be coming off the steroids and just getting... I don't know if you've gone through that, but that's been really difficult. That was very difficult.

Yeah, that was what really, that was difficult for me. But with the breast cancer, that sort of came out of nowhere. I was speaking at Sloan Kettering about being a cancer survivor with ovarian cancer and then came home and discovered I had breast cancer, which was kind of ironic. And because it runs in my family,

Yeah, that was what really, that was difficult for me. But with the breast cancer, that sort of came out of nowhere. I was speaking at Sloan Kettering about being a cancer survivor with ovarian cancer and then came home and discovered I had breast cancer, which was kind of ironic. And because it runs in my family,

Yeah, that was what really, that was difficult for me. But with the breast cancer, that sort of came out of nowhere. I was speaking at Sloan Kettering about being a cancer survivor with ovarian cancer and then came home and discovered I had breast cancer, which was kind of ironic. And because it runs in my family,

I said, you know, just take both off because I had mainly it was in my left breast, but there were some troubling things in my right breast. And so I decided to have them both removed. I didn't opt for reconstruction. I don't know why. I think at the time I just, I didn't want to do it. And they put drains in and they're, they're very, thick, heavy, not heavy, but thick plastic drains.

I said, you know, just take both off because I had mainly it was in my left breast, but there were some troubling things in my right breast. And so I decided to have them both removed. I didn't opt for reconstruction. I don't know why. I think at the time I just, I didn't want to do it. And they put drains in and they're, they're very, thick, heavy, not heavy, but thick plastic drains.

I said, you know, just take both off because I had mainly it was in my left breast, but there were some troubling things in my right breast. And so I decided to have them both removed. I didn't opt for reconstruction. I don't know why. I think at the time I just, I didn't want to do it. And they put drains in and they're, they're very, thick, heavy, not heavy, but thick plastic drains.

Yeah. And for some reason on the left side, it must have hit a nerve. I don't know what it was, but it was so painful. And I realized when they removed it, that's what the extra pain was. There was the pain involved. And then I developed lymphedema after that, which my arms were very swollen. I could only wear men's shirts for a long time.

Yeah. And for some reason on the left side, it must have hit a nerve. I don't know what it was, but it was so painful. And I realized when they removed it, that's what the extra pain was. There was the pain involved. And then I developed lymphedema after that, which my arms were very swollen. I could only wear men's shirts for a long time.

Yeah. And for some reason on the left side, it must have hit a nerve. I don't know what it was, but it was so painful. And I realized when they removed it, that's what the extra pain was. There was the pain involved. And then I developed lymphedema after that, which my arms were very swollen. I could only wear men's shirts for a long time.

And through my doctor here, I met Bill Rapisi, who is the CEO of the Lymphatic Education and Research Network. He asked me to come aboard as a national spokesperson. And I said, Bill, I've never done this before. I don't know if I can do a good job, what's involved. But he told me a couple of really disturbing facts that nearly 10 million people in this country suffer from some kind of lymphedema.

And through my doctor here, I met Bill Rapisi, who is the CEO of the Lymphatic Education and Research Network. He asked me to come aboard as a national spokesperson. And I said, Bill, I've never done this before. I don't know if I can do a good job, what's involved. But he told me a couple of really disturbing facts that nearly 10 million people in this country suffer from some kind of lymphedema.

And through my doctor here, I met Bill Rapisi, who is the CEO of the Lymphatic Education and Research Network. He asked me to come aboard as a national spokesperson. And I said, Bill, I've never done this before. I don't know if I can do a good job, what's involved. But he told me a couple of really disturbing facts that nearly 10 million people in this country suffer from some kind of lymphedema.

And about 50,000 of those are congenitals. So it strikes kids. When we were lobbying in Congress, I met a man who lost three kids to pulmonary lymphedema. Doctors in medical school, in four years of medical school, spend 15 minutes on learning about the lymphatic system.

And about 50,000 of those are congenitals. So it strikes kids. When we were lobbying in Congress, I met a man who lost three kids to pulmonary lymphedema. Doctors in medical school, in four years of medical school, spend 15 minutes on learning about the lymphatic system.

And about 50,000 of those are congenitals. So it strikes kids. When we were lobbying in Congress, I met a man who lost three kids to pulmonary lymphedema. Doctors in medical school, in four years of medical school, spend 15 minutes on learning about the lymphatic system.

Well, I'm thrilled to hear you say all of that, because that means that the doctors have learned about it and are making patients aware. When I had breast cancer and I had my breast cancer done at a top notch place here. But the doctors didn't talk to me about that.