Following her breast cancer surgery, actress Kathy Bates started to open up about her lymphedema diagnosis. She works as the spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.

She opened up about having lost 80 pounds over the last few years. The actress has to wear compression sleeves so her arms do not swell up. She makes sure to wear them when flying or doing a strenuous task because without them her condition tends to flare up.

She has to remind herself to slow down in order to manage the condition, the actress said, “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. The pandemic forced me to slow down.”

She advises anyone with the condition to not let it stop them from living their life. The actress said, “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. However, hiding at home and living a sedentary life will only make things worse for your body and brain.”

She stressed on making sure to not let your condition define you; something she makes sure to do herself as well.

She is making sure she advocates for more research into lymphedema and gets funding allocated to those working in raising awareness about the condition.

Kathy Bates does not let her diagnosis slow her down, the actress is still making sure she plays roles she enjoys and does the work she wants to!

The actress has learned to not just live with her condition but also how to make sure she can thrive with it.