Kathy Bates explains why she did not undergo reconstruction surgery following a double mastectomy.
Kathy Bates explained why she did not undergo reconstruction surgery after her double mastectomy and breast cancer diagnosis.
In 2012, at the age of 64, the American Horror Story star was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
She chose a path that felt right her and decided not to pursue reconstruction surgery after the procedure.
She has now spoken openly about her decision.
“At the age I was, I thought, ‘You know, I really don’t wanna go through that,'” the 76-year-old told Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler on the November 12 episode of their MeSsy Podcast.
“I didn’t want to go through that. I was older and didn’t expect to be in a relationship. So I was like, ‘Why do I have to?’ “
However, this was not the only reason the Oscar winner, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003, did not undergo the treatment.
“The other thing—this is really weird, maybe—but I had really heavy breasts,” she told me. “They were, like, 10 pounds when they removed them, and I kind of enjoy not having breasts.”
And it’s not as if she can’t fake them. While acting in the courtroom drama Matlock, she wore a camisole-like material underneath her wardrobe.
“They put little false-y cups in it, and they’re so comfortable, and they give me a nice shape,” she told me. “And that’s it.”