Marlene Barrett, who stars on NBC. Chicago Med As nurse Maggie Lockwood, opens up about her real-life cancer battle.
The 44-year-old actress, who shares 11-month-old twins Joshua Jeriah and Ahani Nuria with husband Gavin Barrett, revealed. the people In an interview published online Tuesday, she was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer in July and is “a “One day a day.”
Barrett said she had a hernia repair in April and had not been feeling well since then, and was stunned when doctors told her on July 18 that she had a football-sized tumor on her uterus and left ovary. Left.
“I had this reservoir of fluid. [in my abdomen] that I couldn’t move,” she said of her health before the diagnosis. “I looked like I was nine months pregnant. And I was short of breath, but not in pain, which was interesting.
Barrett called the diagnosis “a shock to my womanhood” and said she had no family history of ovarian or ovarian cancer. He recalled learning from the doctors that he had cancer: “I didn’t believe them, but when they showed me the CT scan, I went, ‘Oh, my word.’ Will I live?’ I just fell into my husband’s arms. It still takes my breath away when I think about it.
The actress, who is also known for her recurring appearances on FX. Disadvantages And HBO’s the wire, praised her for the support of her family, including her pastor husband, whom she married in 2009. She put her kids through the process of shaving her head in preparation for chemo treatment, and she posted a photo of herself on Instagram on Tuesday. short hair
“My hair has always been the epitome of beauty,” Barrett said. “But I took my razor, and I shaved my head. I did it in front of my kids so they could see it was still mom. I cried, I cried, I cried. But doing it in front of them was a beautiful thing. It was an experience.
He explained that he was continuing the film. Chicago Med But she starts her day an hour earlier, along with taking naps and occasionally staying home from the set for a day. Barrett calls herself a very private person but felt she owed it to her fans to share the journey with her, judging by the appreciative social media messages she said she received in 2019. Received during the story Chicago Med which included Maggie’s battle with breast cancer.
“I get a wave of emotions,” the actress continued. “But it’s okay not to have it all together. You obviously can’t control fear. But I’m sticking to faith.”