Pushing Forward
- Comedian Kathy Griffin, 63, has been candid about her health journey as a lung cancer survivor and has also shared the highs and severe lows she’s experienced with her mental health, intensified by her recent divorce.
- In a post on social media, the Grammy-winning “Life on the PTSD-List” star shared Tuesday that she is unfortunately going through another challenging chapter, but says the comedy stage helps calm her.
- Many performers say that being present in their art helps detract from negative thoughts, depression or anxiety and is a testament to what living your passions in life can bring, especially after a cancer journey, divorce, or both. Griffin was married to her longtime partner Randy Bick for nearly four years until she filed for divorce in December, and has frequently said that her close friends are helping her through.
- If you are facing mental health struggles, make an appointment with your doctor or mental health professional today. In the meantime, here is SurvivorNet’s guide of resources to get you started. There is never any shame in asking for help. No one should suffer alone.
“My life happens to be a bit of a shit show right now. Mental health stuff,” Griffin posted Tuesday on Instagram. “But you know what calms my ass down? Stepping on that stage.”
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Griffin went on to express thanks for the gigs she booked this weekend in Norwalk, Connecticut and Provincetown, a.k.a. “Ptown,” Massachusetts, ending her screen grab text post with some prayer emojis. And when Griffin shows a more vulnerable side (or any side), her army of dedicated supporters shows up for her.
“Then keep getting on that stage,” one fan wrote. “When you’re off stage it’s just one foot in front of the other. You can do it.”
“Hang in there Kathy!!” another follower urged. “You are so loved and we need your voice now more than ever!!”
A third person expressed further love. “Sending you love and thank you for having the courage to live in your gifts. I hope that the love that you feel from your fans helps to calm and quiet your mind and calm the shit down.”
Griffin started her “Life on the PTSD-List” comedy tour in February and has shows booked through the end of the year, with a stop at New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall on the roster in October.
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Many performers say that being present in their art helps detract from negative thoughts, depression or anxiety and is a testament to what living your passions in life can bring, especially after a cancer journey, divorce, or both.
Griffin was married to her longtime partner Randy Bick, who she dated from 2011 up until their 2020 marriage, which lasted nearly four years until she filed for divorce in December.
After a “rocky period,” the former couple finally came to an agreement last month, per the Los Angeles Times, where Bick was able to come retrieve his belongings from her Malibu home and Griffin agreed to paying him a lump sum of $75,000. Though Griffin has not specified what she is currently dealing with, with the recent finality of that chapter, hopefully Griffin can now get the closure that she needs and fully move on.
Kathy’s Lung Cancer Journey
Kathy Griffin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and has been highly public about her diagnosis and cancer journey since, inspiring many with her courage and vulnerability, along with her sassiness of course.
Despite being a non-smoker, Griffin was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer, and raised awareness about the misconception that only smokers can get lung cancer.
At stage 1, this early-stage diagnosis indicates that the cancer hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in the body.
During her first major surgery, Griffin had half of her left lung removed. Due to the use of a breathing tube during the surgery, it impacted her voice, leaving her suffering multiple setbacks with her vocal cords along the way, including her most recent surgery in June.
Early-Stage Lung Cancer Surgery
There are several types of surgery that can remove lung cancer, including segmentectomy (removal of a small segment of the lung), lobectomy (removal of a lobe of the lung) or pneumonectomy (removal of the entire lung). The decision is largely based on the size of the tumor and where in your lung it is located.
In Diagnosing Lung Cancer, The Symptoms Often Come Late
Before surgery, your oncologist must make sure you are in otherwise good health. This involves a thorough preoperative physical examination. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, and it is also linked to heart and other arterial diseases, which means that you need an all-clear to be considered a surgical candidate for stage one lung cancer.
Healing from Lung Cancer
For those who are fortunate enough to be able to have surgery, like Griffin, managing pain after the operation can be difficult once you get home.
SurvivorNet previously spoke with Melissa Culligan, Director of Clinical Research – Division of Thoracic Surgery at University of Maryland Medical Center, who has been taking care of lung cancer patients for 30 years. Culligan expressed how crucial it is to stay in touch with your medical team.
“It’s important that you stay connected and as things change that maybe don’t feel right, that you connect with your care team and make sure that either they do something to make you feel better or that they reassure you that this is to be expected,” she said, “because your pain will change in location and nature,” Culligan added.
Managing discomfort after lung cancer surgery
As you become more active, Culligan says your pain “may increase a little bit,” as it did for Griffin, who would have days out at lunch and events feeling great, but then be stuck in bed shortly after.
Handling Setbacks After Cancer Treatment
Despite the setbacks, it’s important to keep moving, within reason of course. And while medication is usually necessary including certain meds to cope with stress, it’s best to only use them on an as-needed basis.
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“Medications aren’t always the answer,” Culligan noted, and therefore encourages patients “to go out and go to the movies and go to the mall and maintain their life as best they can while they’re going through treatment and recovering from it,” she advised, making sure to highlight that part of their job is helping patients learn how to cope with stress.
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“It’s critical after surgery and after any treatment that you do keep active and keep your body in the best possible condition along the way.”
Divorce After Cancer
Sometimes people assume that if you’re married and you’re going through cancer, you at least have someone there to get through the tough times with. That’s not always the case, ovarian cancer survivor Amanda Crowell Itliong previously told SurvivorNet. Unfortunately, divorces during cancer do happen — but it’s not always a bad thing, the Detroit native said.
“Women do sometimes get divorces during this time,” she said. “It happened to me and I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen — and it wasn’t. It wasn’t even a little bit the worst thing that could ever happen. It turned out pretty great in the end. Sometimes, things like cancer can show you that a relationship isn’t the right relationship.”
During the time of her interview, Amanda had been facing ovarian cancer for five years. Like many women who have the disease, she’s had to deal with several recurrences. She explained that after her first diagnosis, her husband at the time wasn’t really there for her — and could not really handle the stress in a helpful way. She wants other women to know that even if you experience relationship issues, or even the end of a relationship, because of cancer — it’s possible to move on.
“I was able to find happiness and good sex, passion and everything, with somebody else after all of that was over,” Amanda said. “Sometimes I think it has to do with believing it’s going to be OK, and figuring out how to work something out. If we get used to what works and what doesn’t with our bodies, we can get creative and come up with a lot of good solutions that mean you can still have a really positive sex life. It might just not look like it did before.”
Mental Health: The Importance of Support for Cancer Survivors
It is important for cancer survivors to have a strong support system during and after cancer. Sometimes especially after cancer, when even more intense emotions can set in unexpectedly after the physical and emotional journey a patient has gone through.
Dr. Shelly Tworoger, a researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center told SurvivorNet that “there’s a number of common things cancer patients can experience, such as anxiety, depression, financial toxicity, social isolation and sometimes even PTSD.”
Helping to ease some of those feelings is a great way to support your loved one.
The importance of self-care and the things that bring you joy
Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin says having people by your side during this “arduous chapter” in your life can be very beneficial.
“Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery,” Strongin said. “Therefore, it will be important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you throughout.”
If you are facing mental health struggles, make an appointment with your doctor or mental health professional today. In the meantime, here is a guide of resources to help. There is never any shame in asking for help. No one should suffer alone.
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