The actress shared that she got the diagnosis two months ago.
Chicago Med’s Marlyne Barrett revealed that she has been privately battling uterine and ovarian cancer. On Tuesday, the 44-year-old actress took to Instagram to share a picture of her freshly shaven head next to the caption, “…”.
The following slide on the photo carousel was a screenshot of a People article announcing the news.
Barrett, who plays nurse Maggie Lockwood on the hit NBC drama, shared that her journey began two months ago, after she went in for a hernia procedure and had fluid on her abdomen that wouldn’t go away. After going to the doctor, it was revealed to her that she had a football-sized tumor on her uterus and left ovary.
"The initial experience was a shock, a shock to my womanhood," the actress tells the magazine.
"I didn't believe them, but when they showed me the CT scan, I went, 'Oh my word.' The first questions were, 'Am I going to live?' I just fell into my husband's arms. It still takes my breath away when I think about it," she adds.
Barrett was told by doctors that she would need “aggressive chemotherapy” and a hysterectomy to treat it. Although it was a challenge, The Wire actress said that she just had to face it.
"The best way I could experience was to meet it," she tells the outlet. "There's no running from it because it's my life. And eventually you just surrender because it's so much bigger than anything you've ever faced. I found this courage and I just hunkered down and said, 'I'm going to face this.'"
Barrett also said that she decided that she was going to shave her head, knowing that she inevitably would have to as a result of the chemo.
The actress has been married to Pastor Gavin Barrett since 2009. The couple are parents to 11-month old twins, Joshuah-Jireh and Ahnne-N'Urya.
Barrett has been able to return to work, and said because her character on Chicago Med wears a wig, there is no issue with her appearance.
Barrett, whose character Maggie Lockwood battled breast cancer on the series, said that she is holding onto faith throughout her journey.
"I have a wave of emotion that comes," she shares with People. "But it's OK not to have it all together. You can't tangibly hold onto fear. But I'm holding onto faith."
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