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Wendy Williams has been open regarding the health issues she has faced in the past few years. After fainting during a live broadcast of The Wendy Williams Show, she began experiencing health complications. In February 2018, she revealed that besides her thyroid disease, she was also diagnosed with Graves’ disease. According to The American Thyroid Association, Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that leads to a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland.
“Graves’ disease squeezes the muscles behind the eyeballs,” she said on her show.
Here’s how Williams health has been recently.
Wendy Williams is Diagnosed With Lymphedema
Williams told her fans that she was diagnosed with lymphedema in July 2019.
“Lymphedema, by the way, I’ve been diagnosed,” she said on The Wendy Williams Show. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine — and how dare you talk about the swelling of it all.”
According to Medical News Today, lymphedema, which is also called lymphatic obstruction, is a condition that causes excess fluid collection in tissues which causes swelling. It doesn’t have a cure and is caused by a blockage of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema attacks the arms and legs.
Williams also discussed how she managed the symptoms with something called a lymphedema pump.
“I’ve got it under control,” she added during the show. “If [the swelling] in my feet never goes all the way down, at least I have this machine. I sit for 45 minutes a day. It’s the best party entertainer ever. Everybody [that] comes over wants to do it.”
In her biopic’s accompanying documentary, Wendy Williams: What a Mess, she discussed what she liked to do before using the pump on her legs.
“Generally speaking, I like to take a swim in the morning before going into the studio and then I get on my lymphedema machine,” Williams said. “I’ve explained to you what lymphedema is. Look it up, I don’t have a lot of time.”
Wendy Williams Has Taken a few Hiatuses from The Wendy Williams Show Because of Health Concerns
Throughout the 12 seasons of The Wendy Williams Show, Williams has taken three health-related hiatuses from the show. Her most recent one was in May 2020 when she was filming the show from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a statement to Variety, Williams was having complications related to Graves’ disease.
“Recently, Wendy has been dealing with symptoms from her Graves’ disease which is causing fatigue,” the statement read. “In consultation with her doctor and as a precautionary measure, she will be taking some time off as she continues to receive treatment. We look forward to welcoming Wendy back soon and continuing the ‘Wendy@Home’ shows. More updates on a return date will follow.”
After breaking her shoulder, she took time off from the holiday season of 2018 until late January 2019.
“As she has for the past 10 years, Wendy delivers an incomparable live talk show day in and day out and we want to give her the best opportunity to heal and recover,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement. “Wendy has our complete and unwavering support and we look forward to her return to the iconic purple chair.”
In February 2018, she opened up about her Graves’ disease diagnosis and said that her doctor prescribed a vacation.
“My doctor has prescribed … are you ready? As of today, three weeks of vacation,” Williams told the audience. “What? Who are you? I was pissed.”
That same month she had cancelled a few shows due to fighting flu-like symptoms, Variety noted.
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