Kate Walsh reveals 'subtle' side effect she experienced before brain tumor diagnosis

Kate Walsh, the actress known for her work in TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Emily in Paris," is opening up about one of the scariest chapters of her life. In an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Walsh discussed the brain tumor she had in 2015, and some of the subtle warning signs that resulted in her diagnosis and intervention. 

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While the tumor was luckily benign, it required surgical intervention. It also required her to advocate for her health, pushing her doctors to take her seriously even when they tried to brush off her concerns. 

“It was like, ‘Hey, I’m really tired,'” said Walsh. “And then it’s like, ‘Oh, the right side of my body is dipping.’”

Walsh revealed that people were initially dismissive of her concerns. “They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re off.’ I’m like, ‘No,'” she said. 

“And then, walking the dog, I’m like, ‘It must be a little bit of a windy street.' It was just sort of very subtle and then very kind of, ‘Oh it’s ADD. I can’t really focus. Oh, I’ve been scrolling too much.’ That kind of stuff.”

Walsh's family had a history of cancer, something that pushed her and forced her to take her health seriously. 

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What Walsh learned from her health scare

Walsh ultimately decided to push for an MRI, which resulted in her diagnosis. She quotes the moment as an important one in her life, where she learned how to advocate for her health and take on a more proactive stance. 

“I know how important it is to advocate for one’s own health because people were like, ‘You’re just depressed.’ It was right after [my TV show] ‘Bad Judge’ got canceled,'” she said. “Your show got canceled. You’re just depressed,'” she said of her friends and family at the time. 

“I’m like, ‘No, something’s off.'”

You can check out the full video of her interview below.