Kate Walsh, star of the controversial series “13 Reasons Why” and two medical shows, “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” has recently opened up about her 2015 Brain Tumor diagnosis. She spoke about her symptoms, the diagnosis itself, her operation and her recovery.

Cosmopolitan interviewed Walsh, where she described her symptoms, saying part of it was "extreme exhaustion." The actress was involved in her starring and executive-producing role in NBC’s “Bad Judge” at the time. She said as she was working around 80 hours each week and was regularly working out, she assumed at the time that it was normal to be exhausted.

However, as days passed without feeling any better, Walsh went on to make changes to her workout routine. She decided to rather use more gentle practices like hiking.

More symptoms of the brain tumor started appearing

However, Walsh said her symptoms increased when her Pilates instructor noticed during a workout session that her body was dipping on the right side. She then found herself swerving into the right lane when driving. She felt so tired, at one stage she could drink five cups of coffee without feeling more alert or awake. April saw her having more problems, saying it was a little like aphasia, as she was often unable to find particular words and would lose her train of thought, unable to complete sentences.

This truly alarmed the actress, who then believed it might be related to menopause, as that can have many of the same markers. However, she had a feeling that she should visit a neurologist.

Walsh said doctors don’t easily hand out MRIs, but she insisted and was grateful that she did.

On visiting the doctor she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was reportedly the size of a small lemon, in her left frontal lobe and was forced to undergo surgery three days later. Once the procedure was complete Walsh was told that the brain tumor was benign and that surgeons were able to get it all.

Speaking of her stay in the hospital, the Hollywood Reporter quotes Walsh as quipping that you would think with her playing the role of Dr.

Addison Montgomery in both “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” spending more time in a hospital setting than at home, you would think she would be comfortable. However, she said she felt like a six-year-old “scaredy-cat.”

Kate Walsh was back in the saddle for ‘13 Reasons Why’

Walsh took it easy following surgery for the brain tumor, taking nine months off work, but finally returned for her role as Hannah's mother in “13 Reasons Why” and a performance in “Felt.” However, while she still has a busy schedule, she ensures she gets from seven to eight hours of sleep each night to aid in her recovery.

Walsh has now joined her former TV husband, Patrick Dempsey along with Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) in a TV doctors’ campaign by Cigna, which encourages people to look after their health and have annual checkups.
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