Wendy Williams is continuing to feel the effects of her lymphedema. On May 19, she posted a photo of her swollen feet as a result of the condition. She also posted an update about how she’s dealing with the fluid build-up. “My Dr. Laure is the French lady who’s helping me live with lymphedema,” Wendy wrote. “She scrubs and understands my disease is not curable, only manageable.”
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Wendy first revealed her lymphedema diagnosis in July 2019, after fans expressed concern over paparazzi photos that showed her swollen ankles. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine,” Wendy explained at the time, adding, “How dare you talk about the swelling of it all!” The condition occurs when the body is not able to properly drain lymph fluid, which causes swelling. It usually occurs in the arms or legs.
“I’ve got it under control,” Wendy confirmed in 2019. “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 who comes over wants to do it.”
In 2020, Wendy once again referenced the diagnosis on her show after reading hateful comments about her swollen feet. “I have lymphedema and it doesn’t go away,” she retorted. “How dare you make fun of me and the way I walk and the whole bit? What will you get if you live long enough? If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry. Damn you feet!”
Lymphedema isn’t the only medical condition that Wendy suffers from. The talk show host also has Graves’ disease, which she revealed in 2018. Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder which causes the thyroid to overproduce hormones. In February of 2018, Wendy missed her talk show for the first time while dealing with complications from Graves’, and she wound up going on hiatus for three weeks. At the beginning of 2019, the show was delayed for several weeks again after its previously-scheduled winter break — Wendy was meant to return in mid-January, but didn’t come back until the beginning of March.