If you think Hollywood stars are really different from us, stories like this one show that they are just regular people too. They feel pain and face challenges just like everyone else.

In her recent chat with Dr. Phil, the Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates talks about her health struggles and the tough times she faced while keeping it all to herself.

Out of the blue, life gave her the toughest role she ever had to play, that of a real life fighter and a warrior that had to beat cancer for the second time.

In 2012, she found the courage to share her story with US Weekly, saying, “I’m proud to say I’ve survived ovarian cancer for nine years now. But not many people know that just a few weeks ago, I was told I have breast cancer.” She described the experience of getting this news, saying, “If you think American Horror Story is frightening, you should have seen my reaction in that room.”

When she found out in 2003 that she had ovarian cancer, it was really hard for her. She went through a lot, including several tough surgeries and nine months of chemotherapy. Even though it was a tough time, she chose not to tell anyone about it. She shared her story with PEOPLE.

“I didn’t tell anybody. I continued to work right after the operation, doing Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy. My agent at the time was very old-school and didn’t want me to be the poster child for ovarian cancer. I didn’t want anyone to know, but it really took a lot out of me.”

Her determination allowed her to get through tough times and stay cancer-free until the day her doctor said the cancer had returned. She felt scared and worried about having to face the same struggles and pain all over again.

When she found out she had breast cancer, she wasn’t really shocked. She mentioned that “breast cancer is common in my family.” After telling her followers about it, she decided to have a double mastectomy to try to stop the cancer from spreading.

This time, she chose to transform her difficult experience into motivation for other women. This courageous woman kept her lively spirit intact, and at one point, she even made a funny comment, saying, “I don’t miss my breasts as much as I miss Harry’s Law.” She also expressed her gratitude to her fans for all the support they gave her during her challenging moments.

She worked really hard to swap out the plate of sour green tomatoes that life handed her for a plate of Fried Green Tomatoes, and we’re really glad she did!

Right now, Kathy Bates is free from cancer, but she has a condition called lymphedema that can’t be cured. This condition affects about 30 percent of people who survive breast cancer. It happened because some of her lymph nodes were taken out. Sadly, she is dealing with pain and swelling that makes her feel really uncomfortable.

“It’s a souvenir you definitely don’t want. I really felt that life was over for me. I probably wouldn’t work again, and I was angry for a long time.”

This entire journey encouraged her to share her story about her health so that she could motivate other women to get regular check-ups and remind them that they are not fighting their battles alone. Bates also took on the role of an ambassador for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN).

“I’m grateful my hardships have given me a purpose. Funny how that happens.”

Here’s her interview where she talks openly about the tough struggles she had to deal with.