The Facts Of Life star Mindy Cohn has been secretly battling breast cancer for the past five years.
The actress received her diagnosis in 2012 after experiencing extreme fatigue, but has only just found the courage to open up about her battle with the disease.
“I was walking around my neighborhood in Los Angeles and I suddenly got so tired,” she tells People magazine. “I just couldn’t go anymore. This was before Uber was really a thing, so I texted my friend Helen Hunt and said, ‘Something’s wrong with me. I need help’.”
After being diagnosed, Cohn underwent aggressive treatment which included a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
“I’ve always been an optimist,” she says. “But the cancer metastasised. It kept spreading and coming back. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and then it would. And then I’d wait for another shoe to drop, and it would. I was frustrated and enraged. I couldn’t control any of this. I couldn’t fix it.”
The 51-year-old is now cancer free and eager to take on more acting roles.
“I’m feeling great,” she adds. “And I’m so ready to get back to working. I think I’m a good actress, and I have a lot to offer. I’m excited to see what I get to do next!”
