How Actress Katee Sackhoff Beat Thyroid Cancer
Katee Sackhoff who stars in the upcoming drama “Longmire.” Photo courtesy of A&E.
On screen, Katee Sackhoff is one tough lady, starring in roles like volatile Capt. Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace in “Battlestar Galactica” or corrupt data analyst Dana Walsh in “24.”
Off screen too, Sackoff's in one of the toughest roles of her life. Five years ago, the actress was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The thyroid gland is essentially the body’s thermometer. When it becomes hyper, the gland produces too much thyroid hormone and patients often lose excessive amounts of weight, have night sweats, rapid heartbeat and fatigue. If the gland is hypo, too little hormone can cause weight gain and lethargy.
Thyroid cancer can cause all of those symptoms along with a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing – and the disease also presents the risk of death to the patient.
Sackhoff's now cancer free because doctors removed her cancerous thyroid gland, but the lack of a thyroid still affects Sackhoff every day.
Because she no longer has a thyroid, she has had to make many adjustments in her way of life and thinking.
In this exclusive Lifescript interview, find out why Sackoff is an inspiration for all of women, young and old.
Off screen too, Sackoff's in one of the toughest roles of her life. Five years ago, the actress was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The thyroid gland is essentially the body’s thermometer. When it becomes hyper, the gland produces too much thyroid hormone and patients often lose excessive amounts of weight, have night sweats, rapid heartbeat and fatigue. If the gland is hypo, too little hormone can cause weight gain and lethargy.
Thyroid cancer can cause all of those symptoms along with a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing – and the disease also presents the risk of death to the patient.
Sackhoff's now cancer free because doctors removed her cancerous thyroid gland, but the lack of a thyroid still affects Sackhoff every day.
Because she no longer has a thyroid, she has had to make many adjustments in her way of life and thinking.
In this exclusive Lifescript interview, find out why Sackoff is an inspiration for all of women, young and old.
How has living thyroid cancer impacted your life? It’s a nightmare. I’m still going through it. [My medication dosage] was just too high and I started having massive panic attacks in public.
I went [to my doctor] and they [lowered the doses] and now I’m tired again.
It’s just constant monitoring [and] comes with stresses.
What are those stresses?
[The medication] makes me a bit more irritable, more susceptible for depression and makes me eat more. It also makes me more tired and I gain weight more easily.
All the things that were little challenges before [thyroid cancer has made them bigger]. But it’s OK.
My dad used to always say, "If everyone in the world put their s--t in a pot and you got to pick your s--t, you’d take yours back because you know how to deal with it."
And it’s true. It’s a learning curve.
How have you coped?
My mom helped.
[She’d say], ‘Today, this is the best you’re going to get. Tomorrow you could be better, but today, this is it.’
So, I learned to just take things as they come and try to [think] it could always be worse.
I went [to my doctor] and they [lowered the doses] and now I’m tired again.
It’s just constant monitoring [and] comes with stresses.
What are those stresses?
[The medication] makes me a bit more irritable, more susceptible for depression and makes me eat more. It also makes me more tired and I gain weight more easily.
All the things that were little challenges before [thyroid cancer has made them bigger]. But it’s OK.
My dad used to always say, "If everyone in the world put their s--t in a pot and you got to pick your s--t, you’d take yours back because you know how to deal with it."
And it’s true. It’s a learning curve.
How have you coped?
My mom helped.
[She’d say], ‘Today, this is the best you’re going to get. Tomorrow you could be better, but today, this is it.’
So, I learned to just take things as they come and try to [think] it could always be worse.
When is your thyroid condition most noticeable? It makes working out challenging. I [severely] hurt both my shoulders and my back. I couldn’t really move for three months.
Training for “Riddick” was really difficult. My back stopped hurting only about a month ago.
I had become really thin and sick [because of the effects of thyroid cancer]. It was hard.
[But, while training for “Riddick”] in the last month I’ve gained 15 pounds of muscle.
Did your condition affect your choice of movie roles? Did you want to find a laid-back film?
After every job, I say, “I’m going to do a little [romantic comedy] with Ryan Reynolds after this."
But it never happens.
What’s the best health advice you got during your cancer battle?
To constantly question [the doctors] because as a patient I want a doctor to be eight years smarter than me. I want them to know more.
When you go to multiple doctors over and over, you lose faith. [But] you just can’t stop being your own advocate. So many people stop questioning.
Training for “Riddick” was really difficult. My back stopped hurting only about a month ago.
I had become really thin and sick [because of the effects of thyroid cancer]. It was hard.
[But, while training for “Riddick”] in the last month I’ve gained 15 pounds of muscle.
Did your condition affect your choice of movie roles? Did you want to find a laid-back film?
After every job, I say, “I’m going to do a little [romantic comedy] with Ryan Reynolds after this."
But it never happens.
What’s the best health advice you got during your cancer battle?
To constantly question [the doctors] because as a patient I want a doctor to be eight years smarter than me. I want them to know more.
When you go to multiple doctors over and over, you lose faith. [But] you just can’t stop being your own advocate. So many people stop questioning.
How do you advocate for yourself?
I text my doctor constantly. It’s turned me into a bit of a hypochondriac.
But when you get cancer at 27, how can you not become a hypochondriac?
What other lessons did you learn from having cancer?
The other thing I learned was, life’s so short. It could all end tomorrow.
I have moments like everyone where I get down on the day or myself – I’m human. But I just try to stay happy.
Are you a healthy eater?
I try. People around me would say that I make very good decisions [now].
I grew up in a family where we loved vegetables, so I eat peppers and tomatoes like other people eat apples.
I do have a taste for good food … but until a couple of years ago, I was a compulsive overeater. I binged constantly. Then I would go to the gym for six hours the next day. That’s the way that I managed it.
I text my doctor constantly. It’s turned me into a bit of a hypochondriac.
But when you get cancer at 27, how can you not become a hypochondriac?
What other lessons did you learn from having cancer?
The other thing I learned was, life’s so short. It could all end tomorrow.
I have moments like everyone where I get down on the day or myself – I’m human. But I just try to stay happy.
Are you a healthy eater?
I try. People around me would say that I make very good decisions [now].
I grew up in a family where we loved vegetables, so I eat peppers and tomatoes like other people eat apples.
I do have a taste for good food … but until a couple of years ago, I was a compulsive overeater. I binged constantly. Then I would go to the gym for six hours the next day. That’s the way that I managed it.
What made you change?
I made a big life decision [to do] what was best for me. I just stopped.
I still have tendencies to [binge and] eat more than I should occasionally.
I grew up in a family where food was the only thing that I could control, so I constantly ate to drown my feelings.
I was one of those kids that had Oreos under my bed and ate the whole bag. Then I would go run for four hours the next day so I wouldn’t gain any weight.
Were you an emotional eater?
I’m an extreme emotional eater. When things are really hard I eat a lot.
That’s been something I had to change, especially after the thyroid cancer. I don’t lose weight the way I used. It’s very hard and slow. I have to be diligent.
How do you survive the elaborate catering on the set?
By planning and [taking] different routes [around the set].
If I know that craft services is there, I will bypass it all day long… because once I start eating candy or things that are bad for me, I can’t stop.
I have a really hard time with sugar. It’s a bad addiction.
I can’t have peanut better or cereal in my house. If I have milk and Cap'n Crunch in my house, I’ll eat the entire [box] on a Saturday morning.
I still have tendencies to [binge and] eat more than I should occasionally.
I grew up in a family where food was the only thing that I could control, so I constantly ate to drown my feelings.
I was one of those kids that had Oreos under my bed and ate the whole bag. Then I would go run for four hours the next day so I wouldn’t gain any weight.
Were you an emotional eater?
I’m an extreme emotional eater. When things are really hard I eat a lot.
That’s been something I had to change, especially after the thyroid cancer. I don’t lose weight the way I used. It’s very hard and slow. I have to be diligent.
How do you survive the elaborate catering on the set?
By planning and [taking] different routes [around the set].
If I know that craft services is there, I will bypass it all day long… because once I start eating candy or things that are bad for me, I can’t stop.
I have a really hard time with sugar. It’s a bad addiction.
I can’t have peanut better or cereal in my house. If I have milk and Cap'n Crunch in my house, I’ll eat the entire [box] on a Saturday morning.
Do you feel guilty after that?
I started forgiving myself. I got into my 30s and [thought] “I’m never going to be a size 2. This is the best me that I can be."
[You can’t] stop loving yourself. Therapy helps. It’s nice to have real people around me.
After having cancer, some people eat organic foods. Do you? I do, but not all the time. [I believe] everything [is OK] in moderation. If things come with a peel, I don’t buy it organic. It’s way too expensive.
What one thing motivates you to work out? At Christmas time I always listen to “The Nutcracker” while I work out. People think I’m crazy. I [also] listen to Bach at the gym.
For some reason it motivates me. I’m an odd duck.
[You can’t] stop loving yourself. Therapy helps. It’s nice to have real people around me.
After having cancer, some people eat organic foods. Do you? I do, but not all the time. [I believe] everything [is OK] in moderation. If things come with a peel, I don’t buy it organic. It’s way too expensive.
What one thing motivates you to work out? At Christmas time I always listen to “The Nutcracker” while I work out. People think I’m crazy. I [also] listen to Bach at the gym.
For some reason it motivates me. I’m an odd duck.
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