Wendy Williams is facing another health crisis. The Ask Wendy author revealed during a Monday segment of her daytime talk show The Wendy Williams Show that she was recently diagnosed with lymphoedema, a condition that can cause swelling in the arms and legs due to a compromised lymphatic system.
“Lymphoedema, by the way, I’ve been diagnosed,” Williams told the audience, according to PEOPLE. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine — and how dare you talk about the swelling of it all.”
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“I’ve got it under control,” she added. “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 [that] comes over wants to do it.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, lymphoedema is an incurable chronic condition that causes “swelling that generally occurs in one of your arms or legs,” with the swelling ranging from mild to extreme, in which case usage of the arms and legs can be difficult. It is caused by a compromised lymphatic system, such as when lymph nodes are damaged or removed, which can cause a blockage that creates the swelling.
Although there currently is not a cure, the condition can be managed “with early diagnosis and diligent care of your affected limb.”
The diagnosis comes after Williams was forced to take a months-long hiatus at the beginning of the year due to complications related to her Graves’ disease diagnosis, hypothyroidism, and a hairline fracture to her shoulder.
Prior to announcing the “extended break,” her last appearance had been on a Dec. 21 episode of the talk show, when she announced that she would be taking a week-long break. That break was later extended, with Williams releasing a statement in which she said that, “despite her strong desire to return, she is taking a necessary, extended break from her show to focus on her personal and physical well-being.”
In February of 2018, Williams had revealed that she had been diagnosed with Graves’ disease and hypothyroidism. Graves’ disease is an immune system disorder that causes hypothyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Other symptoms of the disease may include heat sensitivity, hand or finger tremors and weight loss, despite keeping up normal eating habits.
Williams also notably suffered an on air fainting spelling during a live broadcast in October of 2017, though that incident was said to be the result of Williams becoming overheated.
