"Guiding Light" star Kim Zimmer talks about the role that made her proactive about her own personal health.
Kim's Story
"I was a bad girl."
My sister is a survivor of breast cancer, and my grandmother lost both breasts to it. Having a history of the disease in your family should certainly be impetus enough for one to be more proactive with their own health. But fear of the unknown always held me back from going to the doctor.
The producers of Guiding Light approached me a year and a half ago and told me they were going to take my character, Reva, through the experience of breast cancer. I was fascinated, especially because of my own family history. Interestingly enough, it was this story that pushed me to be aware of my own personal care and the importance of mammograms.
"It was a really wonderful experience to be able to play my role in a real breast cancer facility."
Stupidly, I hadn't had a mammogram in about seven years. We had the opportunity to shoot at an actual breast center in Long Island. It was a beautiful facility, very Zen-like in its approach. They had an indoor garden. For me, it was so refreshing to see women who are facing such crisis in their lives walk into this facility and be so warmly embraced in this peaceful atmosphere. It really opened my eyes to the fact that this process doesn't have to be scary. You don't have to be afraid to have a mammogram.
"I got to work with actual breast cancer survivors, and they taught me so much."
These wonderful women gave me the opportunity to have a sense of humor about the approach to breast cancer. They were really wonderful actresses, too! It was interesting just being in scenes with them. Their battles were all different, and they were in different stages of recovery. Some of them were still facing more chemo. We were talking about their heads because they'd all lost their hair at various points in their treatment. I had the opportunity to shave my head for this storyline, but there was no way I could have. I have so many scars and dents on my head from skis and ski poles and falling off motorcycles. It would not be a pretty head, but these women all had absolutely gorgeous heads, and they were proud of them. Understanding their experience and being able to act with them made me more sensitive to the overall experience of cancer.
"I'm a good girl now - I get my yearly mammogram."
I'm over 50 now, and it's something I should be doing. If you're my age, you need to have a mammogram every year. I was very fortunate that my mammogram this last time was clear, since I went so many years without one.
I was so afraid before, but imagine how much scarier it is to be sick and not know it. My take now is that there's nothing to be afraid of. Early detection is the best prevention. Have your mammograms. If you don't do it for yourself, please do it for me!
