Kimberly Williams-Paisley revealed that she recently underwent surgery to repair one of her vocal cords after experiencing difficulty with using her voice for almost two years.
The 52-year-old actress, who is married to country star Brad Paisley, shared the health update and detailed her “challenging” medical journey in a post that she shared Saturday on Instagram.
The “Father of the Bride” star uploaded a slideshow beginning with a selfie in which she was seen smiling as she lay in a hospital bed with a tube attached to the back of her neck. The next image featured a black background with the words “Trigger warning: SCAR (and bad artwork).
In the final photo, Paisley displayed a large scar on her neck. Over the image, Paisley’s brother had drawn a face over the scar with a marker to make the scar appear to be a smile.
“I’ve been going through a thing,” Paisley began her lengthy caption. “Almost two years ago I lost my voice on stage at my Alzheimer’s event in Nashville. It was embarrassing & scary & it never quite came back.”
She continued, “It’s been a challenging couple of years, but we finally got to the bottom of it. I have damage to my laryngeal nerve. I tried everything I could to heal it (so thank you, but please don’t give me any tips!).”
Williams-Paisley explained that she was “finally” able to undergo successful surgery at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennesee, which she said was performed by “expert surgeons.”
“It is sounding so much better!!,” she said. “I have a bad— scar that’s smiling at me across my neck. (Swipe for the drawing my brother made on top of the image if you can handle it.).”
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The Hallmark actress admitted that she had previously withheld from sharing her medical condition because “it felt too vulnerable.”
“I took for granted my ability to ‘use my voice’ before — for my career, for a good cause, for a timely joke, for SELF-EXPRESSION, for a loud dinner party,” Paisley said. “Instead, I’ve been the quietest in the room. I’ve felt meek. New people I’ve met thought I was a shy or reserved person. I’ve felt trapped in my body.”
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She continued, “I’ve been through shame & self-loathing, all kinds of training, breathing techniques, & braces & healing & laughing & crying & explaining. I’ve met many amazing helpers along the way who’ve become amazing friends & I’m feeling SO GRATEFUL.”
Paisley noted that she had remained awake during her entire three-hour laryngoplasty, which was to “plump up my paralyzed vocal cord so it hits the other one.”
“(She’s so happy not to be doing all the work by herself anymore. She was EXHAUSTED),” Paisley joked of her intact vocal cord.
“I watched a lot of it on a video screen above my head as it happened and all I can say is MODERN MEDICINE IS MIRACULOUS,” she added.
The “According to Jim” alum shared that her medical ordeal had led to positive changes in her life.
“In the last two years, I’ve found power in using my voice in new ways,” she explained. “I’ve healed old emotional wounds. I’ve learned the strength & beauty of silence. I’ve become a serious meditator. I’m deadlifting over a hundred pounds. I’m taking better care of my body. I’m managing stress. I’m dissolving shame. I’m feeling more whole, empowered & joyful.”
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Paisley concluded her post with a quote from author and podcaster Kate Bowler, writing, “If you’re going through hell, don’t come out empty-handed.”
“Was losing my voice worth it? Mm, not exactly. Was it worthless? Not for a second,” she added.
One day prior to revealing her health struggles, Paisley had shared a post celebrating her 17-year-old son William entering his final year of high school. The actress shares William and son Jasper, 15, with Brad, whom she married in 2003.
“Sun has set on the summer of 2024 and this week I have my first HS senior!” she wrote alongside a photo of a chair in front of a lake at sunset.
“Parents who’ve been there done that: Send me all the wisdom,” Paisley added. “My eyes keep getting wet!”
The actress also recently made headlines when she stepped out for lunch with her friend Meghan Markle at Tre Lune in Montecito, California.
“They had a lovely experience, chatting and laughing together,” a source told People magazine. “The pair was low-key and was left unbothered by the other guests.”
