Halle Berry
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry only discovered she had diabetes mellitus type 1 after collapsing during filming a TV show in 1989 and falling into a coma, according to diabetes.co.uk.
The Monster’s Ball and Catwoman star has to have daily insulin injections to keep her condition under control and has to be extremely careful about diet and looking after herself.
Cynthia McFadden
ABC News anchor Cynthia McFadden was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1977 and would use humor along with self-harm as a way of coping with the severe pain she was in. McFadden has been in remission since 1979 when she underwent a procedure to have 15 feet of intestine removed.
McFadden decided to call her condition “George” so she could refer to any issues with her friends without having to go into detail, and used to grow her fingernails long so she could dig them into her skin to distract her from the intense abdominal pain she suffered.
Kathleen Turner
The War of the Roses actress Kathleen Turner was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1992. Her initial response to managing the condition was to self-medicate with alcohol but she soon realized she was making her health much worse and became sober.
Turner became an ambassador for the condition and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Arthritis Foundation for her efforts to raise awareness.