Chicago Med’s Marlyne Barrett Describes 'Joyful Survival Mode' After 30 Rounds of 'Painful' Chemo (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Marlyne Barrett.Photo:Courtesy Marlyne Barrett

Courtesy Marlyne Barrett

WhenMarlyne Barrettwas first diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer, she and her family kept their faith and prepared for the “roller coaster” health journey ahead. Now, theChicago Medstar, 46, is detailing the tough times she had before achieving “complete remission” and what she calls “joyful survival mode.”

The actress first learned of her diagnosis in July 2022 after a routine checkup, when doctors found a football-sized tumor on her left ovary.

“It was huge,” she tells PEOPLE of her mass. “It started on the left ovary and took over and went all the way almost to the other. I looked like I had a full-grown fetus inside of me.”

Barrett underwent 30 rounds of chemotherapy — 15 rounds before and 15 rounds after her surgery in December 2022. At one point during her two-year treatment, she required paracentesis, a procedure that removes fluid from the abdomen with a needle or catheter.

“My stomach was accumulating this fluid that made me look like I was nine months pregnant,” she says. “They were draining like eight or nine liters of liquid out of me that made me automatically lose like 15 pounds every time.”

Marlyne Barrett in the hospital.Courtesy Marlyne Barrett

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Between the procedures and chemotherapy, Barrett admits that “a lot of pain came with the situation.” And the first six rounds of chemotherapy, she says, were especially tough.

“There was pain prior because the mass was causing these spasms, and then on top of that was chemo. When I would get chemo, you’re talking about a 10-hour infusion that day. And you don’t necessarily get the opportunity to heal between the treatments.”

“I looked emaciated, my cheeks were caved in. So it was quite special to still carry so much joy, although my body wasn’t yet turning around towards the healing.”

“I don’t think that people realize mobility means life,” she says. “So as long as I was able to move, work, laugh at everybody’s bad jokes. People were treating me like I was normal, even when my eyebrows were no longer present. It made the time fun, not necessarily having to think about [my health] all the time.”

Marlyne Barrett.Courtesy Marlyne Barrett

Barrett — who has played charge nurse Maggie Lockwood on the show since its premiere in 2015 — admits that sometimes it was difficult to film while navigating her health issues because many of the show’s medical storylines hit close to home. But she praises her Wolf Entertainment andChicago Medfamily for helping her through the difficult journey and “creating a system of care."

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Chicago Med star Marlyne Barrett on set.James Washington/NBC

James Washington/NBC

As of July 2024, Barrett is happy to be in “complete remission." Complete remission is when all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, according to theNational Cancer Institute. However, cancer cells may remain in the body and cause the cancer to come back in the future.

For now, though, “I feel fantastic,” she says. “It’s a bittersweet celebration because you’re getting to know yourself, post- such an experience. You’re getting to know your body again, you’re getting to know yourself, so you’re celebrating with deep gratefulness.”

Being on the other side of treatment, Barrett stresses how important it was to care for her mental health as she recovered. For her, attending regular counseling sessions, getting massages twice a week, visiting Korean spas, swimming, focusing on family, and “a lot of laughter” played a role in achieving remission.

“I really made sure that I took care of my mental health in the process because I think my mental health is what kept me focused on the mission at hand, which was to care for you and make sure that you allow others to care for you too,” she says. “And that’s not something that just came naturally to me.”

Chicago Med star Marlyne Barrett.Smallz & Raskind/NBC

Smallz & Raskind/NBC

“I want to share my process of ‘my eyes set on victory’ with people. Victory sometimes meant no matter the outcome, I was going to stay joyful. And then victory sometimes meant making myself available to just collapse and not fake being strong.”

“Life is just so much more precious. I want to take in every moment. I want to take in life in a rich way,” she adds.

Barrett — who is now preparing for the season 10 premiere ofChicago Med —says since sharing her cancer journey, she’s had many people reach out about their own stories. She says reaching “joyful survival mode” has given her a “new sense of purpose” to help others.

“Joyful survival mode is when you realize that your story is not just your own. As long as you can find purpose in your survival, you can extend that to help someone,” she explains. “I feel like those that didn’t make it, I carry them inside me.”

“You’re never, ever alone,” Barrett continues. “Someone is always a phone call away. Keep on reaching out until you find someone to help — and if there’s no one that you can call, DM me.”

Chicago Medseason 10 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

source: people.com