Kimberly Williams-Paisley ‘Felt Trapped’ in Her Body Before Having Voice Surgery to Repair Nerve

Kimberly Williams-Paisley is on the mend after undergoing vocal cord surgery following a private health battle that began two years ago.

“I’ve been going through a thing,” Williams-Paisley, 52, began via Instagram on Saturday, August 17, sharing a photo of herself at the hospital.

The Father of the Bride actress explained that her voice “never quite came back” after losing it during an Alzheimer’s event in Nashville “almost two years ago.” (Williams-Paisley and her sister, Ashley Williams, have been Alzheimer’s advocates for years after their late mother died after suffering from the illness.)

Williams-Paisley said the experience was “embarrassing” and “scary” as she tried “everything” she could to heal it.

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“I have damage to my laryngeal nerve,” she revealed, noting the doctors were finally able to figure out the problem. The diagnosis led to surgery earlier that week. “It is sounding so much better!!” Williams-Paisley shared, joking, “I have a badass scar that’s smiling at me across my neck,” which she warned might be gnarly for the squeamish.

Williams-Paisley confessed that she didn’t want to share her journey earlier because “it felt too vulnerable.”

During her health battle, the Hallmark star learned that she “took for granted my ability to ‘use my voice’” whether it was for her job, a good cause or at a “loud dinner party.”

Over the past few years, Williams-Paisley said she became the “quietest in the room,” which left her feeling “meek” and not herself.

“I’ve felt trapped in my body,” she explained, recalling feelings of “shame and self-loathing” at times. Williams-Paisley experienced many highs and lows including “healing & laughing & crying & explaining.”

Following her three-hour laryngoplasty, which helped “plump up” her paralyzed vocal cord to better interact with her healthy one, Williams-Paisley is on the road to recovery. She has also realized how physically losing her voice has made her a more well-rounded individual.

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“In the last two years, I’ve found power in using my voice in new ways. I’ve healed old emotional wounds. I’ve learned the strength & beauty of silence,” she shared. “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.”

Williams-Paisley, who shares two sons with husband Brad Paisley, received an outpouring of love after opening up about her health.

“Sending you all the love and healing, Kim. What a pillar of strength. Glad you’re on the mend!! ?????,” Mandy Moore commented on the post.

Her fellow Hallmark star Lacey Chabert replied, “Thank you for sharing your journey. Wow, you are a warrior! Sending you so much love ??.”

Williams-Paisley’s sister applauded her warrior spirit, writing, “I have witnessed firsthand the daily strength of my sister through this journey and you all: WHAT. A SHOW. I am right in the front row, clapping and screaming with SO MUCH LOVE. BRAVO MY KIMMY.”

Paisley, meanwhile, poked a little fun at his spouse of 21 years, commenting, “This will be a great new chapter. Also, I will miss the silence.”