| If there's one thing we've learned about Reva over the years, it's that she can take just about anything that life dishes out. What's fascinating about the character is that despite all she has survived, Reva somehow remains a woman every viewer can identify with. That, of course, is in large part to her portrayer, Kim Zimmer. So when Reva found out that she might have cancer only days after her alter ego picked up another Best Actress Emmy, we knew the story being embarked on would be anything but atypical.
A Life-Changing Moment Cancer is certainly not a topic new to daytime viewers, but what has set Reva's tale apart is the show's decision to make this journey about the character, not the disease. In typical Reva fashion, the ride has been anything but smooth. When the subject was first broached in the Reva-centric episode titled "In A Moment," we saw a woman with whom we could easily identify: Reva was a little bit nervous about the prospect of a mammogram, but, more than anything else, felt as if this was much ago about nothing. Even after learning that a biopsy needed to be done, Reva attempted to make light of the situation. Reality Bites When hit with the news that she needed a lumpectomy, Reva suddenly felt the walls closing in. When the efficient - if lacking in bedside manner - Dr. McCabe tried rushing her into surgery, his patient angrily lashed out. "I have shoes in my closet older than you!" she said. "I'm not just some color-coded file with a number on it!" Hers was the battle cry of anyone who has ever felt less than human in dealing with the often - ironically - inhumane medical professionals who sometimes forget that their job is literally life and death for those whom they treat. In the days to come, Reva would find out that she did have cancer. Of course, in keeping with the character's occasionally misguided attempts to protect her loved ones, she decided to take the journey alone. And as Reva struggled to deal with the life-altering implications on her own while keeping her friends and family in the dark, it was truly Zimmer's time to shine, yet again. |