A couple of weeks ago, Shannen Doherty posted photos to Instagram documenting the process of shaving her head. Shannen has been battling breast cancer for over a year, having been diagnosed in March of 2015. After she posted the photos, many people become worried about her prognosis and are hoping that she’s ok. Judging from her Instagram, she has friends and family around her as she goes through treatment. In an emotional new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Shannen revealed that her breast cancer has spread to her lymph nodes and said that she’s going through chemotherapy followed by radiation.
On her prognosis and treatment
I had a single mastectomy in May. From one of the surgeries we discovered that some of the cancer cells might have actually gone out of the lymph nodes. So for that reason, we are doing chemo, and then after chemo, I’ll do radiation.She doesn’t want to know her stage number
They do a stage once they take the tumor out. Once it starts spreading you’re above stage 2. You’re a stage 3, stage 4, whatever it is. My treatments are my treatments. There’s nothing I can do to change it. [Whatever stage I am] there’s nothing I can do to change that.She found it in the shower but could not go to the doctor
I don’t know if I knew something was wrong, but I felt something. I did not go into the doctor right away. I can’t get into this because I’m in the middle of a lawsuit… I didn’t have insurance.She will have reconstruction and is working with Angelina Jolie’s doctor
He didn’t want me to wake up with absolutely nothing. It was very important to him that I didn’t have that experience, so he put an expander in. So I have a tiny something there. It’s cute and sometimes we fill it up and make it bigger, and sometimes we reduce it.
I didn’t know that’s how expanders worked, that they allowed you to pick your breast size. I looked through some forums on this and apparently you can experiment with different sizes so that you know how it will look when you do get reconstruction. When she was talking about this Shannen seemed a little brighter and happier, so it’s reassuring to hear that women have this control over their bodies during such a tough time.
ET has more from the interview on their website, including the fact that Shannen’s husband has been extremely supportive and that Diane Von Furstenberg, who is a cancer survivor, personally sent her scarves to wear. She also explained why she shaved her head, because her hair was coming out in clumps, and how difficult it’s been to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy. Shannen said that she didn’t want her story getting out from unflattering paparazzi photos and without her having a chance to tell people what was happening. “I wanted to put it out there the way it felt the best for me to put it out there.” Keep fighting Shannen, we’re rooting for you.
I hope she recovers but for some reason I have a bad feeling she won’t.
Many people said this about Lamar Odom and others treated in critical care. The human body is mystery in many ways.
I wish her strength and a full recovery.
I don’t really believe he has a serious brain injury .. I have a family member with it and when it is SERIOUS you can’t do most of the things he’s doing. You are a different person and its sad. Heartbreaking. It was a great tragedy our family went through when it happened and I was shocked when the claims came out he recovered completely and in such a short amount of time. That is not a serious BI.
I do wish her recovery though.
@Hadley B
I just have a bad feeling too.
Two legendary women of comedy here in Britain – Victoria Wood and Caroline Aherne – died just this year, within months, of a similar type of cancer.
Damn.
@ Hadley B, all brain injuries/strokes are different depending on many factors, so are recoveries.
I just hate reading that she was diagnosed in March 2015 but only had the lump removed THIS MAY. That frightens me.
Of course I don’t know her details or medical history, but too many times a doctor will say “let’s wait and see,” or “let’s hold off on surgery for now.” On the surface this sounds great – as a patient you think, I don’t want surgery, I don’t want to lose my breast and if my doctor says we can wait it must not be so bad.
Please, women of the world – if you have a lump have it removed. All of it.
Take it out so there’s no chance that it will spread – if there is cancer in your body there is no wait. A breast is great but you can have another breast, we have the technology. Once the cancer has spread …well, things get more complicated, more invasive and even more terrifying.
I wish her all the best.
That’s what the doctors in my town tried to do with my mom when she found a lump in one of her breasts. She went in and got it biopsied, and then like two weeks later (or however long it takes) she got a call back on her answering machine saying that it was cancerous. And then when she called back (and had to keep calling back)….they were basically trying to make her wait a month before she could go back in, because her doctor was on vacation.
She said “Hell no, I’ll be dead before I see a doctor here”……and she went to the Cancer Center of America in Zion, Illinois…..where they successfully treated her and she is now in remission.
The doctors where we live were not all that concerned at all, it seemed.
It varies so much. My son in law’s mother had breast cancer 25 years ago, when the prognosis was much worse, but recovered and died in her 80s from an unrelated condition. Best wishes to Shannen. Loved her in Charmed.
I wish her all the best.
However, if you think something is wrong with your body, do NOT wait. Even if you are uninsured. You need to know. You need to do what you can. And there are programs that can help. My breast cancer spread three times in just the two weeks it took between mammogram to surgery.
xoxo Lilac.
It’s terrifying. I know I’m bad for going to the Dr when something is bothering me, but I’m trying to get over it and have gotten much better in the last year or two. I have to remind myself that being scared to hear a diagnosis doesn’t mean whatever is wrong with your just isn’t happening. Diagnosis or not, you might be ill. It took me WAY too long to go to the Dr and get a diagnosis for fibromyalgia, but I’m so glad I did because it can only get better here on out. I did, prior to that, make an appointment because I found a lump around my ear and hadn’t had a cold. It ended up being TMJ issues and swelling of the joint – but before going in, I had no idea what it could be – I immediately worried that it could be something much worse and didn’t dare wait.
I also have a great aunt who had had a double mastectomy, and an aunt with skin cancer. I’ve had it drilled into my head since I was a kid to make sure that if you find anything abnormal to get to a Dr asap. Thankfully, I’m Canadian, and have a family Dr. who I am able to see relatively quickly. Worst case scenario, I can go sit in Out Patients and see the on-call Dr. and it’s all covered by MSI. But this also means there’s usually a longer wait for specialists which does suck.
What does it mean that it spread three times? Is it a figure of speech or it spreads like every day in different directions (on different organs) or something like that?
Yes to different places of the body. My grandmother’s spread from her breast to her bones and her lungs.
She died. My other grandmother had it too- but had a mastectomy and lived.
My grandmother who passed had both of hers reconstructed (this was in the 80s!) and they used skin from her anus to reconstruct her nipples. It wasn’t worth it. We lost her too soon.
Not a figure of speech. The mammogram showed a mass, which turned out to be a tumor. Ultrasound a few days later showed it had grown AND new smaller masses away from the original. Surgery done. Biopsy showed none of the margins were clean. Post surgery ultrasound showed more spots. Second surgery needed to remove new tumors. BTW, I did not have a mastectomy. There are several different types of breast cancer, some of which are more dangerous than the others and they spread differently. And within those different types, there are different levels of aggression. Mine was the most deadly type and I had an extremely aggressive form of it.
@Kiliki and Lilacflowers, thanks for answering. I knew that cancer can spread but I never knew anyone who had it spread to two organs or so irregularly (in lack of a better word, english is not my first language) like in your case Lilacflowers, almost like it’s a living organism with its own will, and so quickly.
Lilac, I’m glad that you’re ok now and hope you’ll never have to go through anything like that again!
@Erinn I am terrible about going to the doctors too. I am making a point to change that.
Yes. My my husband had testicular cancer last year. He waited longer than he should have to get it looked at, partly because we didn’t have insurance. Once it was confirmed cancer he was able to apply for Medicaid, which covered his surgery and almost all of his treatment since. You cannot put this kind of stuff off.
You have answered a big question- if I get free screening, will my cancer be considered a preexisting condition by medicaid? I think we’re safe with obamacare, but these are important questions, and I would love some informed input. Thanks!
Hugs and hope to Lilacflowers.
Erinn, I agree that things should be checked. I got lax for a while because I was so tired of going in to check, but then some things on me do have to be followed fairly closely. I’m in Ontario. Many times I’m grateful for the system, but the significant wait periods give me serious pause in terms of time from detection to surgery, chemo, radiation. In some things, time is of the essence.
Lilac, I’m glad you’re here! Hugs!
Good Morning Lilacflowers,
I’m a cancer survivor too. I just wanted
to share with everyone on this site Planned
Parenthood’s issuing of mammograms for
those who are uninsured. This election
Is historical in that we will have two elected
Supreme Court Justices and we need to keep
Planned Parenthood open for this particular
reason! Planned Parenthood saved my life
With a mammogram when I was uninsured.
Thank you Ladydee, congratulations, and HUGS!!!
Yes, thank you, LadyDee, I meant to mention Planned Parenthood too. This is a vital service they provide. Also vital are community health centers, which provide services on a sliding scale.
This is why I’m so glad I’m in Canada.
F*** cancer. A family friend of ours has had, been in remission and relapsed 4 times. He’s been bald for ten years. Another friend of ours contracted melanoma and died in less than two years, at 42, leaving behind two boys. It killed my grandmother, though her starting smoking at 11 because most of her family was killed or died of complications from war didn’t help any. F*** cancer. Hug your friends and family today and forgive little annoyances. <3
F*ck Cancer!!!!!!
xo
<3
My fiancé always says "F*ck C in the A!"
Oh wow this is too sad, I was Hoping this was an early situation or something less in need of aggressive treatments (cause she is young? IDK) that’s tough and scary
Yeah me too. I didn’t realize how serious it had become. I don’t know how people have the courage to put themselves out there like this. I get her point about not having the paps releasing “scary” photos while she’s undergoing treatment, but I still have so much respect for her bravery.
I feel the same way. She’s in for a rough time but thankfully she has her family and friends around her. I wish her well and i really hope she survives this.
Yes the unfortunate thing about breast cancer is when it’s in the premenopausal ‘younger’ patient, the more deadly it is. I’d be curious to know if she has had the genetic testing and if this is a family history. Long story short Estrogen Receptor positive breast cancer (which comes from a lifetime of estrogen exposure, post menopausal) is usually a manageable, positive prognosis. Estrogen receptor negative (which unfortunately I’m guessing she has based on age, like Angelina Jolie) is unfortunately….not as easy to eradicate.
I wish her the very best. I never found her likable as a celebrity, but that seems pretty irrelevant now. I don’t think people with cancer are heroes, necessarily, but when people use their misfortune to inform and support others, that’s pretty heroic.
This +1000.
Yes.
And I know hearing the stages is scary…I want to tell her that I’ve known two people diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer (one breast, one prostate) and they are still here and healthy 10 years later.
Wow..that’s amazing, Esmom.
Thank you for sharing this, Esmon!
Shannon, i wish you the best!!!
And hopefully she’s being treated at Cedars. If she’s seeing Angelina’s surgeon I’d suspect so. She’s doing a huge service by reminding us all to get things checked out quickly. Best of luck to her.
You’re exactly right. She’s not been likable as a celebrity but who cares now? She’s sick and it’s horrible for anyone to have to suffer this disease. I hope she recovers but this does sound really bad.
These are the kind of life events that can change you as a person. Make you more sensitive to others’ suffering, more compassionate. I believe that will happen with Shannen. I refuse to believe she won’t make it.
Its sad that a person would have to put there health on the back burner because of insurance. It makes me grateful for where I live.
Keep fighting Shannon and when I saw bits of this interview it was just another reminder that no I s immune from cancer. I’m glad she has a good support people and love Diane Von Furstenberg for sending her scarfs.
My husband’s aunt did this. She had lung cancer and it went undiagnosed for so long that they originally thought she had liver cancer until they biopsied it. She didn’t live very long after that. It was horrible. Her daughter will be paying off the medical bills for a very long time because her mom was uninsured.
Sorry this may sound stupid, but wouldn’t her debt get wiped out with her death..? Does medical bills in the USA pass on to the family..? If so that is just horrible.
Not a stupid question, Aussie girl. I’m American and I don’t even know!
Can somebody answer?
Heirs to the estate inherit not only the assets but the debts as well. My mother’s lawyer told me to be absolutely sure the debts didn’t outweigh the assets before filing the will. And yes, I had to pay off the medical bills (medicare didn’t cover everything).
And just FYI, my mother was battling two cancers at the end–multiple myeloma and then a return of the breast cancer. It was horrible, just horrible.
Sh*t. Thank you Hazel!
Thanks for taking time to reply. I’m just stumped. How awful, as well as dealing with a family members sickness and then death. On top of that you have a persons financel debt to add to the pile of grief and stress, plus finding money for a funeral! And that’s just it, money and death are two massive issues on a person.
I’m positive, that this is not the case in Australia. As in if a person dies their debt pretty much dies with them ( not debt owing assists though) Please someone with finance knowledge correct me because it is not my forte.
In Canada, debts are not inherited at death unless they are held jointly with someone else in the contract, or by virtue of marriage if there are assets to claim against.
Details here – https://www.debtcanada.ca/library/debtors-rights/83-inherited-debts
Years ago, I worked as estate admin in a law firm. I’ll never forget this woman, a single mom who had at least 8 credit cards and some were for fancy stores – Holt Renfrew for one. She had a 19 year old daughter at time of her death. Before she died, of cancer of some type, she went shopping and maxed out ALL her credit cards buying things for herself and her daughter and friends. She gave any money she had to her daughter shortly before she died. So at death, there were no assets in her name. We pleaded with the daughter to pay the credit cards off as the government could go after her up to many years after her Mom died. Daughter didn’t bat an eyelash – said a firm No and calmly walked out after paying our bill. All we could do really was notify all her creditors she had died and say there was nothing in the estate to satisfy the debt. Credit cards…. they have least claim of anyone and typically they just write it all off.
I wish her the very best. Stay strong Shannen!
The waiting may have hurt her…the same thing happened with jackie Collins. You can’t hesitate.
It’s funny, isn’t it? Some cancers can be left alone and they’ll do nothing for decades and some need immediate attention.
SO TRUE.
Some grow like bamboo- overnight.
That was so sad she waited so long.
I wish her the best and very glad she has love and true supportive people around her. This woman has had a hard life. I’ve always felt it wasn’t her doing entirely either.
It’s because of her life, the childhood she had setting it up, in combination with how she speaks about this cancer, that I don’t think she really is that into beating this. Not to say she doesn’t care. I just feel like she’s had enough and would be fine to go. Weird vibe trying to explain this. In any case, I don’t fault her for however she wants to play this – disease and illness is a personal journey and she deserves to not suffer needlessly and to have lots of love and true people around her.
I hope she’s alright, what a filthy disease cancer is.
Good luck.
This terrifies me to no end. Guess all we can do is to not put off doctor’s appointments when we notice something is off. Women can’t putt off mammograms and ultrasounds. Yearly gyno appointments are a must!!
Yearly?? Every 2 years in Aus and from 2017 it moves to 5 yearly.
Yeah, my doc (in the US) moved from yearly to every 3 years for pap smears.
In Canada the recommended Pap schedule has been slowed down too — at least if it’s been negative for so many years in a row. That’s a key “if.”
Don’t trust that! Pap every year at least! Please hear me! Paps are not fool-proof. That is what my physician said when my biopsy came back. I got the shock of my life. I was so young and didn’t even have a high-risk strain of HPV! It happened to me.
You need a pap EVERY YEAR. Cervical cancer was around long before HPV. I fell in that 10%.
I am overdue for a mammogram. I will call to schedule an appointment today. My insurance was recently reinstated, but I do know that there are resources for low income people without insurance to get tested. I wonder if once one has insurance again that cancer would be treated as a preexisting condition and treatment is not covered.
Are you in the US? The Affordable Care Act aka Obama care struck down the ability of insurance to deny care for preexisting conditions.
This is heartbreaking! Best. Wish she had gone to a hospital or clinic when she first felt.
Aw I remember her from back to little house on the prairie in the 80s. Oh Shannon! Best!
I hope she gets better soon. My Aunt died of breast cancer so I know it’s not good news when it starts to spread. It sounds like she has a good medical team so that’s a huge plus. I always feel the bottom of my stomach drop when I hear someone has a cancer diagnosis that’s spreading because I know what it’s like to be a family member of someone who’s sick. While I’ll never forget those who supported our family, the process scars your soul.
How many people have to die because someone decided that healthcare had to be for-profit?
That ‘someone’ being the for-profit insurers. And then the Congress that they bought.
The American people have been spoon fed propaganda for years that universal healthcare is not the way to go and will kill you. Until that attitude changes, many people will be in debt when they die or die because of lack of treatment.
It’s not universal healthcare. The industry should be regulated period. Everyone can be given healthcare but the charges are ridiculous. Healthcare doesn’t cover everything. You have copays and more and more, the insurance will make you pay for a bigger share of the charges. You bring down the fees hospitals and Rx charges then it’s more manageable.
Reconstruction was by far and away the most empowering part of my cancer experience. The lumpectomy and re-excision left me with a horrible partial mastectomy. Once I decided to remove it and have an expander put in, I felt like a real warrior. Up until that point it seemed things were just happening to me. I wish her well.
I’m actually at the plastic surgeon’s now waiting to get my expanders filled. I’m in Chicago and my treatment for breast cancer will easily top $500 K (chemo, mastectomy, reconstruction) at a public hospital. One shot to help your immune system during chemo is $4,500 each. Each! I needed four. Thankfully I have good insurance. Southern California treatment is likely more expensive. I worry for Shannen. We are the same age. Your prognosis is dicey even when you get timely treatment.
Best of luck to you Angie and Shannen and everyone else who is going through this. F**k cancer.
F**k cancer. I hope she stays resilient in her treatment and that she gets some good news. I always have that sinking feeling when it comes to cancer
I hope Shannen gets better, but I thought by now she would have dropped that stupid lawsuit against her manager. I get that when you are diagnosed with a possibly-fatal illness you want to find somebody to blame, but her manager being slow to get some SAG paperwork resolved is not to blame for this.
When I was sporadically employed as a twentysomething I paid out the wazoo for my own health insurance because my mother taught me how important it is to always have uninterrupted health insurance coverage. If I could afford to pay $600/month to Blue Cross, Shannen certainly could. She’s got plenty of money. The fact that she felt a lump and still didn’t do anything about the lump or her lack of health insurance was a bad decision, but that was her decision, not her manager’s.
It may be less about blame at this point and more about expenses. Even if she has insurance now, insurance doesn’t pay for everything & she’s going to be stuck with huge bills for all her treatments. I wish her the best.
The manager dropped the ball in paying for her health insurance which, in turn, was terminated around the same time as her diagnosis. That’s an avoidable issue if the manager did his/her job. I don’t know too many people who would be forgiving about that.
My doctor found that I had mild dysplasia (hpv related precancerous condition) from my paper smear when I was 28. She froze off the cells (cryotherapy) hoping that would end it. A Pap smear 3 months later showed it had progressed to moderate dysplasia. Same procedure. 3 months after that, my Pap smear results indicated that I had severe dysplasia/precancerous cells. At that point, she did a cone biopsy. That was 17 years ago. I wait with bated breath every time I have a Pap smear because the virus never leaves the body and can always crop back up. My (now male) gyno keeps trying to get me to skip Pap smears to every three years, and I tell him NO WAY!!! I will pay out of pocket if I have to, but I will not miss my pap smear. The insurance companies don’t want us to get these screenings done because they cover them 100%, so they keep releasing false info to the public saying that it’s really not necessary to have these tests done. It’s much more lucrative for them if we develop cancer. I saw one ad that even said “women, you don’t have to go through THE DREADED PAP SMEAR every year anymore!” It was basically saying -hey, ladies, we’re doing you a favor! Well, hpv can flare up at any time and they know it! A 19 year old can have hpv related cervical cancer, a 25 year old can, even some one who’s 58 and has been married faithfully. The reason for that is because the virus can lie dormant for decades before a flare up, or it can attack right away. So, no – it’s not a good idea for anyone ever to miss a yearly Pap smear! And I will always pay for mine if I must. there are also women’s clinics all around the US that will perform screenings (mammo, pap, etc) for free or low cost to ppl who don’t have insurance. Insurance companies and the people who run them are absolute evil.
EVERYONE SOULD READ MISSION’S COMMENT!
I really wish her the best. Keep fighting like hell. I watched both my parents pass away from cancer. It was traumatizing as a child and as an adult to go through that. I was angry that they were both robbed of additional years of their lives. I am so glad that she has her husband and friends around her who are so supportive. She is a very strong woman and I wish her the very best.
I am so sorry for your losses, KatM.
Thank you so very much Kiliki, that is truly very kind of you. Have a great week! : )
I wish you the best, Shannen! I’m sending good vibes your way:)
Kudos to Shannen! I admire her so much for coming forward and speaking out about her condition. And not only sharing her personal struggles with treatment, but talking about not having health insurance to boot. I hope there is a special, torturous hell for those who’ve made health care a for-profit cash cow.
I have a friend with Stage IV breast cancer. She’s exhausted all the usual treatments–surgeries, chemo, radiation, and is now in Tijuana undergoing alternative treatments. I hope she, Shannon, and all other women going through this find peace.
I truly wish her the best. My lovely grandmother passed away from cancer, its so sad.
Unless I’m reading this wrong she said that the cancer “may have spread”, in which case hopefully they are ont top of it/caught it early – well not early but before stage 3. I totally understand her not wanting to know the stages – several years ago I had aggressive Non -Hodgkins Lymphoma, but my doctor, when I asked him what stage said that they prefer not to give out stats/stage my kind, i.e. it’s rare and weird and what good would it do me, it wasn’t like it was going to change my treatment. And it was kind of a weight off to be honest. Cancer patients have enough to focus on without obsessing over their “odds”. But I live in the U.K., when I read cancer forums I am always struck by how very detail oriented and more in the know American patients are about every little thing with their cancer. I don’t know which way is better, but for me I had enough people telling me I could “beat it” if I “stayed positive” (Ugh – to anyone who ever says this btw – just don’t), that I felt enough pressure as it was to slay my own cancer like a dragon, not, you know, rely on the doctors and the medicine. I am sure Shannon is getting the best possible care and I wish her all the best. I wish people wouldn’t be quite so quick to doom and gloom, people beat very tough and ugly forms of cancer every day.
I also had Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and currently in remission.i also lost all my hair and now a year later it has grown back thick and lovely. Very grateful.
I feel sorry for what Shannon is going through, however, she is being quite vague. It spread beyond the lymph nodes. That means it has metastasized to another organ. Wouldn’t she have her other breast removed in that case? Why didn’t she have chemo right after her mastectomy? I assume she is going to top hospital but her timeline/treatment sounds odd.
While one type of breast cancer does spread from breast to breast the others do not and instead travel through the lymph nodes and blood to bone, lungs, and brain.
A mastectomy is a major amputation that can result in many long-term post surgical difficulties. Best to avoid such surgery if not medically necessary.
@Karen: So glad you are in remission! I had it 12 years ago, it takes a long time to process it and I wish you all the best. Growing back hair is the best feeling in the world! I started walking around when I had like a buzz cut, I did not give a hoot I was all “Look at all this hair!”. I’m a little confused too about Shannon’s staging and hoping it’s not as bad as it sounds.
I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer back in May. I’ve completed my surgeries, and am about to head into the treatment phase. I’m a lucky woman, even though I maintain my sense of realism.
“I had enough people telling me I could “beat it” if I “stayed positive” (Ugh – to anyone who ever says this btw – just don’t)”
I dislike that too.
“I wish people wouldn’t be quite so quick to doom and gloom, people beat very tough and ugly forms of cancer every day.”
Thank you for saying this. I usually avoid online discussions about cancer because so little of it is positive. I’m sad for those who have died of cancer, and for those suffering from advanced stage cancers. However, many survivors live to an old age and die of something else.
Good luck to you, Mrs. Darcy.
@Ash Good luck with your treatment. Believe me when I say I am an example of the fact that anyone can get through cancer treatment. I am a big wimp, and while I tried not to be, some days I just wanted my Mommy. Some days I had to be talked into continuing, when my stem cell harvest failed the first time I about lost the will.
My only advice is do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it, which can be really hard for most people. I understand why some people feel that being relentlessly positive is the only way through the darkness, but at the same time we need to allow ourselves to feel scared and not gloss over the fact we are sick and that sucks too. It doesn’t mean cancer is a death sentence, people are so black and white about it, so terrified of it, and of course many do not make it. But most breast cancer patients do (so glad yours was caught early). And even those with less good odds like me do as well. I wish you all the best and hope your treatment passes quickly. xo
I was the biggest Beverly Hills 90210 fan back in the day – I always thought Shannen was so pretty as Brenda. Still copying the Brenda hair 😉
I can even remember that there was an episode where the girls were doing a test according to a magazine to check for signs of breast cancer and Brenda was the one to find a lump. Of course it turned out to be nothing. I really hope Shannen gets better. I wish her all the best.
Wow I totally remember that 90210 episode too. As someone who was a teen at the same time that show was on I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Shannen.
Yip – me too. For most of the actors.
I few years ago I found 90210 shirts in a store in Barcelona (not vintage, new shirts as in “look, it’s so old we should print this on shirts an sell it to teens!”). One had a group print and the other one had “I heart Brandon, Dylan, Brandon, Dylan” on it – each name crossed out until the final “Dylan”. Whenever I put this shirt on, I can see by the look on other women’s faces that they immediately get the reference.
Aw, this makes me sad that it has spread. I wish her well and only hopeful news from here on out. I remember how broken up she was over losing her father. She adored him. I still remember how she called him her best friend and her rock and wasn’t handling losing him very well and living her life without him. I understood her pain remembering back to years before when it happened to me, losing my parents. That was maybe five years ago or so, I think, her father passed away. Now she’s dealing with all of this. I’m glad she has a supportive partner who is there for her.
This is sad to hear. She’s so young. I’ve lost good friends to Cancer. Sucks. God be with her.
I hope she gets better but that worries me when she said it spread beyond the lymph nodes. Makes me think it may have metastasized to a nearby organ (the lungs, thyroid, etc). Just had my cousin diagnosed with breast but she caught it early but because it’s an aggressive form, she was put on chemo. I know one poster has already mentioned this, but don’t put anything off especially when it comes to your own body. My own mother had that some type of mentality and unfortunately, she died of colon cancer last February. It was devastating.
I hope Ms Doherty does get better. Don’t know if there are any experimental or newer meds on the horizon for cancer but if there’s one for her, hope she takes it. Cancer is a b****.
If I remember correctly, the union or somebody forgot to pay her insurance premiums so she ended up not having health insurance. This fell the same time as her diagnosis. This was documented last year. I feel really bad for her. Hope she gets better!
Her SAG membership & insurance lapsed. She blames her manager, and also blames her manager for moving too slowly to get her reinstated. I think it took 4-5 months for the situation to be resolved.
But she knew she was uninsured during that time. She could have and should have gone out and gotten temporary interim insurance. Or – God forbid – done something for herself to get reinstated instead of acting like a helpless celebrity who needs her manager to do everything for her.
And she found a lump! She knew she needed to get that investigated and made the decision to put it off because she didn’t have insurance.
It just makes me mad because so many people literally have no money and can’t afford health care costs, but she was in a position to help herself and didn’t. Instead, she blames it on someone else.
No doubt her energies would be better spent fighting cancer than her manager.
And she would have had an obligation to mitigate damages, meaning she should have paid for the insurance herself and received reimbursement as a result of her lawsuit. It sounds like she was either not receiving good legal advice or not following it. Very sad.
But you’re judging her by your standards and perceptions of thinking process. She’s an actress, who started acting as a child, which wasn’t her decision I expect. She’s had two prior very short marriages, both questionable. Her judgment has not always been on any scale equalling excellent.
Add in that this was a health issue and most people don’t do well making decisions when afraid of a health scare. That’s why they tell everyone to “have a friend or loved one with you”. I make decisions by myself but I don’t judge others by that standard or ability. My situation is unique and crappy to be honest. Being kind to all the wrong sorts of people in life got me nowhere. But Shannen is not me and I don’t blame her for suing.
When you have a life threatening situation, if you feel powerless in that fight, it’s not unheard of to engage in a fight you think you CAN win which may help you fight the one you’re afraid to even face.
Being angry at her for being naive, or unable to make what someone else deems a “smarter” decision is kind of callous in this instance specifically.
I really really hope she’ll heal soon 🙁 fight on Shannen!
Bless her. I never watched the shows she was on but she seems like a a fighter.
Please look into Ty Bollinger’s “Cancer: Step Outside Of The Box” and Suzanne Somers’ “Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer”. If you are not open to trying alternative treatments (avoiding the poison/cut/burn mainstream approach), there are at least other things you can do in the meantime to improve your health. Both books have a lot of resources.