These 5 brave stars have all experienced cancer, and have lived to share their story as a cancer survivor. Describing their painful road to recovery and how it feels to be clear of cancer now, these celebrities had to put their lives on hold when they found out about their illness, and say their priorities in life completely changed. One year on, Michael Douglas says he feels great, while Giuliana Rancic is still taking things day by day after undergoing a Double Mastectomy Surgery just weeks ago.
Andrea Evans
Actress Andrea Evans was diagnosed early with breast cancer: “In April I had been diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. I kept it private, but now I’m cancer-free. I did monthly (mammogram) exams, but I missed it. For years I stood on podiums as an ambassador for City of Hope, telling women to get their mammograms. That advice saved me.”
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas was shocked to find out about his throat cancer, but feels good now that he is recovering: “I found an ear nose and throat doctor in Montreal. He literally opened my mouth and took a tongue impression and I’ll never forget the moment when he looked up at me and looked back down and I knew. I thought maybe it was from tension from the part where you haven’t placed your voice and how you are swallowing your words and you are speaking from the back of your throat. I feel good, it’s nice, about a year out.”
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders felt depressed during her treatment, and found relief after she was put on anti-depressants: “I found the (oestrogen-halting drug) Tamoxifen the hardest thing because it changes you. It’s like suddenly becoming older. You feel fagged out (exhausted), you lose your motor and it makes you feel depressed… You are pushed into menopause like jumping off a cliff… Bang. You have that ‘I want to go to bed and sleep for ever’ kind of feeling. Normally I have the energy to get up, get ready and do something, but I wasn’t starting my days until maybe 11 or 11.30, even though I was awake.”
Giuliana Rancic
E! host Giuliana Rancic recently found out she had breast cancer and is now recovering: “I knew this was going to be a tough surgery, but I in no way want to minimize it, yes, I’m two and a half weeks out, but up until a week and a half ago it was hell. It was horrible. I went into surgery at 4 PM and got out around 9:30 PM, by 4 AM I had to get off the morphine because I was so sick and I thought to myself, ‘[If you throw up] you have to engage all of your chest muscles,’ and I just had my chest operated on.”
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate, who is now cancer-free, says that the recovery process was an emotional journey: “Sometimes, you know, I cry, and sometimes I scream. And I get really angry. And I get really upset, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes. And I think it’s all part of the healing.”
