By now, we are all familiar with Shannen Doherty’s battle with breast cancer.
This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for that, Shannen is offering a very personal look at her journey.
Stage 4 cancer is often incurable, but treatments have improved a great deal over the years.
Shannen is sharing some of the highs and lows of that difficult, ongoing struggle.
Shannen Doherty took to her Instagram to share two photos and a heartfelt message.
"For breast cancer awareness month, I’d like to share more of my own personal journey," she began.
Shannen wrote that this is her journey "from my first diagnosis to my second."
One of the two photos showed Shannen with her head shaved and her nose bleeding — a result of chemotherapy.
"Is it all pretty? NO," she acknowledged.
"But it’s truthful," Shannen affirmed.
"And my hope in sharing," Shannen explained, "is that we all become more educated."
It is her hope that everyone can become "more familiar with what cancer looks like."
"I hope I encourage people to get mammograms, to get regular checkups," Shannen emphasized.
Shannen hopes that people will learn "to cut thru the fear and face whatever might be in front of you."
"In 2015 I got diagnosed with breast cancer," she recalled.
Shannen noted: "I had a mastectomy and did chemo and radiation."
"I had many nose bleeds from the chemo," Shannen shared.
"Not sure if any of you experienced this," she admitted.
Shannen added: "I also was beyond tired."
"I cheered myself up by putting on funny pajamas that my friend Kristy gave me," Shannen revealed.
"Did they actually cheer me up? Yes!! Lol," she shared.
Shannen explained: "I looked ridiculous and in that ridiculousness, I was able to laugh at myself."
(Personally, we think that she looked adorable in them)
"Finding humor helped get me thru what seemed impossible," Shannen observed.
She expressed: "I hope we all find humor in the impossible."
Shannen shared in early 2020 that her cancer had returned with a vengeance.
However, the medical world has learned a lot more about medical protocols since then.
Stage 4 breast cancer isn’t likely to be cured, but treatments can drastically reduce the chances of it being terminal.
Shannen has not stopped working during all of this.
She has not one but two new movies coming out.
That cannot be easy, but she has demonstrated tremendous strength through all of this.
Shannen has also undergone a serious legal battle with her insurance company over a house fire.
She recently celebrated a victory in that battle, as State Farm was ordered to pay her millions.
The stress of a court battle is never easy, which in turn likely cannot be good for a cancer patient.
For years, Shannen endured a reputation as someone who was difficult to work with, though it’s hard to say if that was accurate.
Over the years, we have all learned that some actresses who were labeled in this manner were being badmouthed unfairly.
Regardless, we would not wish Shannen’s health battle on anyone and we wish her the very best.