Last April, Shannen Doherty happily shared the news with fans that her breast cancer was in remission. Though, what came next wasn't easy: The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress recently revealed that she underwent reconstructive surgery in May and has struggled with insecurities throughout the process.
The actress shared details on the mental and emotional toll the 10-hour surgery took on her body Tuesday evening on Instagram.
“Prior to having my diep stacked reconstructive surgery, I was required to gain weight to stretch my skin. I did. I stopped working out and ate. I gained the 7 pounds required,” Doherty wrote on Instagram. “I’ve felt heavy, unattractive and I’ve beaten myself up often about it until I’m reminded to cut myself some slack.”
Despite her candid recognition of harmful self-criticism, the 47-year-old actress shared her thoughts to mark a happy moment in her recovery.
The video captures Doherty with her mom, Rosa Doherty, accompanied by celebrity trainer Jäm Malibu, dancing like no one’s watching.
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The mother-daughter duo kicked off the star’s renewed fitness routine with a day of their favorite activities.
“It’s OK to just relax and heal. Block out the superficial noise and focus on getting better,” wrote Doherty. “With that being said, it’s also important to know when it’s time to get back at it. Today was that time."
The Doherty girls danced and played tennis — two activities doctors denied the actress during her recovery.
Yesterday’s return to normalcy for the dedicated actress follows years of heartache and anxiety, eased only with the help of friends and, most importantly, her mother’s love.
Rosa Doherty sat with her daughter through every surgery and chemotherapy — and her reconstructive surgery over Mother's Day weekend.
Undoubtedly, it's her mom’s support alongside some newly acquired exercise endorphins that allowed Doherty to realize that insecurity over a few extra pounds isn’t worth the emotional baggage.
The actress repeatedly admits that cancer has changed her outlook on life but yesterday she expressed that sentiment again in meaningful words: “I’ve been unfair to myself because my beauty is so much more about me inside and how this cancer journey has shaped me.”
