Shannen Doherty Reflects On Life After Fighting Breast Cancer

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#ShannenDoherty is our March cover star and she’s opening up about her cancer battle now that she’s in remission: “As brutal as it was, cancer was a gift,” she says. “It opened me up, it taught me about myself, and it changed me as a human being forever.” @theshando went on to explain that she felt more feminine and vulnerable than she ever had before: "I was always used to being the strong one, and during that time period, every wall I’d built up in my life came down. I also had a lot more time to look at myself and say, 'I’m a pretty OK person' and cut myself some slack. I’ve had a lot of those epiphanies. It’s OK to stumble." . Tap the link in bio for full interview. (📸: @peggysirota)

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After battling breast cancer, actress Shannen Doherty has come out the other end much stronger than before. 

The 47-year-old actress went into remission nearly two years ago, and in reflecting on her journey through diagnosis, treatment and surgery during a recent interview with Health magazine, she said her life has changed.

“I felt more feminine and vulnerable than I’ve felt in my entire life,” she explained. “I was always used to being the strong one, and during that time period, every wall I’d built up in my life came down. I also had a lot more time to look at myself and say, ‘I’m a pretty okay person’ and cut myself some slack. I’ve had a lot of those epiphanies. It’s OK to stumble.”

Still, tearing down those walls also encouraged Shannen to share her experience with followers on social media. And exposing that truth minimized online bullying. “I get a little less trolls and haters on social media now, so that’s good,” she said. “I think because cancer stripped me of my defense mechanisms, it allowed people to see all sides of me.”

One particularly vulnerable moment was when she shared her decision to shave her head, which followed what the actress said was one of the toughest parts of her journey: losing her hair. “I remember I got in the shower to wash my hair, and it just started coming out in clumps. I started screaming for my mom,” she said. “I think that was harder than the surgeries. It was like, ‘Oh my God, this is real.’”

Read the interview at Health.