TOP Chef alum Shirley Chung revealed she was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer in May.
Shirley, 47, shared the emotional health update with her Instagram followers on July 26.
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“Hiiii loves, I have some personal news to share with you,” she wrote, alongside videos and photos of Shirley shaving her hair.
In the caption, Shirley explained that the diagnosis was made after she “had a series of dental problems,” including biting her tongue “hard” and fracturing her tooth.
“At the end of May, ulcers developed in my mouth and my oral surgeon discovered a hidden tumor in my mouth,” wrote Shirley, who first appeared on Season 11 of Top Chef.
She was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer after it was determined the cancer had “spread to my lymph nodes.”
Shirley credited her training as a chef as the reason she “was very calm when the doctors broke the news” but finally “broke down” when her oncologist laid out her treatment plans.
“All I heard was ‘option 1, surgery, remove 100% of the tongue’.”
She said her husband Jimmy Lee “was managing the situation for both of us, asking if we have any options to keep my tongue and survival rates.”
She decided not to have surgery after her oncologist told her about a “unicorn case” at the University of Chicago – a chef who was cured with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
“Higher survival rate or retaining the tongue?” Shirley summed up the choice she had to make. “I chose to hold my tongue, I’m a fighter, I’m a chef, I can be that unicorn too.”
In an encouraging update, Shirley shared “my tumor is shrinking, my speech is much better, and I can eat most normal foods” after six weeks of chemotherapy in Chicago.
She also explained her decision to share the diagnosis publicly, adding, “I’m learning to trust others, to let go, to be more vulnerable.”
Shirley admitted that it took her two weeks to tell her parents about the diagnosis and that “only my close circle of friends and my sister knew until now.”
Shirley’s fans and friends expressed their support for the TV personality in the comments section of her post, with one person writing: “Cancer doesn’t stand a chance with this unicorn.”
Top Chef star Gregory Gourdet commented: “You are so strong and beautiful. You have the spirit of a fighter. See you when you kick that ass! I love you!!”
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“You are inspiring and strong [heart emoji],” wrote Next Level Chef judge Richard Blais.
“We met the day before you received your treatment plan… but we had no idea the battle you were fighting,” Delicious Miss Brown host Kardea Brown wrote.
The Food Network show host continued, “You cooked for us that night and had the biggest smile on your face the entire time… Shirley, that says a lot about your character!
“We are praying for you and thanking God in advance for remission and complete healing!
you [heart emoji].”
She asked fans to “root for me” as she walks a “long and difficult road to recovery,” adding, “Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!”
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On the same day, Shirley and Jim announced that they had made the “difficult decision” to close their restaurant in light of the diagnosis, in an Instagram post.
“We are extremely grateful to each and every one of you,” the couple captioned their post, adding that Ms. Chi’s last day of operation will be August 4.
Shirley finished third on season 11 of Bravo’s Top Chef.
She returned to the show in season 14 when Shirley faced winner Brooke Williamson in the finals.
In 2021, she joined the Food Network Tournament of Champions hosted by Guy Fiery.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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