Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw has opened up about the emotional and physical toll of her breast cancer treatment, admitting she does not want to think of herself as "fighting" the disease. The 53-year-old, known for playing Maxine Peacock on the ITV soap from 1995 to 2003, shared an honest update with her Instagram followers on Thursday.
Shaw, who announced her diagnosis earlier this year and has been undergoing chemotherapy for several months, revealed she broke down in tears before receiving her latest Phesgo injection — a prescription combination medication used for her type of cancer. She explained that the treatment was originally scheduled for the day before but was postponed.
An Emotional Admission
In a candid video, Shaw said: "Just a little honest update. I'm going in for my Phesgo today, and I just cried. It was supposed to be yesterday, but... I didn't know. Anyway, I just cried because... That was the reality. The reality is that on we go."
She continued: "And my honest truth is... yesterday, I didn't want to have the injection and feel all the side effects again so close to surgery. But it's the reality of what we do. So, and I have this for... and this is everyone who has this—the Phesgo, which is a targeted drug to HER2 cancer."
Shaw, who has also appeared in Casualty and toured in theatre, explained her reluctance to use the word "fight": "I don't like saying the word 'fight' because I don't believe I'm fighting it, because I believe I'm just being. But there are... there are days like yesterday where I wanted a break from hospital, I want a break from being in the chemo ward."
Pain and Recovery
The actress described the difficulty of the treatment cycle, telling fans: "I read a lot of your messages—and you, you all get to these points as well. You know, sometimes like me, halfway through the chemo cycle, it's so blinkin' painful and brutal, what we go through."
Shaw mentioned that she has avoided painkillers throughout her treatment and recently played football with her son's girlfriend, but realised she needed to rest. She said: "The Saturday night after my surgery, you know, I was bouncing about, playing football with my son's girlfriend, and I realized that in order for me to rest and heal, it's a slow process that I need to be able to gauge where I'm at pain-wise."
She added: "And underneath the lymph nodes... right there... that's where it's the sorest at the moment. So, I just didn't want any more pain inflicting, and I certainly don't want... I have no taste and things like that. I'm having the odd shingle pop up after surgery. You know, it's nothing drastic, but I know when this goes in, I've got a week of—and I shouldn't say this, —a week of being flatlined a bit, because I can do this."
Looking Ahead
Shaw revealed she is just weeks away from getting results from her latest treatment, despite experiencing a "mental block" at times. She said: "I know I can do it. It's just that mental block sometimes that you hit halfway through where you're just like, 'Oh, no more, please give me a break!' But I'm going in. And it will be done."
She explained the ongoing nature of her treatment: "And I will continue having them every three weeks for as long as that takes—possibly a year. And in three weeks' time, I will have the results and I'll know what other type of chemo I'm going to have to face again. Fact."
Concluding her update, Shaw said: "So, I feel like I hit a halfway mark of... and it's natural. And I have to be honest about that, it's natural, okay? I can't keep giving you pictures that I'm whoop-de-doop-doops. It's... it's one heck of a journey. It's one heck of a journey. But I will keep smiling in the face of cancer."
