Hollywood actress Busy Philipps has shared pictures of herself in a hospital bed after revealing she has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. The Dawson's Creek star, 47, told People that she underwent a Prenuvo scan, a full-body MRI that checks for more than 500 conditions, on February 12, despite experiencing no symptoms and her primary doctor insisting her routine tests were normal.
Diagnosis and surgery
The scan revealed a lesion on her brain, and she subsequently had a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare, slow-growing tumour, removed on March 2. Philipps shared an update on Instagram on Thursday, expressing gratitude to her followers for their love and support.
In the comments section, one user noted that most Americans cannot afford the elective scan, implying that only wealthy individuals can proactively manage their health in this way. Responding to the comment, Busy wrote, "Oh, I'm acutely aware that even being able to afford to put this on my cc (credit card) was a privilege most people can't afford. It's insane how much is spent on healthcare, and so little of it is on preventative care like this scan."
Cost of the scan
The actress noted that most of her friends and family cannot afford to spend $2,500 (£1,800) - the starting price - for the whole-body scan. "Trust me, I get it," she continued. "But I also felt like I needed it, and I think that's also why I wanted to talk about this - I followed my gut instinct, and it saved my life. But yes - healthcare is f**ked in this country and it's deeply unfair that we have to fight to get care and that your income can determine your health outcome."
Recovery and second surgery
Following the procedure, the Cougar Town star found herself readmitted to the hospital a month afterwards after developing a staph infection, which required a second surgical intervention to treat. Busy shared a collection of photographs and videos from her difficult six months on Instagram on Thursday, reassuring followers that she was fine now.
"Just to reiterate, because the internet loves a clickbait, I AM ALREADY RECOVERED!" she declared. "You all have literally watched me recover since March 2, you just didn't know it! I AM TOTALLY FINE! YAY MEDICINE!"
