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Social media users were left in a state of shock after the Top Chef alum Shirley Chung revealed her cancer diagnosis on July 26 via an Instagram post. Talking about “a series of dental issues,” she first shared how she bit her tongue severely, and then fractured her tooth.
However, Shirley Chung then stated how in the month of May, “ulcers erupted” in her mouth, and that is how her doctor discovered a tumor under her tongue. Sharing a video and a bunch of pictures of herself going bald, she wrote:
“A few days later, I was diagnosed, with stage 4 tongue cancer, as cancer cells also spread into my lymph nodes. I was very calm when doctors delivered the news, as a chef, I’ve always thrive under pressure. I was extremely focused on getting all the tests and scans as fast as possible, so I could start on the treatment plans.”
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For the unversed, Shirley Chung is a popular Chinese-American chef, who has made appearances on many shows like Top Chef: New Orleans, Top Chef: Charleston and Tournament of Champions. In 2014, she also opened a restaurant called Twenty Eight in Irvine, California.
After Shirley Chung shared the news of her cancer diagnosis, her post was flooded with messages from fans, colleagues and friends who wished her a speedy recovery.
Others acknowledged the chef's spirit to fight this ordeal and called her an "inspiration." Shirley also received support from chef community via comments.
“I am a fighter” — Details revealed about chef Shirley Chung as she shares her health update post cancer diagnosis
In her recent Instagram post, Top Chef alum Shirley Chung also revealed how her oncologist called her and discussed the treatment plans by asking her to choose between two options. Either she could get her tongue surgically removed or could try and treat her cancer with radiation and chemotherapy. She mentioned that she chose the latter, and decided to keep her tongue. She added in her post:
“Higher survival rate, or keep my tongue? I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too.”
At the same time, she also shared through her post that she had already “finished 6 weeks of Chemo, and going to the hospital 4 times a week for injections.”
While Shirley Chung shared that she has many more weeks to go for her chemotherapy to finish, she updated fans that she is now doing better, and her “tumor is shrinking.” Mentioning that her speech is not “much better," the chef wrote:
“My tumor is shrinking, my speech is much better and I can eat most normal food now. I am learning to lean on others, to let go, to be more vulnerable ….. it took me 2 weeks of contemplating to decide to tell my parents about my cancer, only my close circle of friends and my sister have known until now. I am learning, I can be strong 98% of the time, it’s ok to be not ok.”
The chef concluded her post by stating:
“I have a tough long road to recovery in front of me. Your love and support will carry me through. Cheer me on, Shirley Chung 2.0 will be reborn in 2025!”
Chef Shirley is best known for her award-winning restaurants. Her website states that she opened 'CarneVino' for the Batali group which has received numerous global accolades for the Best Steak House. Moreover, her restaurant 'Ms Chi Cafe' in Culver City has also gained a lot of recognition. Other restaurants owned by the chef include China Poblano and Twenty-Eight.
