Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw is choosing to focus on "moments of joy" rather than the "pain and suffering" of her cancer treatment. Shaw, 53, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April after finding a lump, has been undergoing chemotherapy and recently completed her fourth round.
Shaw shared an update on Instagram, posting photos of sunsets and sunrises, her dogs, and flowers in her garden. "Phew round 4 hit hard," she wrote. "I've chose to show the moments of Joy I experience, hoping they bring light to those in the same position.
Amidst this pain and suffering, I've had to dig deep into the constant spiritual growth, to creation and its wonders. Knowing what's coming each cycle doesn't make it easier, but I'm not panicking, definitely trusting the process, honestly it's agony, but keeping it in the day. Praying a lot for others. Grateful to have met others to share this journey with, life sisters. Feeling absolute rubbish at the moment but this too shall pass. Love and gratitude x."
Shaw recently celebrated her 53rd birthday, expressing gratitude for being alive and sharing family photos with her brother Karl and son Luca. "53,& grateful. Visit from my brother #mrshaw, karl shaw. Luca just back from Truck festival, preparing for next weekends festival. Thankyou # lisa Dawson for the the most amazing gifts, from a breast cancer survivor who just knows what to buy. Never been as grateful to be alive on a birthday. Looking forward to next years celebration," she posted.
Last week, Shaw shared a tearful update revealing that her breast cancer is currently inoperable until her tumors shrink. She explained that while lumps had changed shape, they had not decreased in size. "My expectations were that judging by what personally I've gone through and what the chemo does... I thought they'd shrunk but basically they've gone from being circular to oval but not really shrunk in size," she said in a video.
Shaw was diagnosed in May and shared her emotional journey as she prepared to begin chemotherapy, admitting concerns about the treatment's toll. "I'm just going to be me, and my truth is… by the way, I've not shaved my hair off, I've just put a scarf on just because I've not done anything with it and I'm going to hospital. Each morning I wake up and know that I have to go into hospital and receive more news, which has been going on for a long time, that unknown… I just think, 'I can't go through with this anymore', but I've not even started my journey," she said in a video.
She previously played Maxine Peacock on Coronation Street from 1995 to 2003.