In a recent interview with People, Busy Philipps revealed that the past six months have been among the “weirdest” of her life, beginning with an unexpected decision to undergo a full-body MRI.
Philipps said she wasn’t experiencing any symptoms that led her to believe something was wrong. Instead, she decided to have the scan simply because she felt like doing it after seeing information about full-body MRIs on Instagram.
The scan revealed a lesion on her brain. Further testing confirmed that it was a tumor.
According to Philipps, doctors told her, “This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. And Busy, it’s got to come out.”
The news left her overwhelmed. She recalled hyperventilating and struggling to catch her breath as she processed the diagnosis.
As a mother of two, one of the most difficult parts was telling her oldest daughter, Birdie. Philipps said she tried to reassure her daughter that she wasn’t destined to lose her mother while she was still in high school.
Surgery and a Rare Diagnosis
Philipps eventually underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Doctors successfully removed a 2.6-centimeter mass, which was later diagnosed as a rare grade 2 oligodendroglioma.
Her neuro-oncologist at NYU Langone, Dr. Alexandra Miller, explained that the tumor is considered malignant, but it has one of the more favorable prognoses among malignant gliomas.
Miller noted that the tumor is classified as cancerous because of its potential to grow back over time, rather than because it necessarily appears highly aggressive under a microscope.
Following the procedure, Philipps said she was already walking around the hospital and trying to keep moving. Some of her nurses even expressed concern that she might not slow down enough to properly recover.
A Second Surgery
Not long after her first surgery, Philipps returned to work and began filming Cupertino. However, while she was receiving Botox, her dermatologist noticed that her surgical incision did not appear normal.
Philipps sent a photo to her medical team, who told her that the incision did not look good. Fortunately, the problem was discovered early and had not developed into a deep infection.
Doctors later determined that the incision had developed a staph infection, requiring Philipps to undergo a second surgery.
Despite everything she experienced, Philipps said she feels incredibly fortunate. She believes catching the tumor early and having an experienced medical team made a major difference.
“What am I? The luckiest girl in the world?” she said.
Trusting Your Instincts
The experience has also changed the way Philipps thinks about health and medical information. She encouraged people to trust their instincts and not be afraid to seek answers when something doesn’t feel right.
Philipps emphasized that having information can be empowering, especially when a person feels that something may be wrong despite being reassured that there is nothing to worry about.
Her story highlights how an unexpected medical scan ultimately led to the discovery of a brain tumor before she had noticed any symptoms herself.
For a Facebook post, it’s best to use a factual headline and avoid implying that full-body MRI scans are recommended for everyone.