The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer revealed that she underwent her eighth cancer surgery and updated fans on the “scary part” about the road ahead.
“I didn’t expect to need surgery today. Two days ago, my doctor noticed a wound at my incision site that was open to my implant. He took one look at it and said, ‘what are you doing on Monday?’” she wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday, January 27. “My heart sank because I knew what was coming next. Time for another operation… And since it had to happen immediately, I wasn’t going to have time to mentally prepare.”
“Back in November, I celebrated what I *thought* was my final surgery (at least for a long while). Lucky number 7 was going to be it! But two months later, I’m at the hospital about to go in for my 8th,” she wrote. “The scary part about today’s surgery is that there’s a good chance it leads to my 9th. I’ve been told to emotionally prepare myself that swapping my implant out might not work, in which case I’ll need a larger reconstruction that uses tissue from my latissimus dorsi muscle in my back.”
Clea, 42, said that she is going to “focus on getting through this surgery before I worry about needing the next one.”
“The good news is that I’m a pro at this point…I can get into my robe, hair net, and yellow socks in record time. Even John has a routine in the cafeteria. We are unfortunately, very good at this,” the Netflix star said. “Fingers crossed for a good outcome! xo, Clea.”
Fans rallied behind Clea as she prepared to undergo surgery for the eight time, offering their support in the comments section of her post.
“Wish you weren’t going through this and in awe that you continue to have the absolute most amazing perspective through it all. Your cheering section energy is with you,” one person wrote.
“We are thinking of you and praying for you. You’re right, one surgery/step at a time. Get through this and the next piece will fall in place,” another comment said.
“I’m so, so sorry. Pausing right now to pray for you,” HGTV’s Jenny Marrs wrote in a supportive comment.
In her Instagram Stories, Clea snapped a photo while sitting in her car, writing, “heading to the hospital…les do this.” After that, she shared a photo of her feet as she was about to get wheeled into the operating room.
The Get Organized with The Home Edit host updated fans a few hours later, giving a thumbs up in a photo.
“In recovery now and just ate 264 saltine crackers and peanut butter. The surgery was a success, so now I just have to hope the next few weeks go well so I can avoid another one,” Clea said.
The following day, Clea revealed she was eating more saltine crackers, which she deemed the “breakfast of champions when you just need enough food in your system to take antibiotics and pain killers.”
Clea revealed in April 2022 that she was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive mammary carcinoma, a form of breast cancer.
