Netflix 'Get Organized' Co-Star Joanna Teplin Gives Update on Clea Shearer Post-Op
- Beloved professional organizer, Netflix star and breast cancer warrior Clea Shearer is recovering at home after undergoing a double mastectomy last week.
- Joanna Teplin, co-founder of The Home Edit and Clea's best friend, told TODAY on Monday that Clea is “doing well” post-op and recovering at home.
- Clea was originally told her cancer was stage 1, but during the nine-hour surgery on Friday, doctors found cancer in one of her lymph nodes, which elevated the cancer to stage 2.
"She's doing well," Joanna Teplin, co-founder of The Home Edit and Clea's best friend, told TODAY on Monday of Clea's condition post-op. "She is just so strong and such a pillar of strength that I can't imagine anyone tackling cancer the way that she has and is." (Joanna and Clea both live in Nashville, Tenn.)
Read More"I found a lump myself (in) the last week of February," Clea posted to Instagram last week. "I had been trying to make an appt with my OB(GYN) for several months, and even when I told them I found a lump, they couldn't accommodate me. I had to request a mammogram from my general doctor, which led to an ultrasound, and then an emergency triple biopsy."
View this post on Instagram
Clea, who's been sharing regular updates about her health on Instagram, was originally told her cancer was stage 1, but during the nine-hour surgery on Friday, doctors found cancer in one of her lymph nodes, which elevated the cancer to stage 2. The type of breast cancer Clea was diagnosed with hasn’t been been made public yet, but she said her cancer is "aggressive and fast-moving," however, "I caught it early."
She had two tumors, each 1 centimeter in size. And now that they’re out of her body, the tumors have been sent to a lab in order to determine in Clea will need chemotherapy or radiation, according to her Instagram story.
Clea Shearer lives in Nashville, Tenn., with her husband, John, and their two children, Stella, 11, and Sutton, 7. Clea co-founded The Home Edit with Joanna in August 2015. After a stellar first season, Netflix released the second season of Get Organized with the Home Edit on April 1.
What to Expect Post-Mastectomy Surgery
Most women with breast cancer, like Clea Shearer, will have surgery at some point in their treatment. Depending on how far your cancer has spread and your personal preferences, you and your doctor may decide to:
- Remove just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it (lumpectomy)
- Remove one breast (mastectomy)
- Remove both breasts (double mastectomy)
Removing your breasts can have a dramatic effect on your self-esteem, which is why some women who opt for a mastectomy then choose breast reconstruction surgery. It’s unclear if Shearer will opt for reconstruction surgery after her double mastectomy. This is a highly personal choice, and there’s no "right" answer as to whether or not to reconstruct.
When Should You Consider a Mastectomy?
According to the American Cancer Society, bleeding and infection at the surgery site are possible with all operations. However, the side effects of a mastectomy can depend on the type: either a single (removing one breast) or double (removing both breasts).
Those side effects can include:
- Pain or tenderness at the surgery site
- Swelling at the surgery site
- Buildup of blood in the wound (hematoma)
- Buildup of clear fluid in the wound (seroma)
- Limited arm or shoulder movement
- Numbness in the chest or upper arm
- Neuropathic (nerve) pain (sometimes described as burning or shooting pain) in the chest wall, armpit and/or arm that doesn't go away over time. It is also called post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS.
- If axillary lymph nodes are also removed, other side effects such as lymphedema may occur.
Understanding and Treating Lymphedema
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
ANSWER QUESTIONS
