The professional organizer is undergoing a double mastectomy.
Clea Shearer is battling breast cancer. The 40-year-old Get Organized With the Home Edit star took to Instagram on Wednesday to share her diagnosis and reveal she's undergoing a double mastectomy.
"I have breast cancer," Shearer captioned a photo of herself wearing a robe from Nashville's Vanderbilt Breast Center. "It’s a hard thing to say, but it’s easier than keeping it to myself. I’m having a double mastectomy tomorrow (prayers are welcome!), and I wanted to say a few words before I do."
Shearer went on to share how she advocated for herself after discovering a lump on her breast.
"I found a lump myself the last week of February. I had been trying to make an appt with my OB for several months, and even when I told them I found a lump, they couldn’t accommodate me," she wrote. "I had to request a mammogram from my general doctor, which led to an ultrasound, and then an emergency triple biopsy."
Shearer eventually learned that she has "two tumors, 1 cm each, that are aggressive and fast moving," but she "caught it early."
"Had I not taken this upon myself," she wrote, "I would be in a completely different situation right now."
Ultimately, Shearer decided to publicly share her diagnosis to make "cancer feel purposeful."
"If I can convince any of you to self-examine on a regular basis, self-advocate always, and to prioritize your health over your busy schedules - then this will have meant something," she wrote. "It’s also important to note that I was under 40 when these tumors formed, and have no history of breast cancer in my family. Even if cancer feels improbable, it’s still very possible."
While Shearer initially had "why me feelings" after her diagnosis, she eventually "started to think 'honestly, why NOT me?!'"
"I have all the support, resources, and a platform to help other people through this," she wrote. "So if anyone has to have breast cancer, I’ll gladly let it be me. Thank you for being on this journey. I love our community, and you mean more to me than you’ll ever know. ♥️ xo, Clea"
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