Shelly Yachimovich reveals: "I was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor"
In a social media post, the former Labor Party chair updated that the tumor was removed surgically and she is undergoing chemotherapy to prevent its return: "There is a pretty good chance for this, but I am in a practical mood and at peace even with less optimistic scenarios."
Former Labor Party chair Shelly Yachimovich revealed on Sunday that she has been dealing with pancreatic cancer. After a surgery to remove the tumor, she is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments to prevent its return.
In a post published on social media, she wrote:
"Doing everything necessary to recover and to ensure the disease does not return, and there is a pretty good chance for this, but I am in a practical mood and at peace even with less optimistic scenarios."
She shared further details about her journey:
"This is going to be a completely personal post, an answer to those interested and asking who are not in the loop of family and friends. Eight months ago, my life suddenly changed. I was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in my pancreas. Luckily, I was diagnosed at an early stage, without metastases, and I was operated on immediately. Since then, the CT scan has shown for the third time that the removed tumor has not returned, and that there are no signs of the disease recurring. But pancreatic cancer is a nasty cancer that needs to be attacked on all fronts, and therefore I am undergoing quite tough chemo once every two weeks."
Regarding her perspective, she noted:
"There are hard days, but there is no misery or fear. Context also plays a role here. Somehow I don't feel I have the legitimacy to play the victim. Since October 7 and in the three years that have passed since, so many young men and women, children, have been murdered and died in terrible deaths, so many dreams, hopes and wishes have been buried in the dust. Who am I, having had and having an interesting, satisfying and good life in every respect, to complain or feel miserable."
She also expressed her gratitude to the medical teams:
"I trust modern medicine, and I admire and appreciate the teams at Ichilov, at all levels. They are buckling under an inhuman and illogical load, and yet they stand in an astonishing and heroic way to crazy standards of professionalism and dedication. I am grateful to them, and also to the team at the Ben Yehuda clinic in Clalit, for all the supporting envelope."
Yachimovich was a journalist at Kol Yisrael and Channel 2 until she entered political life about two decades ago. Ahead of the elections at the end of 2019, she announced she was taking a break from politics and returned partially to the media, including hosting a radio program and publishing op-eds.
