Maura Tierney covers this weekend's Parade magazine and in the interview talks about life since being diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
Maura had been set to appear on the NBC series 'Parenthood' but was forced to drop out so she could undergo treatment. She was replaced on the show by Lauren Graham who is now dating her onscreen brother.
Here are a few excerpts from the interview, read more here.
On finding a lump in her breast:
"I was so, so scared of going to the doctor. I felt something, and my boyfriend at the time made me go. He said, 'You've got to take care of this,' because I was afraid. That's one thing I will say: Don't be afraid to go to the damn doctor. Just go!"
On her diagnosis:
"I was so lucky. I had insurance, I found a great team of doctors at UCLA, and I could afford not to work while I was getting treated. From the beginning my doctor told me, 'You're going to be okay,' and I chose to believe him. So there was always that in my head."
On her treatment:
"I've been misquoted a lot, and there's this tendency for people to put on to you how they think you should be or what they think you should feel. The truth is, I had my surgery, and I have two more months on this one drug. I haven't figured out where I want to focus my energies to help others, and I don't know what kind of wisdom to drop on anybody yet--except for, you know, they can help people now. I feel an immense sense of gratitude, but sometimes I think there should be room for more gratitude [in me], because I can still be bitchy in the morning..."