Busy Philipps Celebrates Six Months Since Brain Tumor Surgery

Actress Busy Philipps is marking an important milestone in her health journey: six months since doctors removed a brain tumor.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, the 47-year-old actress shared a series of photos on Instagram to celebrate the milestone. “YESTERDAY WAS 6 MONTHS SINCE MY BRAIN SURGERY REMOVED THAT TUMOR FROM MY BRAIN!” she wrote, adding brain and celebration emojis.

Philipps also shared a humorous text exchange with her 18-year-old daughter, Birdie. In the messages, Birdie told her mother that someone on Instagram had asked how long she had left to live.

“F--k, lol that’s so insane,” Philipps replied.

“They think ur dying queen,” Birdie wrote.

Philipps responded with a joke of her own: “Well won’t they be pleasantly surprised??”

Along with the messages, Philipps posted a mirror selfie of herself wearing a medical gown and shared another piece of good news: her recent mammogram was clear.

“Well guess what? My mammogram was all clear too! Woo!” she wrote.

A difficult six months

Philipps revealed last month that a Prenuvo scan led to the discovery of a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a type of brain tumor that is malignant but generally considered treatable.

She underwent surgery in March to remove the tumor. The following month, she needed an unexpected debridement procedure, adding another challenge to an already difficult period.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Philipps described the experience as “the weirdest six months of my life” and said she was grateful to be alive.

Despite the challenges, the actress has chosen to speak openly about her diagnosis and treatment. She hopes sharing her experience will encourage people to pay attention to their health and speak up when something does not feel right.

“We are frequently told by doctors that there is nothing to worry about [when] you kind of know that there’s something to worry about,” Philipps said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of in having information. It’s only empowering.”

Now, six months after her brain surgery, Philipps is celebrating a clear mammogram, another milestone in her recovery, and a future she is approaching with humor and gratitude.