The Office star Lucy Davis has revealed she has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and said she does not know how long she has left.
The 53-year-old actress shared the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday, explaining that she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer around a year and a half ago.
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Lucy said the cancer has since spread to her bones, including her spine, right hip and ribs.
She revealed that the cancer is incurable and said it is too late for chemotherapy.
Sharing the news with her followers, Lucy wrote: “A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasized to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs."
“The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.”
Lucy Davis. Photo credit: S Buckley, Shutterstock
The actress also urged people not to ignore changes in their bodies after revealing that the initial sign of her illness was not a typical lump.
“The initial lump that I felt, wasn't a 'lump' as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn't bother getting it checked,” she wrote.
“So I guess I'm saying don't ignore anything - get everything checked out.”
Lucy said she is now trying to make the most of whatever time she has left and maintain her sense of humour.
“As of now, I'm trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can,” she wrote.
She also opened up about the impact the illness has had on her day-to-day life, saying that pain can make standing and walking difficult.
“As some of you will know, the pain can really be something else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes,” she said.
She joked that people who see her using one should “feel free to give me a push”.
Lucy explained that humour has been particularly important to her throughout her illness.
“The thing that has been most vital to me is humour,” she wrote.
“I asked my friends and family to make fun of me as much as possible (which they're really good at), and most importantly of all to not treat me like a sick person.”
The actress also said she is not afraid of what comes next and that she has made peace with her situation.
“I'm not scared of whatever comes next. I'm at peace with it,” she wrote.
“I'll see my Gracie sooner than expected, and for me, leaving my physical body just means going home.”
Lucy Davis & husband Owain Yeoman, 2009. Photo credit: Jaguar PS, Shutterstock
Lucy added that she believes the situation is harder for her family than it is for her, saying: “Any and all grieving is for my family; it's far harder for them than for me.”
Lucy Davis became widely known for playing Dawn Tinsley in the original UK version of The Office, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
She later appeared in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina's aunts.
Her other film and television credits include playing Etta Candy in the 2017 superhero film Wonder Woman and appearing in the US comedy series Amy From Amarillo.
Lucy has previously faced serious health problems. In 1997, she underwent a kidney transplant after receiving a donated kidney from her mother, Hazel.
