Longtime “Days of Our Lives” star Suzanne Rogers revealed she has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and she’s sounding the alarm for others to trust their intuition when it comes to their health.
In an interview with TV Insider published on Oct. 30, the 82-year-old revealed she received the stage 2 diagnosis over the summer when she felt something “wasn’t quite right” with her body.
Despite getting routine colonoscopies, the actress scheduled a doctor’s appointment and was sent for a series of tests, which included an MRI and PET imaging scan, as well as a biopsy.
“[My doctor] said, ‘You have cancer and you have to start treatment,'” she told the outlet.
“It was all a shock. I mean, I think I was in shock for several days because I take pretty good care of myself. But he said, ‘It’s a good thing you caught it in time.'”
Colorectal cancer develops in the colon or rectum and is considered one of the most common forms of the disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, it is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the fourth-leading cause in women.
The soap-opera veteran, who played Maggie Horton on the NBC drama for 52 years, began undergoing treatment three days after wrapping up filming in June.
“It was radiation every day and chemo every day for six weeks, and it was tough,” she explained.
“It was tough knowing you had to do it five days a week, and then you had off Saturday and Sunday. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekends because I didn’t have to go and see a doctor. I was so tired of seeing doctors.”
Rogers completed her treatment at the end of July and was successfully able to keep her diagnosis private while she recovered.
“I was able to keep it under wraps, and then the show took that [six-week] break, so it wasn’t necessary to get into it all then,” she said.
“It helped me because it gave me even more time to chill and to get myself healthy.”
She credits her recovery to the help of family, friends, and her “Days of Our Lives” on-screen daughter, Linsey Godfrey, who accompanied her on hospital visits and offered emotional support.
“I had to have an infusion, and it takes about an hour and a half, so Linsey sat there with me and held my hand while I was having it,” she said.
“We would go out to lunch or dinner with [fellow Days actor] Paul Telfer and Linsey’s daughter, Aleda. I knew I could count on them, so it was a lovely experience on and off the set. We really feel like a family.”
Overall, Rogers said she is feeling healthy and is slowly regaining her energy as she prepares to return to work next week.
“The prayers and the good wishes from my friends and my family helped me stay positive and stay on top of it and beat this.”
