Food Network Chef Shirley Chung Made the ‘Hard Decision’ to Get a Feeding Tube During Her Tongue Cancer Treatment

Chef Shirley Chung is sharing her progress during her cancer journey. 

On Thursday, Oct. 3, Chung checked in via Instagram from Chicago to thank her supporters “for the out pouring love and support" since she revealed that she was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer in late July.

“Your love helped carried me through the hardest and the most painful weeks of my life,” she wrote in the caption of a social media carousel. 

The Top Chef and Tournament of Champions star said that she has now completed two weeks of both radiation and chemo treatment at the University Of Chicago. And she revealed that she now has a feeding tube.

“My mouth, tongue and throat are peeling because of radiation, so after 1 week of treatment, my pain was so bad that drinking water felt like pouring salt on my raw flesh,” she said. "So I chose to install Gtube, feeding tube on my stomach, so I can get all the nutrients and meds through it, without torturing my mouth.”

“It was a hard decision to be make, but I felt so blessed that my doctor push me to do it,” she added.

Chung described the physical toll that her tongue cancer has taken on her.

“I was losing weight too rapidly, 10 pounds in 10 days. I ended up stay in the hospital for 2 weeks for the surgery, also figure out the best solution for my pain control,” she wrote.

Thankfully, Chung is feeling “much stronger” after getting her “new shining weapon G-Tube,” which has allowed her to maintain her weight. 

The chef shared that even though she has received “so much love” since disclosing her diagnosis, life can still feel lonely “because no one can imagine the pain and not be able to talk and even drink water.”

Chung then shared a bit of a silver lining: She made a friend in the waiting room of her radiation center. Chung bonded with Aubryn, her "cancer warrior sister," over fashion.

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“We were the only 2 girls [who] continued to dress up and put on makeup for our appointments," she said. They also shared a love of food. 

Chung included a few photos of herself with Aubryn, adding that her new friend is a week ahead of her with treatments, which allows her to turn to Aubryn for advice. 

“We exchange list of food that we crave and wanna go eat after we are healed, and promised to cook for each other after we kick cancer’s a--,” Chung concluded. “I am so grateful to have met my cancer warrior sister here and I know our friendship will continue long after we are healed.”