Shelly Yachimovich after health update: "I will not be able to answer"

Just a week after courageously revealing that she is battling pancreatic cancer, journalist and former Labor Party chair Shelly Yachimovich shares with her followers in an emotional update post the reactions her personal confession has sparked.

"I am still a bit in shock from the amount and intensity of the responses I received from you over the past week," Yachimovich began her new post. She described the wave of support as a "tsunami of empathy, concern, and offers of help," and apologized for not being able to respond to everyone personally.

In light of the many inquiries, Yachimovich chose to answer a number of burning questions from the public in a centralized manner. The most intriguing question of all was how she managed to discover pancreatic cancer — a disease known to be elusive and often asymptomatic — at such an early stage. Yachimovich shares that it was "quite lucky." The tumor was located by chance at the junction of the pancreas and the bile ducts and created a blockage that caused inflammation. The insistence of the clinic to refer her to the emergency room led to a CT scan that revealed the tumor.

Yachimovich also shared the dramatic moment at the hospital with a touch of characteristic black humor. When the surgeon informed her of a "tumorous process," she asked if it was cancer, and was answered in the affirmative.

"I say to my daughter: 'Rama, get me half a Klonopin.' A nurse in the ER: 'Why half, take a whole one'," she recalled.

In conclusion, Yachimovich addressed the new drug for pancreatic cancer and clarified that although she is aware of it, it is not relevant to her condition at the moment, as the tumor was successfully removed and she has no metastases. For the benefit of those who are concerned and wish to pray for her recovery, she noted her name: Shelly Rachel bat Chana Rivka.