Shibutani kirjutas Instagramis, et sattus oktoobris kõhuviirusega haiglasse, kuid edasiste uuringute käigus avastasid arstid anomaalia, mis osutus hiljem neerukasvajaks. Laupäeval käis Shibutani õnnestunud operatsioonil.

"Asjad liiguvad paremuse poole," kirjutas kahekordne olümpiapronks kolmapäeval sotsiaalmeedias. "Kõndimine ja isegi väikesed liigutused teevad praegu kõvasti valu. Taastumine võtab aega, aga olen kindel, et naasen veelgi tugevamalt."

Koos venna Alexiga võistlev Shibutani võitis Pyeongchangi olümpiamängudel kaks pronksmedalit, paar on 2016. aasta MM-hõbe ja 2011. ning 2017. aasta MM-pronks.

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It's been a really tough week. Back in October, I got sick and had to go to the ER while I was in New York. It ended up being a stomach virus, but they ran some tests that showed an abnormality - it was recommended that I have a follow-up appointment to take a closer look. After an MRI earlier this week in LA, I was told that I had a small mass on one of my kidneys. Receiving this news has been incredibly shocking and difficult to handle. I've been so scared, but I have had the full support of my family, doctors, and nurses. I had surgery yesterday to remove the tumor. The surgery was successful and I was able to keep the rest of my kidney. I am in recovery at the hospital and have been in a lot of pain post-surgery, but I am grateful. My doctor said there is a 60/40 chance that the tumor was malignant versus benign (we will know soon), but I am young, healthy, and feel fortunate that this was detected so early. While this is deeply personal news, I don't want rumors to spread, or for anyone to worry in case people say they saw me at the hospital. (Next time, just say "hi") • I am going to try and stay positive and focus on my recovery. I appreciate all of the support and good vibes sent my way. My fingers are crossed, too. ❤️

A post shared by Maia Shibutani (@maiashibutani) on Dec 15, 2019 at 5:05pm PST

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All of the messages of love and positivity have meant a lot and are so appreciated. Generally, things are moving in the right direction. I had to spend an extra night in the hospital following my surgery, but I was discharged yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, the pain post-surgery has been worse than I anticipated. I've had my fair share of injuries in skating and I'm used to muscle and bone stuff, but this is different. It was explained to me that since I am young and in good shape, my muscles and nerves are really sensitive. Walking and making even smaller body movements is currently very painful and extremely challenging. It's been tough to not feel discouraged and weak, but focusing on gratitude has really helped. My parents are with me and Alex was able to support me through those difficult first steps. I'm grateful for all of the messages of encouragement - I feel very cared for and supported. This recovery will take time and I'm still waiting on news, but I'm determined to come back stronger.

A post shared by Maia Shibutani (@maiashibutani) on Dec 17, 2019 at 4:42pm PST