Busy Philipps was just weeks away from starting a brand-new chapter on CBS when an unexpected medical discovery brought everything to a halt. The actress, who had been considered young and healthy by her doctor, underwent a precautionary scan almost on a whim, only to learn that doctors had found a malignant brain tumor. What followed was a race against time that would change the way Philipps looked at her health, her career, and the information her body was trying to give her.

And sometimes, the decision that feels completely unnecessary can turn out to be the one that saves your life.

Speaking to People, Busy Philipps revealed that she is grateful that she is alive after a precautionary full-body MRI unexpectedly detected a lesion on her brain just weeks before she was due to begin filming Cupertino. Philipps had no major symptoms and had even been reassured by her primary care physician that she was young and healthy, but she decided to get the scan anyway after learning about it on Instagram. What initially seemed like an unnecessary precaution ultimately led doctors to discover an oligodendroglioma, a malignant brain tumor that needed to be removed.

“I’m grateful that I’m alive,” Philipps told People. 

The discovery, as she told People, came shortly after Philipps had met with Cupertino creators Robert and Michelle King, and she recalled being told by the doctor treating her daughter that the tumor was real and “got to come out,” leaving her hyperventilating as she tried to process the news. Doctors later explained that if she had waited until experiencing seizures, the tumor could have become much larger and more difficult to remove.

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But even as Philipps faced one of the most frightening moments of her life, another major chapter was already waiting for her on the other side of recovery.

Created by Robert and Michelle King, the minds behind The Good Wife and The Good Fight, Cupertino is a Silicon Valley legal drama centered on Michael Price, played by Mike Colter, and Olivia Siffre, played by Rachel Keller. After being pushed out of his tech startup and cheated out of his stock options, Michael teams up with Olivia to build a new law firm and take on the powerful technology elite. Philipps plays Natalia Boutella, a wealthy and flamboyant former wife of an AI billionaire who bankrolls the lawyers as she seeks revenge against her ex-husband.

The role adds another chapter to a career that stretches back roughly 25 years, beginning with her breakout as Kim Kelly in Freaks and Geeks. Philipps later became known for Dawson’s Creek, Cougar Town, Girls5eva, and films including White Chicks, He’s Just Not That Into You, Made of Honor, and Mean Girls, with her Cougar Town performance earning her a Critics’ Choice Television Award.

 Now, with the tumor removed and Cupertino waiting on the other side, Philipps is stepping into this new chapter with a perspective that goes far beyond Hollywood.

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What do you think of Busy Philipps’ decision to trust her instincts and get the scan? Are you excited to watch Cupertino? Let us know in the comments.