Processing Emotions as a Survivor
- Hoda Kotb is a survivor of stage I breast cancer and got emotional speaking about the tragedy in Ulvade, Texas.
- Kotb treated her breast cancer with a mastectomy after her diagnosis in 2007.
- It’s important to process difficult emotions, including grief.
HELLO! reports that, “Jenna was filming a segment on the USS Baatan on Wednesday morning and believed she could make it to the studio by 10am but by 9.30am was still on the vessel and nowhere near the studios. They then made it to the car but were stuck in morning traffic.”
Read MoreHoda Kotb's Breast Cancer Journey
Kotb, 57, received her breast cancer diagnosis in February 2007 after doctors discovered lumps in her breast tissue during a routine exam. She was 43 at the time and underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction followed by five years taking the drug tamoxifen (Nolvadex).
"Cancer shaped me, but it did not define me. It's part of me, but not all of me," Kotb said at an annual Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York Symposium and Awards Luncheon in 2017.
She's still cancer-free today, but Kotb has since opened up about her fertility struggles following her breast cancer battle.
"I remember that my oncologist called, and we were talking about freezing my eggs," Kotb told Good Housekeeping in April. "She basically said that given my age and (my breast cancer treatment), it was pretty close to a dead-end."
Her reaction was, understandably, filled with sorrow. And at that moment, she doubted she'd ever realize her dream of becoming a mother.
"I was in my room, and I just sobbed. I thought, 'Well, that's that, isn't it?,'" Kotb said. "Like, you almost blame yourself. 'Why didn't I do this? Why didn't I do that?' So I just pushed it away because the reality seemed impossible to bear.
"How do you survive knowing you can't have what you desire and what you feel like you actually physically need?"
'I Was Just Falling Through Darkness' Giuliana Rancic Opens Up About Her Breast Cancer Journey
Hoda’s Emotions & Coping with Grief
For many people diagnosed with cancer, like Kotb, it can lead to difficult emotions, such as grief, depression, anxiety, and fear. You don't have to suffer, though. As soon as you can, get connected with a mental health professional, like a therapist, or a cancer patient support group.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Scott Irwin, the director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai, explains some of the emotions, like grief, that may follow a cancer diagnosis. He says, "Grief comes in waves. It often gets better over time, but at certain days, it can look like depression. And other days, people look perfectly normal and can function."
"They're grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different," explains Dr. Irwin. "In cancer care, sometimes, we're actually forcing some body changes that are beyond what would be normal aging, and that can be even harder for people to deal with where they don't feel like themselves."
Dr. Irwin says in another interview how clinical depression may impact cancer treatment. He says, "there's data that [show] if you have extra stress or depression that you may not recover or you have a higher risk of recurrence so that in treating the depression, we're actually impacting the cancer care outcomes."
It's important to care for your mental health, alongside your physical health, while going through cancer. Reach out for support from a psychologist or therapist if you're struggling after your diagnosis. Trained professionals can help make the journey much less overwhelming.
Dealing With Grief After a Cancer Diagnosis
SurvivorNet reporter Marissa Sullivan contributed to this article.
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