Saying Goodbye
- Hoda Kotb, beloved co-host of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna and breast cancer survivor, recently opened up on-air about how it can be difficult to move on.
- It can obviously be difficult to move on and say goodbye to a career you love, like Hoda and Jenna Bush Hager talk about, but it can be even harder to say goodbye to a loved one who's losing their life to cancer.
- Whether it’s a spouse, a family member or a friend, grief is inevitable and essential when you're forced to say goodbye to a loved one, especially if you're losing that person to cancer.
Speaking with her co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, the 57-year-old talked about having to make hard decisions and moving onto bigger and better things, especially when it came to her career in journalism and on television.
Read More"I stood on the edge and just jumped."
View this post on Instagram
Co-host Jenna has also had her fair share of hard goodbyes, as she discussed her decision to leave her teaching job for the journalism world and NBC.
"But I also think, as you said, with standing on the edge and jumping, you can always go back," Jenna said. "I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing."
Saying Goodbye
It can obviously be difficult to move on and say goodbye to a career you love, like Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager talk about, but it can be even harder to say goodbye to a loved one who's losing their life to cancer.
Whether it’s a spouse, a family member or a friend, grief is inevitable and essential when you're forced to say goodbye to a loved one, especially if you're losing that person to cancer.
There's no one way to cope, but, in a previous interview with SurvivorNet, widower Doug Wendt shared his thoughts on the grieving process after losing his wife to ovarian cancer.
"We're never gonna move on, I don't even think I want to move on, but I do want to move forward," Wendt said.
"That's an important distinction, and I encourage anybody who goes through this journey as a caregiver, and then has to face loss, to think very carefully about how to move forward."
'Therapy Saved My Life': After Losing a Loved One, Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help
Camila Legaspi, in a previous interview with SurvivorNet, shared her own advice on grief after her mother died of breast cancer. For her, therapy made all the difference.
"Therapy saved my life," Legaspi said. "I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life. Because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on, going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings."
Hoda Kotb’s Breast Cancer Battle
In February 2007, at the age of 43, Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis came after doctors discovered lumps in her breast during a routine exam.
After receiving her diagnosis, Hoda consulted six separate doctors to decide which treatment plan was the best fit for her. In the end, she had a mastectomy and was declared in remission.
Hoda has clearly learned the value of mammograms. They’re the most valuable tool in catching the disease early, which means you will have more treatment options and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes.
However, Hoda’s diagnosis occurred at an age younger than the guidelines recommend women start scheduling annual mammograms.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening such as a mammogram if they wish to do so. But women ages 45 to 54 should definitely get a mammogram every year.
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
Dr. Connie Lehman, director of the breast imaging clinic at Mass General Hospital in Boston, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview that it’s very important for women to get a mammogram every year, especially if you have not yet gone through menopause.
"We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be life-saving," Dr. Lehman said. "After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years."
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.