Popular journalist and entertainment television personality Maria Menounos revealed she survived pancreatic cancer while pregnant with her first child.
Menounos and her and husband Keven Undergaro tried to start a family for years and finally agreed to welcome a baby girl by surrogate. Just as she was about to become a mother, Menounos said she was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, beginning her secret health battle, according to People. “This whole year has been trauma, stress, crisis,” Menounos said. “There was a minute when we were planning something, and then it became too much. I thought, ‘I just need to heal,” she said, describing the cancelation of her baby shower.
Obviously, there’s so much to say about this and what Ive gone through these last few months, and even year. First, dealing with the diabetes diagnosis last summer, second (my other miracle) preparing for my soon to be newborn baby and third, pancreas cancer. I still haven’t… pic.twitter.com/rhd1nOU844
— MARIA MENOUNOS (@mariamenounos) May 3, 2023
The former E! News correspondent and host of the “Heal Squad” podcast was diagnosed in January and required three months of recovery following her treatment, according to People. She underwent surgery to remove a 3.9 cm tumor and is now sharing her experience to urge others to seek answers to any health ailments they may be facing.
“I need people to know there are places they can go to catch things early,” Menounos said, according to People.
“You can’t let fear get in the way. I had that moment where I thought I was a goner—but I’m okay because I caught this early enough.”
Menounos described her journey, saying she began suffering from severe leg cramps in June 2022
“I’d scream out loud, I was inconsolable,” she said.
She investigated the issue and was told she had type 1 diabetes, and was prescribed insulin, according to People.
Her condition improved greatly, but within a month she was back in the hospital “with excruciating abdominal pain coupled with diarrhea.” A CT scam came back normal.
“They said, ‘Everything’s fine.’ But I kept having pains,” she said.
Several weeks later while traveling by airplane, she said her pain became so bad it felt “like someone was tearing [her] insides out,” according to People.
A whole-body MRI revealed the mass on her pancreas.
“All I could think was that I have a baby coming,” she said.
By Feb. 16 Menounos had undergone surgery to remove the tumor, part of her pancreas, her spleen, a large fibroid and 17 lymph nodes.
“It was super painful. I couldn’t move or lift myself up,” she said.(RELATED: Ed Sheeran Reveals His Wife Was Diagnosed With A Tumor During Pregnancy)
She’s now in good health and able to focus on her future as she prepares to welcome her first child, according to People.
“God granted me a miracle. “I’m going to appreciate having her in my life so much more than I would have before this journey.”
Menounos also survived brain cancer in 2017.