Jenna Wolfe, the former NBC anchor, disclosed that she had undergone a hysterectomy recently.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the ex-Today show correspondent shared images of herself in the hospital during the operation and revealed that she will have another surgery in two weeks.
“You know, for a long time, my approach to life was always: if you stumble, make it part of the dance. And until recently, I managed to stumble/dance/stumble/dance my way through everything… network television, personal training, and parenting. Then I hit a pretty bumpy stretch, the most recent of which I wanted to share with you,” began Wolfe.
“About a month ago, I tested positive for the BRCA-1 breast cancer gene (meaning my chances of getting breast and ovarian cancer are… well… really high), leaving me little wiggle room to ‘mull over my choices,’ ” she shared. “So without a ton of options, I stared down my fears, took a deep breath, and opted for two pretty big surgeries.”
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“My hysterectomy is the first. It’s not fun, not easy, not at all pleasant (I’m terrified of needles) but it’s something I need to do,” wrote Wolfe. “The second surgery, the bigger one, will be in 2 weeks. Happy to share more with anyone going through something similar.”
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus, and sometimes also the cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. It is typically done to treat conditions such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or cancer. Depending on the type of hysterectomy, a woman may no longer be able to bear children after the surgery.
“Something like this spins your head a few whirls. Am I going to be ok? Will I heal? Will I ever have the drive I once had?” the personal trainer said.
She continued, “I mean, a big chunk of my life is based around fitness and wellness. I know I make it all look ‘cute’ on social media… but we all know it’s usually far from cute. Especially with kids.”
“Half the time, I’m up at 4:30 am, sneaking in a quick workout before the kids get up, grabbing anything edible, racing to school, often times half dressed, most of the time half-witted.”
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Wolfe wrote, “I’ll admit I’m a little scared. (About a lot of things in my life right now.) But I also know I have to let myself be scared sometimes to learn how to overcome it.”
“It’s easy to ignore the hard things and opt for the comforts of safety. But safety never challenged anyone or scared anyone or pushed anyone down or pulled anyone up. Safety just sort of sits there, keeps you from moving… from growing, from thriving.”
She continued, “These two surgeries are just the latest in what has been… let’s call it a challenging two years for me. But with anything in life, the only way is through. And I’m going through it.”
“I realize everyone has a story. This is mine. (Well, it’s part of mine). As I embark on it, I’ll be thinking about you and yours,” she concluded.
In August 2013, Jenna Wolfe and her partner Stephanie Gosk became parents to their daughter Harper Estelle. They later welcomed their second daughter, Quinn Lily, in February 2015.