Hoda Kotb Struggled With Body Image Issues After Her Surgery
In 2014, Kotb opened up about how she struggled with body image issues after her reconstructive surgery and mastectomy in a powerful essay on Today.com.There are two phases post surgery, Kotb wrote at the time. Theres the OMG, they got it reaction and you are just so happy they got the cancer. You are so grateful, and you think, I dont care what my body looks like, I am just happy to be here. I still feel that deep in my soul every day. This is the body I have and Ill take it.
Kotb explained that the second phase came along with more challenges for her. But Id be lying if I didnt say there is a second phase, a window of time where you dont even want to look at yourself, Kotb wrote. Its jarring. I remember a moment in the hospital when a nurse said she needed to help bathe me and I had to be standing up, in front of a mirror. I told her, Please, just turn me around. Id rather not see it.
Kotb continued, writing, Then, when your body heals, you start to feel better. You realize that you dont care about the scars. You are just happy to have this body, a healthy body, no matter the lumps and bumps and problems. And even though I now consider myself about 90 percent, as far as feeling emotionally and physically recovered and body confident, I am not at 100 percent The actual scars are there thats forever a part of me.
Hoda Kotb Was ‘horrified’ By Her Scars After Cancer Surgery Which Caused ‘dead
https://news.amomama.com/292140-hoda-kotb-was-horrified-by-her-scars-can.html
After American broadcaster Hoda Kotb discovered that she had breast cancer, her life drastically changed forever. The disease not only impacted how she viewed her body but also took away her only chance of being able to conceive. However, not all was lost, and she made sure of it.
In 2007, broadcast journalist Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Kotb reflected on her procedure for Today in 2014.
The TV personality shared that the type of cancer she had required an extensive eight-hour surgery which involved a mastectomy and reconstruction.
Following the operation, Kotb recalled her sister telling her that she looked healthier. However, at that point, it had not sunk in yet that the cancer was now gone. She explained in detail the two phases she underwent after the successful surgery.
Kotb said she was thrilled once it finally dawned on her that the cancer was removed. That euphoric feeling left her thinking that how her body appeared afterward did not matter because the disease was now gone. Hence, she expressed gratitude for being still alive.
The Oklahoma native then touched on the second phase after the surgery, where she said there was a point where she could barely look at herself.
“A nurse came in to help me, and she stood in front of the mirror, and I was horrified.”
KOTB EVENTUALLY OVERCAME HER BODY-IMAGE ISSUES
“Now I look at my scars, and I’m happy.”
A Call To Action From A Stranger
A stranger gave Hoda some perspective on her situation. The man noticed the compression sleeve on Hoda’s arm, which many breast cancer patients have to wear to prevent lymphatic swelling. Hoda didn’t want to be reminded of her illness and was reluctant to answer his stranger’s questions. But the man kept gently prodding on, and finally, the truth came out.
When the man found out she had breast cancer, he reacted in a totally unexpected way. He told her “Don’t hog your journey, it’s not just for you”. He encouraged her to share her story because it could help so many people out there. Basically, she had two choices. She could either hide her experience deep inside, or she could get out there and help others going through a similarly tough time.
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Early Life And Education
Hager was born on 25 November 1981 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and named after her maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch. While living in Dallas, she and her sister attended Preston Hollow Elementary School and then The Hockaday School. In 1994, after her father was elected Governor of Texas and the family moved to Austin, Texas, Bush was a student at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and attended Austin High School from 1996 until her graduation in 2000.
With her father becoming President in 2001, she attended the University of Texas at Austin and took summer classes at New York University. She was a legacy member of Kappa Alpha Theta, her mother’s sorority. While there, Jenna and her sister Barbara made national headlines when they were both arrested for alcohol-related charges twice within 5 weeks: on April 29, 2001, Jenna was charged with a misdemeanor for possession of alcohol under the age of 21 in Austin. On May 29, 2001, Jenna was charged with another misdemeanor â attempting to use a fake ID to purchase alcohol. She pleaded no contest to both charges. Jenna Bush graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 2004.
Read More On Today Show
Earlier this month, Today’s staff members told The Sun they have chosen secret favorites amid the feud between Hoda and Savannah.
Staff exclusively told The Sun they prefer Hoda over Savannah and gushed over their favorite news anchor.
A source said Hoda is everyone’s “absolute favorite” and she is “so warm and friendly” to all of the staff behind cameras.
The source shared that Hoda takes the time out of her day to talk to the staff and hold small Q& A’s for the summer interns.
Hoda is also a “great mentor off-camera” and even knows everyone’s names around the studio.
As the Today staff source gushed over Hoda, they failed to mention anything about Savannah.
Meanwhile, Savannah and Hoda have been under fire from fans about their behavior on-air after it was revealed the two secretly “can’t stand each other” off-camera.
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Influencing The Industry: How Hoda Kotb Learned To Be Happy With Her Mastectomy Scars
May 12, 2022 | Breast Cancer, Reconstructive Surgery | 0 |
Seeing their scars for the first time can be jarring for mastectomy patientssomething broadcast journalist Hoda Kotb knows firsthand. On a recent episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, Kolb opened up about her 2007 breast cancer diagnosis and resulting mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries.
At first, Kotb said she was horrified by her new body. But she later changed her mindset.
The 57-year-old credited two people in her life for helping her mend her relationship with her body: a person shed dated at the time and a friends aunt, who also survived breast cancer. There was a person who was in my life at that time who saw me as really beautiful, she recalled. That was his purpose, I think, in my life. I remembered feeling not pretty and not worthy, and somebody doesnt see the scarsAll the sudden your back is straighter, you feel better, and you made it through that hurdle, she added. Now I look at my scars, and Im happy.
An encounter with a friends aunt was equally important to her. She pulled Kotb aside and asked to see her post-surgery scars, revealing her own as well. It was the first time I had courageI did , and she goes, Now was that so bad? said Kotb. It was a very poignant and moving moment for me, she added. It was a life-changer.
Read the full article on Yahoo.
Celebrities With Breast Cancer Share Their Experience
According to the Breast Cancer Organization, nearly 281,500 women in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2021. In the same time period, an additional estimated 49,290 are expected to be diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, know that youre far from alone. Many other women of all ages, races, and backgrounds face this scary diagnosis, including celebrities who are known for acting, singing, designing, or reporting the news. These 15 celebrities chose to make their story public in hopes of comforting and inspiring many others going through similar struggles.
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Screen Yourself Regularly For Breast Cancer
The most important thing you can do is to be your own advocate. Learn from these celebrities and their own stories, whether they discovered cancer while raising awareness on national TV or in the course of other medical procedures. No matter your age, stage in life, or profession, its important to speak with your doctor about the right annual screening for you, to conduct self-exams at home, and say something if you think something isnt right. By taking these precautions, you can help detect cancer before it becomes more difficult to treat.
Dana Donofree
Founder and CEO of AnaOno.After a diagnosis of breast cancer in her late 20s, Dana took her own lived experience and fashion design background and designed intimates for those that have undergone breast surgery. Danas story has been published around the world in outlets like New York Times, BBC, Huffington Post, The Today Show, and more.
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Focus Your Energy On Helping Others
It’s important to count our blessings – that’s what Hoda has learned. She’s worried about looking at herself and her scars, but when she thinks about the person next to her and how they may need something too, she can stop thinking about her own problems. Rather than focusing her energy on the woes of life that she suffered, she’s turned her attention to helping others. That’s the best advice she’s got for us – turn the spotlight somewhere else, and take the focus away from yourself. When you stop pitying yourself, you’ll realize how good you can really feel no matter the burden you have to carry.
Now, at 53 years old. Hoda is living her beautiful life in the aftermath of surviving breast cancer. She’s now happily in love and has a baby who is the light of her life. She has many blessings to be thankful for as a breast cancer survivor.
References
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Today Show Anchor Hoda Kotb Discusses Fertility Issues Following Cancer Diagnosis Pfizer Pulls Blood Pressure Drugs Due To Cancer Concerns And More
From Pfizer issuing a voluntary recall of three blood pressure drugs due to a high level of a cancer-causing chemical to Today Show co-ancho Hoda Kotb discussing her struggles with fertility after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer, heres whats happening in the cancer space this week.
Today Show co-anchor Hoda Kotb opens up about her choice to freeze her eggs and to undergo fertility treatments after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and subsequently underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Due to her age and the type of treatments, her oncologist told her that freezing her eggs was pretty close to a dead-end, Kotb recently told Good Housekeeping.
I was in my room, and I just sobbed. I thought, Well, thats that, isnt it? Like, you almost blame yourself. Why didnt I do this? Why didnt I do that? So I just pushed it away, because the reality seemed impossible to bear, she said. How do you survive knowing you cant have what you desire and what you feel like you actually physically need? she said.
However, Kotb was still able to become a parent, as she and her ex-fiance Joel Schiffman adopted their two daughters, Hayley, who is now 5 years old, and Hope who is now 3.
Three blood pressure drugs are pulled off the shelves because they contain cancer-causing agents.
A University of North Carolina football player receives rare cancer diagnosis.
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‘cancer Shaped Me But It Did Not Define Me’: Hoda Kotb On Overcoming Breast Cancer
You already know TODAY’s Hoda Kotb is an absolute force of positive energy. And as the host of this year’s annual Breast Cancer Research Foundation Symposium and Awards Luncheon in New York City, Hoda brought her signature upbeat spin to a heavy topic: her experience with breast cancer.
In a powerful speech, Hoda shared how receiving a breast cancer diagnosis served as a wake-up call to make necessary, ultimately positive changes in her life.
“In my early 40s, I was sick, I was getting divorced and I was in a job that I wasn’t suited for,” she explained. “I’m now 53 years old, I have a guy I love, a baby who is the light of my life. Shes so sweet! And a job that’s pretty cool, too, so 53 is awesome.
Of course, there was quite a journey to get to that point. Hoda shared some of the most impactful moments she experienced along the way including a few times she found comfort in unlikely places.
Hoda recalled getting her breast cancer diagnosis while sitting in her office at NBC. I hung that phone up and this intern was looking at me, and I hadn’t said a word,” Hoda said. “And she said, ‘Do you need me to leave?’ And I said, ‘You know what? Yeah. We’ll reschedule.'”
Another time, it was a stranger on a plane who gave Hoda some necessary perspective. The man asked Hoda about the compression sleeve she was wearing, but not wanting to be remembered for her illness, Hoda was hesitant to share. The man pressed her until the truth came out.
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Hoda Kotb Struggled With Her Body Image After Surgery
Very soon after Hoda Kotb’s surgery, she was confronted with the reality of her surgery. She had incisions on her chest and a scar that ran from one hip to the other. In an essay for Today’s “Love Your Selfie” series, she wrote, “I remember a moment in the hospital when a nurse said she needed to help bathe me and I had to be standing up, in front of a mirror. I told her, ‘Please, just turn me around. I’d rather not see it.'”
Kotb also spoke on “Today” about her experience, recalling, “I was horrified.” She had a tough time reconciling her body before and after surgery. She remembered thinking to herself, “That’s me now?! Like, this is the body for the rest of my life that’s going to carry me through?'” She felt that she was always going to hide her body away because “ou don’t think that you’ll ever feel good about yourself.”
Luckily, she had two people who helped her to view her body differently. Her friend’s aunt also had a mastectomy scar and they could compare their warrior’s marks with each other, and “this one guy I met who couldn’t keep his eyes off my chest.” As she healed, she also realized, per the “Love Your Selfie” series, “You don’t care about the scars. You are just happy to have this body, a healthy body.”
Hoda Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
She was sitting at her office at NBC when the news came. She had breast cancer. When she hung up the phone, Hoda remembers the intern looking at her because she was so silent from the shock of it all. She was so stunned that she sent her intern home.
To her surprise, Hoda’s intern stayed behind and instead of going home, she asked Hoda for a hug. This young girl, who had no idea what Hoda was going through, seemed to know exactly what she needed in the moment.
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Hoda Kotb Hated Her Scars After Mastectomy Procedure
The procedure was successful, but Hoda wasnt at all prepared for what came next. You know when you look, and youre like, Thats me now?! Like, this is the body for the rest of my life thats going to carry me through? she continued. You dont see it as: The cancer is gone. Right then, that moment, you see it as this horrible .
She continues, You dont think that youll ever feel good about yourself, because youre always going to be hiding, hiding, hiding, hiding.
As of today, Hoda credits two people who have helped her reshape the way she looks at her body. She remembers an aunt of her friend, named Harriett, who asked to see Hodas scar, saying she had the same. At that point, Hoda hadnt let anyone else see her scar. I remember I did it, and she goes, Now is that so bad? Hoda shared. It was a very poignant and moving moment for me. It was a life-changer.
Then, she was able to gain the perspective of seeing herself through someone elses eyes. There was a person who was in my life at that time who saw me as really beautiful, she said, referencing a man she once dated. That was his purpose, I think, in my life. I remembered feeling not pretty and not worthy, and then somebody doesnt see the scars. Like, someone looks at you and just doesnt see that.
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She replied: “I’m really sorry you went through that. I didn’t know that about you,” before asking: “You’re well now? You’re feeling good?”
The sentiment hit a sweet spot with Hoda, 57, as she began to well up pausing the interview.
“Yes, I am feeling good,” Hoda smiled back. “By the way, I’m just going to pause for a second,” she said.
“Another wonderful thing about you is what you just did there,” Hoda commented as she held back tears.
“Thank you, thank you for asking,” she added.
“We’re sisters. Anyone who has gone on this journey with cancer, it’s unknown destination, and surprises and turns,” Olivia explained.
Although the musical legend has had a tough journey with the illness, Olivia is feeling positive about her prognosis.
“Right now I’m feeling pretty good,” she told Hoda. “I have my days and I have my pains but the cannibas that my husband grows for me has been such a huge part of my healing, so, I’m a very lucky person.”
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