Today contributor Jill Martin candidly shared her breast cancer diagnosis with the world on Monday, July 17. She opened up about her treatment and upcoming surgery in a post on Today.com.
“I had always feared this day would come, but I never really thought it would,” Jill, 47, wrote on the website. “Just three weeks before, in between work calls, I had taken an at-home saliva test by a genetic testing company and mailed it in. Honestly, I had forgotten I even did it.”
Because of her family history of cancer, Jill was urged by her doctors to undergo genetic testing. After a sonogram and MRI, she received her diagnosis.
“I am telling this story now because I couldn’t go through months of operations, and start to recover both physically and mentally, without shouting from the rooftops telling everyone to check with their doctors to see if genetic testing is appropriate,” she wrote. “By the time I recover from my first surgery, I hope that many of you will know your results and can make proactive decisions with your doctors, families and loved ones. That is the silver lining to this mess for me. It is what is keeping me going and giving me strength.”
In the blog post, Jill revealed she will be undergoing a double mastectomy this week and reconstruction. Jill’s Ob-Gyn also advised that she would need her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in the future due to an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
Despite the difficult road ahead, Jill is grateful to have the support of her parents and her husband, Erik Brooks, in her corner.
“Let me be clear: I am heartbroken for so many reasons, but mostly watching my parents watch me go through this,” she confessed. “But I trust my father with every morsel of my being, and he told me, ‘We got this, and we will fight this together.’ I am devastated and empowered, all at the same time.”
Jill also has her Today costars rallying behind her as she prepares for her first surgery.
“I’ll leave you with a laugh, as that is how my family copes,” she finished off the post. “This is what the great Al Roker said to me when I told him what was happening: ‘Nothing steals your joy, and you will deal with it as only you can. We love you.”
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