NBC
Jenna Fischer is feeling grateful to be alive… revealing how her battle with breast cancer taught her to ignore the daily hassles that come with living in a big city.
“The Office” actress stopped by the “Today” show on Monday, where she sat down with Hoda Kotb to discuss her fight with breast cancer…and how it left a lasting impact on her.
Jenna, who earlier this month shared that she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, said “the most important things became clear so quickly” after receiving shocking news about her health.
She explained… “I think the world is such a beautiful place with all its quirks. Even the things that used to irritate me, I now sometimes find charming.”
For example, traffic, which is notoriously bad in the City of Angels, is merely “cute” to her now.
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Of course, her optimistic outlook wasn’t there from the start… with Jenna admitting she was initially irritated by her medical tests, calling her routine mammogram “annoying.”
Jenna is now so grateful she kept her annual appointment… describing how she learned of her cancer diagnosis while checking her medical portal while on a walk.
She continued… “That’s when I saw words like ‘invasive’, ‘ductal’, ‘carcinoma’, ‘malignant’. I was like, ‘Those words sound like words about cancer.'”
From there, Jenna underwent a mastectomy in January and 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 3 weeks of radiation. Jenna admitted she was worried about losing her hair at first… noting that she often combed her hair to cover her bald spot during treatment.
She continues with the infusion treatment now, which will last until February next year.