Enjoying Life's Celebratory Moments
- Hoda Kotb, 59, kicked off Olympics Opening Ceremony day with her own endearing personal footage from a hair and makeup session in her Paris hotel room.
- The breast cancer survivor, who is in the City of Lights with co-anchors Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, appeared to be in high spirits ahead of her team’s special coverage for NBC’s TODAY.
- Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle, even many years later, just hits different for many survivors.
- Special moments such as getting engaged, reaching another birthday, (or if you’re really lucky) covering the Paris Olympics like Kotb, may mean even more to you now, so it’s important to take them all in and continuously celebrate all that you’ve overcome.
The breast cancer survivor, who is in the City of Lights with co-anchors Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, appeared to be in high spirits ahead of her team’s special coverage for NBC’s TODAY.
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“It’s a little rainy today, but it’s all gonna clear up for Opening Ceremony tonight,” Kotb says from off camera.
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Kotb also shared a shot of her outfit for the day, “red, white and blue, of course!” she said of an ensemble resembling a track suit laid out on the bed.
As usual, the fun-loving veteran journalist’s post was embraced by an army of fans cheering her on.
“I love that you are so normal!!” one fan wrote of Kotb’s relatable spirit. “Not even a super fancy room in Paris. We are here in Paris too, enjoy and we will be watching.”
“You don’t need a lot of work to do you are gorgeous,” chimed another positive supporter, while a third also expressed appreciation for the inside glimpse. “I love it! Thank you for taking us along with you ❤️.”
Hoda’s Breast Cancer Journey
Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
Her doctors discovered lumps in her breast tissue during a routine exam. She treated her breast cancer by undergoing a single mastectomy, which means one of her breasts was removed. She then had breast reconstruction surgery, which rebuilds the shape and look of the breast.
WATCH: Understanding a New Breast Cancer Diagnosis: An Introduction
After surgery, the beloved news anchor continued her treatments by taking the drug tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for five years.
Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator which means it works to prevent estrogen from helping cancer cells to grow. It is also used to prevent breast cancer among women who are at high risk for breast cancer because of family history.
“Cancer shaped me, but it did not define me. It’s part of me, but not all of me,” Kotb said at the annual Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York Symposium and Awards Luncheon in 2017.
Reaching Milestones as a Cancer Survivor
Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle, even many years later, is huge and just hits different for many survivors.
Special moments such as getting engaged, reaching another birthday, a high school reunion, “cancerversary” (or covering an Olympics) may mean even more to you than those events did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all that you’ve overcome.
Chrissy Degennaro is also a cancer warrior determined to keep enjoying these precious milestones. She has been battling a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma for 14 years, and was first diagnosed when she was just 36 years old with a 2-year-old son.
I’m Able to Be Here For More Milestones — One Cancer Survivor’s Incredible Story
When she was given her diagnosis, she almost expected to not be able to see him enter kindergarten. But thanks to 27 rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, a CAR-T cell trial and two CAR-T cell transplants over following 14 years, she’s able to keep making memories with her family.
“You know, I do live one day at a time,” Chrissy previously told SurvivorNet. “Now, maybe I can go a week, a month, but things are looking pretty good. I’m able to be here for more milestones for my son, for more holidays, more birthdays. I do feel like I have had another chance at life.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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