NBC
Jenna Fischer is feeling grateful to be alive … revealing how her breast cancer battle has taught her to ignore the everyday annoyances that come with living in a big city.
“The Office” actress stopped by the “Today” show Monday, where she sat down with Hoda Kotb to discuss her fight with breast cancer … and how it’s left a lasting impact on her.
Jenna, who earlier this month shared she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, said “the most important things became so clear so quickly” after receiving her jarring health news.
She explained … “I find the world to be such a beautiful place in all of its quirkiness. Even things that used to irritate me, I now sometimes find charming.”
For instance, 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’s now so grateful she kept her annual appointment … describing how she learned about her cancer diagnosis while checking her medical portal during a hike.
She continued … “That’s when I saw words like, ‘invasive,’ ‘ductal,’ ‘carcinoma,’ ‘malignant.’ I was like, ‘Those words sound like cancer words.'”
From there, Jenna underwent a lumpectomy in January and 12 rounds of chemo, and 3 weeks of radiation. Jenna admitted she was worried about losing her hair at first … noting she used to comb over her locks to cover her bald spot during treatment.
She is continuing with infusion treatment now, which will last until February of next year.