The last time , 48, spoke to her oncologist, Dr. Eric Winer, he gave her strict instructions — to get her life back. And “that’s exactly what (I’ve) been doing,” the TODAY contributor tells TODAY.
com. It’s been a little more than a year since Jill was breast cancer soon after learning she had a BRCA2 mutation, an inherited genetic mutation that increases one’s chance of developing several cancers, including breast and ovarian, according to the . Jill’s doctors “threw the kitchen sink” at her cancer, she says.
Over the last year, Jill had a with the removal of 17 lymph nodes and underwent “one of the toughest ,” which included the , the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin known for its bright red color. Following chemotherapy, Jill completed 16 straight weekdays of radiation and a subsequent preventative surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Now, she’s taking two oral chemotherapy pills; she’ll take one for the next year, and the second one she’ll need for the next seven to 10 years.
Despite the tumultuous year, Jill possesses an overwhelming feeling of appreciation. “I feel very grateful actually,” she says, adding that she still feels like “the luckiest person in the world.” Despite being given something “horrific,” Jill hopes to raise awareness so that other people might avoid “the hell” her family has been through, she says.
“(I’m) switching the narrative (about) chemo and the pills,” Jill explains, recalling how h.
