Share this @internewscast.com

Maria Menounos predicted there was something wrong with her pancreas during an episode of her podcast months before her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

The 45-year-old television personality was diagnosed with a rare type of pancreatic cancer, a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, in January and had it removed the following month.

After she went public with her cancer journey, “I had a viewer reach out to me and say, you predicted this last April (2022) on your show. I went back … and I did,” Menounos told “TODAY” co-anchor Hoda Kotb during a new episode of Kotb’s podcast, “Making Space.”

Leading up to her diagnosis, Menounos said she had sensed something was wrong for many months and discussed it on her own podcast, “Heal Squad.”

“For at least a year and a half or so, I looked like I swallowed a basketball,” she recalled to Kotb. “I’ve been on fitness covers my whole career, flat washboard abs. Never had that. What’s going on?”

Menounos said she was tested for celiac disease but got no answers.

“In March 2022, I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy, trying to get to the root of what’s happening. … (They) didn’t find the source. That was it,” said Menounos. “I go, wait guys, the investigation doesn’t stop. We’re still trying to figure out what’s happening.”

“I kept taking pictures of (my bloating) because I was trying to eliminate things from (my) diet to see if there was a difference,” she continued. “I said, something’s wrong, and I’m going to keep investigating until I find it.”

The next month, April 2022, the “Heal Squad” episode that the viewer pointed out aired. It was focused on how to better tune into your body, and Menounos shared with listeners that she was struck by the idea that her pancreas was the source of the problem.

“(I said), ‘I think something’s wrong with my pancreas,” which was followed by “a whole discussion about the pancreas,” she told Kotb about the episode. “So random. And that was two months before I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.”

Menounos said she was in disbelief when she learned she had diabetes in June 2022. “First thing I (said) is, ‘I don’t have this.’ … At 43 years old or whatever … there’s no reason for me to get Type 1 diabetes.” (Research shows new onset of diabetes, especially in patients over 50, can be a sign of pancreatic cancer.)

In the fall of 2022, Menounos’ symptoms worsened significantly.

“I started having these weird abdominal pains that were super strong. I was on a plane and I thought I was going to die,” she told Kotb, adding that she chalked it up to a gluten sensitivity from a farro salad she was eating at the time.

In November 2022, the excruciating abdominal pains came back, this time coupled with diarrhea, which lasted for a month, Menounos previously told TODAY.com. “I can’t lay down, I can’t sit up — I go to the hospital and they do a CT scan,” she said.

In addition to a CT scan, Menounos got stool and blood tests, all of which had “unremarkable” results. “They said everything’s fine,” but the abdominal pain persisted, said Menounos.

Finally, in December 2022, Menounos got a full-body MRI, which revealed a mass on her pancreas. A biopsy confirmed it was a stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor — a rare and less aggressive type of pancreatic cancer.

Menounos said she thought she was a “goner” upon hearing her diagnosis, but that she was successfully treated with surgery. In addition to the tumor, doctors removed part of her pancreas, her spleen, a fibroid and 17 lymph nodes.

The new mom told Kotb that she is officially cancer-free. In June, Menounos and her husband Keven Undergaro welcomed their first child together via surrogate, a baby girl named Athena.

The most common type of pancreatic cancer, adenocarcinoma, usually doesn’t have symptoms in early stages, but they may include abdominal pain and jaundice, back pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, dark urine, light-colored stools, and itchy skin, per the National Cancer Institute.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month — to help spread awareness, Menounos teamed up with PanCAN to star in a public service announcement about the importance of early detection.

“I really encourage anybody who’s having any consistent pain or symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas or constipation to look deeper,” Menounos previously told TODAY.com. “A lot of people just want to shush their bodies and go back to work and go back to life and pretend it’s not happening. I’ve been there.”

Menounos wants others to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health, too. “I have learned that we have to be the CEO of our health. We have to use our own internal guidance, we have to do our own homework, we have to push,” she told Kotb.

“You can’t just listen to somebody else tell you what’s happening in your body,” she added. “If the pain persists … you have to keep fighting.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Pope Leo XIV waving from a balcony.

Why Dog Owners Are Dressing Their Pups as the Pope After the Latest Papal Announcement

PRAISE be! This gives a whole new meaning to the term dog…
Tired of cracked eggs? Scientists reveal the surprising storage method to avoid that

Fed up with eggs cracking? Researchers unveil an unexpected storage technique to prevent it

Egg-stra, egg-stra!  Scientists have revealed the best way to store your precious…
Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, released after arrest at immigration detention center

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Freed Following Arrest at Immigration Facility

Newark’s Mayor, Ras Baraka, was freed after being held for several hours…
How much less Irish people drank while taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic: study

Study Reveals Decrease in Alcohol Consumption Among Irish People Using Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic

Talk about a lucky charm. Medications such as Ozempic — which replicate…
Pope Leo merch: Da Pope shirt, Portillo's The Leo sandwich and more launched as Chicago pope memes take over internet

Chicago Meme Mania: Pope Leo T-Shirts, Portillo’s “The Leo” Sandwich, and More Hit the Web

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Catholic Church has a new hymn, and it’s…
Pope Francis-era deal with Chinese Communist Party again under scrutiny as Pope Leo takes the reins

New Pope Leo Re-evaluates Controversial Vatican Agreement With China

Pope Leo XIV, the first North American pope in history, expressed on…
'This Is What I Voted For': Trump Executive Order Fulfills Big Promise on Care for Vets vs. Illegals

“Trump’s Executive Order Delivers on Promise to Prioritize Veterans’ Care Over Services for Undocumented Immigrants”

Throughout the 2024 presidential race, President Donald Trump vowed to reallocate funds…
Newark airport issues: Radar for air traffic control went black again overnight

Newark Airport Troubles: Air Traffic Control Radar Went Dark Again Overnight

The initial radar outage resulted in numerous cancellations and delays of Newark…
President Trump seated at a desk in the Oval Office.

Trump Considers Limiting Legal Challenges to Detention Amid Immigration Crackdown, Advisor Reveals

DONALD Trump is planning to suspend habeas corpus to crack down on…
Screenshot of a news report about a TikTok trend of Chromebook destruction in a classroom.

Parents Alerted About Latest ‘Spark’ TikTok Challenge Resulting in $304 Fines for Children’s Misconduct

PARENTS could cop a $304 fine if their children are involved in…
Huge: It Doesn't Go Well For Dems Who Tried to Invade Prison Housing Illegal Alien Gang Members

Major Setback: Dems Face Trouble in Attempt to Enter Prison Holding Undocumented Gang Members

Just when it seemed like the Democrats’ unusual defense of illegal immigrant…
FDA approves first at-home cervical cancer testing kit

FDA Greenlights First-Ever At-Home Test Kit for Cervical Cancer Detection

Previous test kits allowed women to collect their own samples but had…