Maria Menounos is one inspirational woman. While caring for her mother as she battled stage-4 brain cancer, the former E! News host was herself diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Maria underwent a seven-hour procedure to the remove the golf ball-sized tumour earlier this year. The operation was a success and Maria was given only a six to seven percent chance of the cancer returning.
It’s now three months since her operation and Maria has given her first live interview.
“I feel so lucky to be functioning and to be almost normal and to not have cancer,” the 39-year-old told the Today show.
Although Maria said her symptoms were getting “better and better” every day, she still has trouble chewing on her right side and gets dizzy if she moves her head too quickly.
“Each week you see differences,” she explained.
Maria also said that she felt like she had definitely changed after going through the health scare.
“I’m just so much calmer I think, because I just see things so differently now. I think being still is so important,” she said.
“I think that’s why meditation is so great for people because it creates a little time of stillness in their lives. For me, having so much time and so much stillness, I’ve been able to look back at everything, and I did see this all as a gift and I did shift everything into positives throughout this whole journey.”
During her health battle the TV host’s fiancé and partner of 19 years, Keven Undergaro has been her number one supporter.
“He’s been unbelievable. The man has not left my side. Not only has he taken care of me, he’s helping me take care of my mom and dad and keeping us all strong,” she said.
“He’s done everything I could have ever dreamed of.”
Maria’s mum, Litsa Menounos, is currently still battling stage-4 brain cancer.
“It’s a process, and right now she’s stable and doing well, but there’s definitely a lot of things that go with it. It’s an emotional ride.”
But Maria is ever-positive and is taking it all a day at a time.
“We just celebrated my mum this past weekend in Connecticut. We called it like her one year celebration of life party … since her diagnosis. We had family and friends gather at our home in Connecticut,” she said. “We had a really nice time.”
