‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’ star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is “trying to stay optimistic” days after undergoing a hysterectomy and nearly six months after she was diagnosed with Stage 1 cervical cancer.
As The Ashley previously reported, Nicole shared in April that, while the results of her PET scan revealed that her cancer had not spread, her doctor recommended that she undergo a hysterectomy to avoid the possibility of the cancer returning. As promised, the mom of three invited social media followers along this week as she left her house at 4:30 a.m. on surgery day and headed to the hospital, joined by her mom and dad.
“You always need your parents, I don’t care what age you are,” she said. “I need my mom and dad.”
Nicole continued to film as she prepped for surgery, while admitting to fans that she was “literally terrified at this point.” Her next update came hours later, where she was recovering in a hospital bed.
“I told you guys in general I’m not good with pain, and I’ve really been trying to be tough, but it’s not great,” she said.
Nicole went on to explain that her surgery was done at the location where she previously had a C-section and that her surgeon had removed her uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, as well as “some parts” of her vagina to ensure that all of the cancer was removed. She noted, however, that she was able to keep her ovaries, which will prevent her from going into early menopause.
While Nicole said it was nice that she will be able to avoid going into early menopause, she started to get emotional in her video, telling fans, “Sorry, it’s just been a lot.”
After taking a moment to collect herself, Nicole revealed that, in addition to the hysterectomy, her doctor repaired the diastasis recti she had as a result of her pregnancies. (Diastasis recti occurs when a person’s rectus abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy from being stretched, according to the Cleveland Clinic.)
“ … dealing with all that pain, it’s not great, but I’m doing my best and I’m trying to stay optimistic,” Nicole said, before sharing some post-op advice.
“I ended up walking a little bit and honestly, ladies, after you get this, walking for the first time it’s like, ‘Oh my God, this hurts so bad,’ but then I walked again, and I just felt like I was stretching everything out and it felt good for a hot minute,” she said. “But then when you lay down again, it’s just like, cramping and hurting and whatever.
“So, the first couple of days is hell, and then it’s gonna get better,” she continued. “So I’m trying to stay in good spirits.”
Nicole’s update also included details about the moment she entered the operating room, where she became overwhelmed and “just started hysterically bawling.”
Nicole concluded her video by telling fans that she’s been and will continue to be “very vulnerable,” as what she’s going through is “a scary thing” that “a lot of us women deal with … and no one really talks about it.”
“ … I’m here to give that platform for all of us ladies,” Nicole said. “And I read a lot of your comments that some of you are gonna get surgery next week, you’re doing the same thing, so I’m here to show you what’s up, and it’s scary and it’s okay to be scared, but now it’s over. It’s over, I just have to deal with the pain.
“It’s just like any surgery: you have pain, you gotta manage it. Manage it, get the pain meds and, you know, in a couple of days, you feel brand-spanking new. No more periods, I don’t have to take birth control anymore, hopefully I’ll be cancer free, and that’s it.
“ … I love you, thanks for being here, and get your Pap smears, okay?” she added.
Watch Nicole’s post-hysterectomy video below.
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(Photos: Instagram; TikTok)
