Jenna Fischer recently opened up about her journey through breast cancer treatment, revealing her fears of losing her hair. The actress, known for her role on The Office, announced her diagnosis earlier this month, explaining that she underwent surgery, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, and three rounds of radiation. “I’m happy to say that I was recently re-screened, and the treatments worked,” she stated. “I am cancer-free. I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way.”
In an interview with The Today Show, Jenna shared that her journey began with a delayed routine mammogram, which led to an “eye-roll”-inducing ultrasound and another mammogram. A subsequent biopsy confirmed her diagnosis of Stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer.
“When they told me I had to have chemo, the first thing I thought was, ‘I don’t want to throw up and I don’t want to lose my hair,'” she recalled. “I did not throw up, but I did lose my hair.” Jenna described her experience of hair loss, noting that it began with a large bald patch on one side of her head. To cope, she tried an elaborate comb-over, humorously reflecting, “I understand why the gentlemen do this now.” However, she mentioned that she never had a dramatic moment of shaving her head.
Jenna expressed deep gratitude for her Office Ladies co-star Angela Kinsey, who provided unwavering support throughout her treatment. “From the beginning, she said, ‘Whatever you need, you tell me, I’m here,'” Jenna explained. She emphasized her desire to continue working and to keep her cancer status private at the office. “At work, I want that to be a space where we go and we laugh, and I’m not a cancer patient. I need that,” she said.
As Jenna began to lose her hair, she wore hats styled with her hair peeking out, which she affectionately called “wig-ats,” a combination of wigs and hats. In a show of solidarity, Angela started wearing hats to work as well, ensuring Jenna wouldn’t be the only one in a meeting with a hat. “It was amazing,” Jenna said, visibly moved by her friend’s support.
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