Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has reached the update she hoped to give when she went into surgery this summer.
The 38-year-old Jersey Shore star says she is cancer-free seven months after being diagnosed with Stage 1 cervical cancer and following a series of procedures that culminated in a hysterectomy on July 31. “After a colposcopy, conization & hysterectomy, mawma is cancer free,” she wrote in a Sept. 19 Instagram post, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Polizzi thanked the doctors who treated her and celebrated the news with a drink in the accompanying video. She also immediately turned the milestone into another reminder for women not to put off cervical screenings and follow-up appointments.
Polizzi says her doctors have told her there remains a possibility of recurrence, so she will continue undergoing Pap testing every three months.
Snooki Celebrated the News After Months of Procedures
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Polizzi first publicly revealed her Stage 1 cervical cancer diagnosis in February after a cone biopsy found adenocarcinoma on her cervix.
The diagnosis followed a longer history of abnormal Pap results. Polizzi has said she delayed recommended follow-up appointments because she was afraid of discomfort and bad news, eventually returning after her doctor repeatedly urged her to come in.
Further testing showed that the cancer had not spread, but doctors recommended surgery. Polizzi underwent a hysterectomy on July 31 after previously having a colposcopy and conization as part of the diagnostic and treatment process.
During the surgery, Polizzi said doctors removed her uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes along with some vaginal tissue to make sure the affected area had been addressed. Her ovaries were left in place so the operation would not immediately trigger surgical menopause.
Before making her Instagram announcement, Polizzi told People that doctors had successfully removed the cancer. “As of right now, I am cancer-free,” she said. “They got everything out. So I’m definitely happy that I did it.”
Her Hysterectomy Recovery Was More Difficult Than She Expected
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Polizzi documented much of the July procedure herself, including the fear she experienced before surgery and the difficult first stages of recovery afterward.
From her hospital bed, she admitted that the pain was worse than she had hoped. “I’m gonna be honest with you: not great,” she said in one update, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Nearly two months later, Polizzi says she is improving but still has to pay attention to her limits. She told People there are days when she does too much, becomes exhausted and begins experiencing pain again. “I’m finally starting to feel better,” she said. “I feel like I’m almost getting back to myself.”
Polizzi is partnering with F Cancer, a nonprofit focused on cancer prevention and early detection, and is scheduled to host the organization’s milestone 100th event at Academy Nightclub in Los Angeles on Sept. 23.
The event will also include Diplo, Dillon Francis and her longtime Jersey Shore castmate DJ Pauly D. Polizzi told People she is particularly looking forward to meeting others affected by cancer after initially feeling alone when she received her own diagnosis.