>>> WERE BACK NOW WITH A "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE AND "TODAY" EXCLUSIVE. LONGTIME ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST MARIA MENOUNOS IS OPENING UP ABOUT HER HEALTH BATTLE. >> MARIA HAS ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN HER 44 YEARS, COVERING HOLLYWOOD, IN FACT, FOR A WHILE, FOR "TODAY" AND OTHER SHOWS. SHE'S EVEN TAKEN A SPIN ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS." ALONG THE WAY, SHE HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT HER HEALTH. SHE HAS SINCE RECOVERED FOR THAT. NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, SHE'S REVEALING HER STAGE II PANCREATIC CANCER DIAGNOSIS. >> BUT THE GREAT NEWS IS SHE SAYS GOD GRANTED HER A MIRACLE. NOT ONLY IS SHE CANCER FREE, BUT HE'S ALSO EXPECTING HER FIRST BABY. MARIA, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, MARIA. >> SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> YOU LOOK WONDERFUL. AND HERE'S THE THING. YOU ARE LIVING PROOF OF LISTENING TO YOUR BODY, WHEN YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG. ALSO A CAUTIONARY TALE, BECAUSE WE HEAR SO MANY TIMES HOW DOCTORS SOMETIMES DISMISS ESPECIALLY ABOUT WHAT WOMEN ARE SAYING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. >> THAT'S DEFINITELY A PROBLEM I HEAR A LOT, THAT WOMEN FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT HEARD. BUT ALSO, DOCTORS AREN'T GOD. THEY'RE PEOPLE, TOO. AND THEY'RE REALLY BUSY, THEY'RE REALLY OVERWHELMED. YOU KNOW HOW HARD THEY'VE HAD IT SINCE COVID. SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING YOUR OWN DOCTOR. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE THE BRAIN TUMOR. YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES. FOR ME, IT'S FEEL SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING. THEN KEEP DOING THE SOMETHING UNTIL SOMEONE TELLS YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT HEALTH, LIKE I'M THE COACH OF THE TEAM, I'M NOT GOING TO PUT MY QUARTERBACK IN DEFENSE. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT MY DEFENSE ON OFFENSE. I KNOW WHO MY TEAM IS. I HAVE A EASTERN MEDICINE, WESTERN MEDICINE, NATUROPATH. SHE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF EVERYTHING. GOD BLESS HER, I LOVE HER SO MUCH. SHE'LL PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER WITH ME. BUT STILL, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER WITH THIS. IT WAS SO HARD, BECAUSE PANCREATIC CANCER IS REALLY KIND OF ASYMPTOMATIC, THEY SAY. SO FOR ME, I KEPT FEELING THIS THROBBING IN MY UPPER LEFT. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS, LIKE, HOW DID SHE KNOW? WHAT ARE THE EARLY SIGNS? AND SO, YOU KNOW, MONDAY, I'M GOING TO GO LIVE ON MY SHOW JUST TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. SO THE TMI IS, LOOSE STOOL. I HAD DIARRHEA FOR LIKE A MONTH AND A HALF. I DID ALL THE STOOL TESTS, NOTHING CAME BACK. FOR THIS PANCREATIC CANCER, THERE IS BLOOD TESTS THAT WILL TEST WHAT HORMONES YOUR BODY WAS SECRETING AND THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WILL HAVE. MINE WASN'T SECRETING ANYTHING. I HAD THIS THROBBING, THEN I HAD BOUTS OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN. AND THEN IT WOULD GO AWAY. NOW, NORMALLY, IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE, BEFORE I WAS FOCUSED ON MY HEALTH, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, COOL, IT'S OVER WITH, GET BACK TO WORK. I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON. I KEPT TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. MY MOM CAME THROUGH THIS WOMAN, ALINA, AND SAID, GET TO THIS SCREENING. SO THE OTHER MESSAGE IS, IF THE PAIN CONTINUES TO PERSIST, GO TO AN OUTSIDE FACILITY LIKE THIS AND GET AN OUTSIDE MRI, BECAUSE THEY'RE INCENTIVIZED TO FIND SOMETHING. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE, I KNOW IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. SO I AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THIS COVERED BY INSURANCE FOR PEOPLE. AND I'M GOING TO GET IT COVERED FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE AN ANNUAL SCAN. >> IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU COVER ON HEEL SQUAD? >> YEAH. >> FOR ME, I KNOW INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL BE INCENTIVIZED TO CATCH SOMETHING AT STAGE I WARN STAGE IV. IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE. WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS DONE. MY FRIEND WAS THE CEO OF RALLY HEALTH. I WAS AN AMBASSADOR FOR HIM FOR YEARS. I WAS LIKE, YOU'RE THE MAN TO DO THIS JOB. BUT THIS IS WHAT STEVE JOBS PASSED OF. SO HE -- HE WAITED APPARENTLY A LITTLE LONG TO GET TREATMENT. SO THIS IS WHERE WESTERN MEDICINE COMES IN AND SAVES. YOU GET IT OUT. >> YOU'VE GOT A BABY DUE THIS SUMMER VIA SURROGATE, BUT CAN WE GIVE YOUR FATHER A LITTLE LOVE THIS MORNING? YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. TAKE ME BACK TO THAT MOMENT, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE FOR YOUR FATHER WHAT THIS HAS BEEN LIKE. YOU WERE ABLE TO TELL HIM, DAD, I'M CANCER FREE. >> YEAH, SO THIS IS ME TELLING HIM THAT I WAS CANCER FREE. MY HUSBAND WAS CAPTURING THIS. WE HAD JUST GOT HOME FROM DR. DONOHUE'S OFFICE. AND YOU CAN SEE, HE'S LIKE SO EMOTIONAL. HE REALLY HELD IT TOGETHER THROUGH ALL OF THIS. HE WAS SUCH -- SO MY ROCK, AND JUST TOOK CARE OF ME, COOKED ME AMAZING HEALTHY FOOD EVERY DAY. LOVED ON ME. AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HIM. OBVIOUSLY, MY HUSBAND, BY THE WAY, GETS NO CREDIT, BUT HONEY, YOU'RE AMAZING. HE SLEPT IN THE HOSPITAL WITH ME EVERY NIGHT. >> HOW DO YOU FEEL? >> THERE HE IS! >> THERE'S YOUR HUBBY. >> THAT TIME WITH MY DAD WAS LIKE THE CRAZIEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL BLESSING. WE GOT TO SPEND QUALITY TIME. HONEY, I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH ME AND TAKING CARE OF ME, TOO. >> HOW ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW? HOW DO YOU FEEL -- YOU SEEM SO POSITIVE THROUGH EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH. >> I DON'T LOOK AT IT AS A COLLECTIVE. YOUR PRODUCERS ARE LIKE, HOW DO YOU FEEL BLESSED, YOU HAVE HAD ALL OF THIS CRAZY STUFF HAPPEN TO YOU. I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT. I LOOK AT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF ME. AND I KNOW GOD IS GUIDING ME AND PROTECTING ME AT ALL TIMES. SO WHEN IT GETS ROCKY, I GO BACK TO MY FAITH. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS HAPPENING FOR ME, NOT TO ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE END TO THE STORY IS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THERE. I DID FOR A MINUTE, WE ALL DO. AND I WAS REALLY, REALLY SCARED, MOSTLY BECAUSE I HAD A BABY COMING. BUT I KNOW GOD HAS A PLACE FOR ME. AND I KNOW THAT MY MISSION IS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR HEALTH. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO DO MY PODCAST EVERY DAY, BECAUSE I GET TO LIVE MY PETITION. >> AND YOU SAID IT, YOU HAVE A BABY COMING. >> AND I'M GOING TO GET TO MEET HER! >> I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET HER, TOO, MARIA. >> I KNOW. >> THANK YOU, MARIA! >>> FOR MORE ON MARIA'S STORY, YOU CAN PICK UP
