Exactly three weeks after undergoing a double mastectomy, Good Morning America reporter Amy Robach returned to her post in front of the show's cameras yesterday. She then proceeded to sit down with anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Josh Elliot and give an uber-personal update on how she's doing in the wake of the serious procedure.
"I am feeling really good," the 40-year-old shared. "Physically, I feel remarkably well. Mentally, it's another challenge because that was phase one … that's the first step … but mentally I think is the toughest part of this. There are days where if you really start to let your mind wander, it's really devastating. But you keep your head together, you come into work, you hug your friends, and you're thankful to be where you are with your family and the people who matter."
Wow, her candor and gratitude are incredibly admirable!
Amy has been especially forthcoming about the dark side of her battle — not just on GMA, but in a revealing feature in People magazine. In the cover story, Amy noted that her next step is chemotherapy, which will begin December 16. She explained:
I made the choice to have the double mastectomy, and for me it felt like the right choice and it turned out to be the right choice.
That's because during surgery, the mom of five found out that she had another malignant tumor that was undetected by the mammogram and tests she previously underwent. Amy also found out that her cancer had spread to another lymph node after waking up from her November 14 operation.
She elaborated to People:
It's going to be a crappy year, and then, I'll be on drugs for probably the next 10 years, and there are other issues down the road that we're discussing and we're dealing with. It's about being vigilant and taking care of myself. … I'll be honest: there have been a couple of nights where I've sobbed myself to sleep.
Ugh, as absolutely heartwrenching as that is to hear, I'm sure Amy realizes that the more open and real she is about her own incredibly brave struggle, the more awareness and information she's sure to spread — to women who are currently facing the disease or may have yet to be diagnosed. After all, that's precisely why she made a point to reveal her diagnosis early on and urge viewers to get life-saving mammograms as she did.
As devastatingly difficult as her battle sounds, Amy's gratitude for life and pervading optimism in her darkest hour truly is inspiring. No doubt it'll give many women in the same boat hope.
What has inspired you about Amy Robach's journey?