Danielle Fishel Thanks Fans for Support After Announcing Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Danielle Fishel is feeling the love after sharing her breast cancer diagnosis.
“I wanted to do a quick video to say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, and from my entire family, for the enormous outpouring of love and support and encouragement you have sent me since I announced my breast cancer diagnosis,” Fishel, 43, said via a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday, August 20.
The Boy Meets World alum noted that she’s choosing to talk about her diagnosis publicly because she knows “how important it is in my case that I found my cancer when I did, and I found it very early.” Fishel noted that her cancer is “non-invasive and stage zero.”
“The only reason we found it that early is because I prioritized myself into making sure I got a mammogram,” she said. “And I know how important that is now first hand. So I wanted to pass along that message.”
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Fishel added that she’s been hearing from “so many” of her followers that they have made mammogram appointments or have “pressured your mother to make her mammogram appointment” since breaking the news of her own diagnosis.
“This isn’t just woman specific,” Fishel said. “Men, stay on top of your testing as well. If you have those yearly exams that you’re supposed to be getting, go and get them. Nobody ever wants to get news, ‘Hey, your test results were abnormal.’ Nobody wants that.”
She continued, “But if you stay on top of that, hopefully, God willing, you can found out you have something when it is stage zero like I did. I just really wanted to say thank you so much for the love and support, I appreciate it more than you could ever know.”
Fishel captioned the upload, “Thank you! Love you all.”
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Fishel revealed her diagnosis during the Monday, August 19, episode of her podcast, “Pod Meets World,” which she cohosts alongside former Boy Meets World costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong.
“I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer,” Fishel said. “It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage zero. To be specific, just because I like too much information all the time, I was diagnosed with high-grade DCIS with micro-invasion.”
Fishel noted that she’s “having surgery to remove it,” adding, “I’m going to be on some follow-up treatment.”
Following her announcement, Strong and Friedle both showed their support for their cohost. “It’s mind boggling. Right now, my wife and I know four people — four friends — who are dealing with breast cancer,” Strong, 44, said, while Friedle, 48, added, “For men, too, prostate exams and colonoscopies … don’t put them off.”
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Friedle continued: “We’re so glad you didn’t [put it off] because you are going to be fine. You might have some sucky days, but we’re here for you.”
After sharing the news, Fishel’s husband, Jensen Karp, praised her for being vulnerable. “I’m so proud of @daniellefishel for using her platform to raise awareness,” he wrote via his Instagram Story on Monday, while sharing an article about her health condition. “We can’t miss appointments and we need to get checked.”
Karp concluded, “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s got this.”
