If you watch FOX News often, you may already know who Jeanine Pirro is. Pirro has made a name for herself as someone who isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. She is often seen on the network and has her own show on FOX called Justice with Judge Jeanine. But did you know that her mother died of pancreatic cancer and that she herself fought cancer?
When it comes to cancer, the 70-year-old TV star has been through a lot. And just recently, she told me that her cancer doctor had asked her to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
She declared, “I’m going to say this honestly,” while participating in a discussion on The Five, a Fox talk show. My oncologist recommended that I obtain the vaccine for COVID because of my malignancy. Both of them must be yours. This is what I did, therefore. His instructions were followed to a tee.
IMHO, Judge Jeanine sounds like a potential Biden voter. She also sounds tipsy, but she spells out that Trump’s America is currently a dumpster fire: scenes of mass death and illness; social unrest; a struggling economy.
We are supposed to reelect the guy who brought us here? pic.twitter.com/dpITIVLccF
— Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) July 26, 2020
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Pirro and Her Mother’s Cancer Battles
During an episode of Justice with Judge Jeanine in 2017, Pirro revealed that she had previously battled cancer.
I was told I had cancer in 2012. I avoided the topic altogether. Actually, you were completely unaware of it. Every weekend, I’d put on my show.
Not only was Pirro adamant about continuing to work while undergoing cancer treatment, but she was also adamant about keeping her fight a secret.
“As the chemotherapy treatments continued, I was on air talking to you without my eyebrows, eyelashes, and wearing a wig,” she explained.
However, this would not be the last time cancer would play a major role in Pirro’s life. Her mother’s prolonged fight with pancreatic cancer also affected her deeply. On March 2nd, 2019, she left us at the age of 90.
Her mother was “my muse, my hero,” Pirro wrote in her obituary. I’m very sad since I’ve lost my best friend. My mother was a victim advocate long before it became cool to do so. She had a major impact on me and everyone else she met. People who were helpless were in her care, and she tended to their needs. Fighting for the underdog is what she instilled in me.
Working through Cancer Treatment
Hearing you have cancer can alter your entire outlook. It is up to you to decide how you want to spend your time while undergoing treatment. Some people, like Pirro, value their careers extremely highly. If you want to keep working during treatment, whether it’s to help pay the bills, keep you sane, or because you enjoy your job, it’s crucial to attempt to work out a schedule that works for you. And if you’d rather not work, know that there are resources available to assist you in making that transition.
SurvivorNet previously interviewed Laurie Ostacher, a social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation, on her work assisting people in determining their employment options following a cancer diagnosis.
According to her, “some women prefer to continue working [during cancer] because working is an important part of their identity, they enjoy the job, and there’s flexibility built in.” People come to me for advice on whether or not they should have a job, and I help them weigh the pros and cons. Whether you don’t want to, but are concerned about paying your bills, we may discuss your disability insurance and see if this is a viable option.
Ostacher also discussed the kinds of questions she might ask to get people thinking about their careers in the context of cancer treatment.
When women make the decision to enter the workforce, I advise them on the kinds of discussions they should have with their companies. Which depends on how much background you want to give them. How would you describe the ideal work schedule for yourself? Where do you think you might need some leeway?” she said.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to working while battling cancer; do what seems right for you and use helpful sites like Ostacher if you need guidance.
Keeping a Cancer Battle Private
The struggle against cancer is an especially private subject because of the importance it holds in a person’s life. It’s for this reason that some people, like Pirro, want to keep their health problems private.
Actress Kelly Preston, who was married to actor John Travolta, likewise chose to remain private about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment until her death last summer at age 57. The fact that she had cancer and had recently passed away came as a shock to many.
Travolta, now 67, announced his wife’s death by saying he, like his late wife, would take a modest, private path through grief. The actor wrote on Instagram, “Forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a long as I need to be there for my children who have lost their mother. In the coming weeks and months, while we recover, I will feel your outpouring of affection.
Actor Stanley Tucci has also recently spoken publicly for the first time about his three-year battle with tongue cancer. Helen McCroy, the actress and wife of actor Damien Lewis, died in April at the age of 52 following an internal fight with cancer.
Different people decide whether or not to tell others about their cancer diagnosis for various reasons. Marquina Iliev-Piselli feels compelled to express her discomfort with the burden of news-sharing.
It was “quite a load” to decide “when and who to notify,” she told SurvivorNet. So, you’ll have to keep telling the same story over and over again.
This fact alone provides ample justification for keeping one’s cancer diagnosis private, though the ultimate decision rests with the individual affected. Also, keep in mind that there is no single “correct” approach to dealing with cancer.