As Maria Menounos’ mother struggled through brain cancer, the E! News co-host discovered she was facing a serious health crisis of her own.
In a cover story for People magazine’s latest issue, Maria Menounos confirmed she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery to have the tumor removed on her birthday, June 8.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Keith L. Black, who also works with Maria Menounos’ mother, operated on the television host for seven hours and removed 99.9 percent of the benign tumor. However, it was reportedly another doctor who discovered the tumor.
On Twitter, Maria Menounos revealed more details about the process of finding the tumor.
“A huge, huge thank you to someone who didn’t get mentioned but literally saved my life [Dr. Ryan Aronin],” she wrote . “You were so thorough [and] thank [you] for not making me feel like I was crazy to think I had a Brain tumor.”
Maria Menounos experienced headaches and slurred speech in the months leading up to her shocking diagnosis.
“You are an outstanding [doctor and] I’m so thankful [for you] sending me [for] the MRI,” she added .
Maria Menounos also took to Twitter on July 3 to thank her employers, including the E! Network and Sirus XM for being understanding of her situation and allowing her time to prepare and recover from her surgery.
Maria Menounos stepped down from her role on E! News when her diagnosis was shared. She had been with the network for three years.
Maria Menounos has been active on both Twitter and Instagram in the weeks since her surgery and her longtime partner, Keven Undergaro, has as well. That said, Undergaro has not yet spoken out about Menounos’ brain tumor. Instead, he’s stayed silent on Twitter and Instagram in the hours since the news broke.
Amid her own struggles, Maria Menounos has remained dedicated to her mother, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and often shares photos of Litsa online. In her latest photo of her mother, Maria Menounos is seen kissing her mom on the side of her head.
In Undergaro’s latest photo of Litsa, she’s seen holding a white poodle as she lounges in a white leather chair with wiring hooked up to her scalp.
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]