Maria Menounos Leaves E! News Following Brain Tumor Surgery
On Monday, it was announced that Maria Menounos will be stepping down from her position as an anchor on E! News after having recently undergone surgery to remove a golf-ball sized brain tumor.
Speaking to People magazine, the 39-year-old revealed that she was first diagnosed with brain tumor back in February. Ironically, she had been taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer at the time of her own diagnosis. It was also during this time that the TV and radio host started to experience the same symptoms as her mother.
"I'd been getting lightheaded on set and having headaches. My speech had gotten slurred and I was having difficulty reading the teleprompter." She told the magazine.
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But rather than sulk, she found humor in their situation. "I didn't cry. I actually laughed. It's so surreal and crazy and unbelievable that my mom has a brain tumor, and now I have one too?" She said.
After her diagnosis, Menounos quickly sought the help of her mother's doctor, famed surgeon Dr. Keith L. Black, and was scheduled for a June 8 surgery -- the same day as her 39th birthday. Her fiance, Keven Undergaro, whom she has been with for 19 years, supported her all the way.
After the surgery, Dr. Black was able to remove 99.9 percent of the golf-ball sized meningioma brain tumor which he was certain was benign. However, the doctor did warn Menounos that there is a six to seven percent chance that the tumor might return.
Menounos is currently recovering in the comforts of her home. With her diagnosis and treatment, Menounos ultimately decided it would be best to leave E! News where she had been an anchor since 2015.
"I don't have my balance fully yet but as long as I'm holding on to Keven, I'm sturdy and fine. My face is still numb. This is something that takes at least a month of healing, but I'm getting stronger and stronger every day and I'll be back to normal very soon," she revealed during the interview.
