ESPN host Molly Qerim has encouraged people with a health scare to "not give up" after recently undergoing surgery for endometriosis.
The 'First Take' panelist opened up on the "very private" health issue in a social media post this week, hailing her surgeon as "a miracle in my life" after putting an end to more than 12 years of suffering since being diagnosed with the condition when she was 26-years-old.
The Mayo Clinic describes the disease as "an often-painful condition where tissue similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus," often affecting the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. In 2018, Qerim, now 40, opened up some of the symptoms she'd experienced from having endometriosis, such as fatigue, pelvic pain and bloating.
Now, she has taken to Instagram to reveal her recent successful surgery, in which she shared a rare public comment on the "very private" issue. Qerim wrote: "March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. I really hesitated on posting this, b/c I'm a very private person…but if I can help even 1 person…it's worth it.
"Dr Kanayama, you are an answer to 12 years of prayer. THANK YOU. You are a miracle in my life, and more miracles to come," she said, adding: "And for anyone dealing with a health scare right now, please don't give up…keep advocating for yourself and know you can be fully restored, regardless of what the medical report says. Better days are ahead."
Qerim also posted a photo of herself with the surgeon, Dr. Masahide Kanayama, and shared a message from him, in which he described the surgery as "super difficult and delicate." He also wrote: "Now my prayer is your smooth recovery!"
In a 2018 interview with The Blossom, the online magazine of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, the former NFL AM host revealed that managing her Endometriosis had "almost become a second job", saying: "I have to really be diligent about getting my sleep, getting eight hours a night, limiting alcohol and sugar, getting acupuncture once a week. Exercising, meditation. I really implement all of that to keep the inflammation down and keep me feeling like I can be 'on' all the time.
"The [on-air] light comes on, and I need to be on. When you're on morning television, people want to see happy, positive people, and my job is 24/7. So in my offtime, it became more about taking care of myself, than maybe other things I would normally do on the weekends."
Qerim also disclosed that she rarely drinks alcohol and tries to avoid processed foods, while also sharing her "challenging" journey to discovering she had the disease. She claims that she "didn't realize anything was wrong with me", and that she would have no energy even after a full night's sleep.
In October, Qerim was absent from her usual First Take hosting duties for a week, although the reason for her absence has never been confirmed. Nonetheless, she appears to be back on the up following her successful surgery, and fans can look forward to seeing her back on screens very soon.
