‘This journey’s been rough for me’

Nicole Eggert revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last month in December, and admitted that the ‘journey’s been rough for me.’ 

The Baywatch star, 51 – who made her first public appearance in 18 months last year in June – opened up about her health battle during an interview with People published on Monday. 

The actress stated that after gaining around 25 pounds and feeling pain in her left breast beginning in October, she underwent a mammogram and three biopsies – which resulted in a diagnosis of stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer.

While initially she assumed her symptoms were due to menopause, she ‘immediately’ got in touch with the doctor when she felt a lump after doing a self exam. 

‘It really was throbbing and hurting,’ Nicole explained. ‘I immediately went to my general practitioner and she told me I had to immediately go get it looked at.’ 

However, she added, ‘the problem was I just couldn’t get an appointment. Everything was booked. So I had to wait until the end of November to get it done.’

Eggert – who is mother to two daughters – admitted to the outlet, ‘This journey’s been rough for me.’ 

‘This hasn’t been a breezy sail through life,’ the actress said, adding that she has been focusing on positivity. ‘I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through.’ 

Nicole revealed that her next steps is to have surgery to remove the cancer, and to also undergo chemotherapy and radiation. The star added that it is currently not clear if the cancer has spread. 

In regards to the lump, she explained, ‘I can definitely feel it. It’s there. It needs to be taken out. So it’s just a matter of do I have to do treatment before the surgery or can they perform the surgery and then I do the treatment after.’ 

Eggert got candid about the difficulty of waiting, expressing, ‘I have panics where I’m like, just get this out of me.’ 

‘You sit there and it’s in you and you’re like, every second that passes and it’s inside of me. It’s growing, and you’re just like, you just want it out.’ 

Nicole is mother to daughters Dilyn, 25, and Keegan, 12, and admitted that her ‘biggest fear’ is no longer being there for her children. 

She explained that while Dilyn is ‘an adult,’ the actress also has ‘a 12-year-old at home where I’m the only caregiver. I have no family. I have nothing.’

The Blown Away actress recalled the moment when she told her children of her breast cancer diagnosis, and remembered ‘the horror’ on Keegan’s face. 

‘It immediately made me realize, there’s just no succumbing to this. This is something I have to get through. This is something that I have to beat. She needs me more than anything and anybody.’ 

The star – who is a single mother – told People that financially, it has not been easy. 

‘My fear is that my everyday hustle, everything that I do to keep everything going is going to come to a screeching halt when I’m not feeling well or I’m sick or I’m in the hospital or whatever is going on.’ 

Nicole continued, ‘It’s just so overwhelming, and I’m just doing everything I can not to spiral.’

‘At night when I lay down, I panic because I’m like, “Well, who’s going to cover all the bills? Who’s going to do all of this?”‘ 

Eggert’s close friend, Mindy Molinary, has set up a GoFundMe for Nicole to help the star with finances as her health battle begins. 

The actress has shared a link to the page on her social media accounts, including Instagram. 

In the caption alongside a photo of her with her two daughters, she penned, ‘Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.’

‘If we believe tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. – Thich Nhat Hnah. Link in bio- Please read and Please share.’ 

She also sent gratitude towards her friend’s assistance while talking to the publication and revealed that has plans to start a non-profit organization after her recovery. 

‘I absolutely 100% want to start a non-profit for other single parents such as myself, who don’t have any family, don’t have anybody to turn to.’ 

‘They take on all this by themselves because they love their kids so much, but when something happens to them, then what?’ Nicole added.

Real Housewives alum, Bethenny Frankel, shared a screenshot of the GoFundMe page on her Instagram stories and wrote, ‘As a mother this breaks my heart…’

‘I donated to this cause. As someone with no parental support, it’s been scary to be out there alone. To be responsible for girls, scared not to be able to put a roof over their head much less not be there for them is terrifying.’ 

‘Then to have no earning power…it’s all horrific. Spread the word. Make a small donation,’ she informed her followers, adding that people close to her have also matched her donation. 

‘The name of this game is paying it forward. I don’t even know her but now my heart is breaking for her and those little girls…Xoxo.’

After facing financial struggles in the past, such as filing for bankruptcy for a third time in 2013, the star notably started a new venture in 2014 by becoming a driver for her own ice cream truck. 

Nicole notably portrayed the role of Roberta “Summer” Quinn on the hit series, Baywatch, for its third and fourth seasons. 

She also starred in Charles In Charge from 1987 through 1990, and played the character of Jamie Powell.