Jen Arnold of TLC’s The Little Couple has been battling a rare form of cancer. After enduring months of weekly chemotherapy treatments she is thrilled to announce that her cancer is in remission.
“I had my official last chemo treatment,” says Arnold, 39. “And while I’m hesitant to say I’m cancer-free – maybe that’s common for people who have had cancer – I’m doing great. Everything is moving in the right direction. I am very excited.”
The doctor, wife and mother of two spent much of the past few months feeling sick and exhausted.
“It actually got harder as more time went on,” Arnold says. “Some weeks were more difficult than others with different side effects. I had a lot of fatigue and nausea and some days it just felt like my hands and feet were very heavy.”
Arnold was diagnosed with stage 3 choriocarcinoma–a rare form of cancer. Now that she is in remission, she will undergo weekly blood tests to stay on top of things should her cancer return. Once she has had several weeks of good news from these blood tests she will graduate to monthly testing instead. Most cancers like the one Jen Arnold suffered from return within the first 18 months if they recur at all. She will be closely monitored by her doctor throughout the next year and a half because of that.
Jen Arnold credits her husband and The Little Couple costar–Bill Klein–for helping her survive those most difficult days during chemotherapy treatments.
“Bill knows when I’m not doing well and he takes such good care of me,” she says. “That was huge. That and enjoying watching my children play was a huge uplifting part of my treatment. With kids running around, you don’t have much time to feel sorry for yourself.”
She shared the exciting news of her cancer’s remission on Tuesday–World Cancer Day.
great day to share our good news of beating cancer! grateful for the outpouring of support.Good night all! #WorldCancerDay @peoplemag
— Jennifer Arnold, MD (@JenArnoldMD) February 5, 2014
Arnold is a neonatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, and while she hasn’t returned to her job full time, she is getting ready to ease back into her role as a doctor.
“Sometimes I get a little winded when I walk around more and I have that fuzzy chemo brain at times, but I am very excited and happy to be where I am right now,” she says. “I want to get stuff done. I am anxious to get back to my normal self.”
Fans of The Little Couple star are no doubt thrilled to hear her good news and will hold their breath along with Jen Arnold as she undergoes each weekly and then monthly blood test, praying her cancer remains in remission until that wonderful day when she is deemed cancer free.
Image via Twitter