Nicole Eggert, who appeared in popular television series Baywatch, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 51-year-old spoke to People Magazine and said she was diagnosed with stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer in early December. Ms Eggert said after gaining 51 pounds (11.3 kg) in three months, "terrible pain" in her left breast and a lump during a self-exam, she decided to visit a doctor who made the terrible diagnosis. The actor had initially assumed that these were symptoms of menopause.
"It really was throbbing and hurting. I immediately went to my general practitioner and she told me I had to immediately go get it looked at. But 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," Ms Eggert told People.
She then underwent diagnostic mammography and three biopsies and reports came back positive for cancer.
"This journey's been rough for me. This hasn't been a breezy sale through life. I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through," she further told the outlet.
Ms Eggert said she is now waiting for her oncologist to tell her when the chemotherapy and radiation will start. She added she currently doesn't know if the cancer has spread to other parts of her body.
"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," said Ms Eggert.
Apart from Baywatch, she also starred in television series Charles In Charge.
One of her friends has set up a GoFundMe page to fund Ms Eggert's treatment as "it's been a long time since Charles In Charge and Baywatch".
She has two daughters - Keegan, 12, and Dilyn, 25.
