Jenna Fischer saw Hoda Kotb today after breast cancer surgery

Hoda Kotb was touched when she found out she was a part of it Jenna FischerThe journey to recovery from breast cancer.

“I'm recovering after my surgery, you know, I watched the Today show,” Fischer, 50, told Kotb, 60, during an interview on the Monday, October 21, episode Today. “I got out of bed and sat on the bench at the end of my bed with a cup of coffee and my big old pillow and I watched you and savannah (Guthrie) And Jenna (Bush Hager) and all the guys.”

Fischer said she knew Kotb was the person she would want to share her breast cancer story with if she had the chance. “I know there's a woman right now sitting with her pillow on a bench at the end of her bed wondering, 'What's next for me?'” she said. “And I just want to say 'no.' You'll get up from the bench, just like me. You will get your life back. You won't even believe the beauty and wonder that awaits you on this journey.'”

Fischer's sweet story sparked an emotional response from Kotb, who is also a breast cancer survivor. The presenter smiled as she placed her hand on her chest and appeared to wipe away tears during her conversation The office Alum. (Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007 and was officially cancer-free later that same year.)

Related: Stars who beat breast cancer: Linda Evangelista, Cynthia Nixon and more

Many celebrities have spoken out about their personal battles with breast cancer over the years. Julia Louis-Dreyfus made her breast cancer diagnosis public via Instagram in September 2017. Almost a year later, she had successfully beaten the disease and returned to work at Veep. “It sounds kind of cheesy, but there’s something about After (…)”

Fischer's meeting with Kotb Today It was the first time the actress opened up about her health since revealing her battle with breast cancer on Instagram earlier this month. In December 2023, she was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer after a “routine mammogram” that she had been putting off.

While you Today Fischer recalled breaking the news to her children, son Weston, 13, and daughter Harper, 10. “I wanted them to know that the way I appeared sick during this process were side effects of treatments,” she said. “It wasn't cancer that made me sick. They were side effects.”

She also praised her husband, Lee Kirkfor his support with her health problems. “A typical morning for us would be that we both get up in the morning, prepare school lunch and do the school drop-off,” explained Fischer. “But under the circumstances, the most I could do was go downstairs and sit at the table with a cup of coffee and he would do the rest.”

Related: 'The Office' Cast: Where Are They Now?

It's been nearly 20 years since viewers first followed the employees of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company on “The Office.” The sitcom, which premiered in March 2005, starred Steve Carell (Michael Scott), Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute), John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesley), Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin) and Mindy Kaling ( Kelly Kapoor), BJ Novak (Ryan (…)

Another person who knew about Fischer's battle with breast cancer was her ex The office Costar Angela Kinseywith whom she co-hosts the podcast “Office Ladies”. “From the beginning she said, 'Whatever you need, tell me.' “I’m here,” enthused Fischer. “And I said, 'I want to keep working and I don't want anyone at work to know. But at work I want this to be a space where we go and laugh, and I'm not a cancer patient. I need that.' And she said, 'Okay.'”

When Fischer began wearing baseball caps with attached wigs after losing her hair, Kinsey, 53, also began wearing hats so Fischer wouldn't feel alone.

Twelve rounds of chemotherapy later, Fischer is cancer-free. She told Kotb that battling cancer gave her a new perspective on life. “All the important things became clear so quickly. And I also have to say that I think the world, in all its peculiarities, is a beautiful place,” she said on Monday. “Even things that used to irritate me, I sometimes find charming, like just traffic.”