Title: Tina Knowles Opens Up About Past Breast Cancer, Beyoncé’s Support
Content: Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, is spilling the tea about her health.
In her new book, “Matriarch: A Memoir,” which came out on April 22, Knowles spilled the beans that she had breast cancer before. Knowles admitted she found out about her diagnosis during a mammogram appointment that she kept postponing for years.
“My doctor was like, ‘Girl, you got breast cancer.’ A little tumor in my left boob was cancerous; the big tumor in my right boob was chill, but it had to go too,” she spilled in her memoir.
“She said I was Stage 1A, telling me I was gonna be okay. The next step was chatting with an oncologist and a breast surgeon. ‘We caught this early,’ she said. ‘You’re gonna be fine,'” Knowles kept on.
Knowles confessed she was scared to tell Beyoncé at night because she knew her daughter wouldn’t be able to sleep, so she waited until morning.
“She took it like a champ, staying positive, and I could tell her brain was already in overdrive, ready to tackle this,” she shared about Beyoncé’s reaction to her cancer news.
“She was like, ‘I got you, mom. I’m finding you the best doctor, and you better get a second opinion on whatever treatment plan they suggest,'” Knowles added.
Knowles spilled that her daughter lined up a top breast surgeon for her to see privately. She remembered vibing with the private surgeon immediately. A few days later, she met with a hospital surgeon and then an oncologist, who wasn’t feeling her questions and made her feel bummed out and confused.
This experience made Knowles realize the importance of a second opinion.
“I decided I wasn’t rolling with the hospital surgeon who was condescending. I went with the private surgeon, the one who gave me hope. She suggested a different oncologist at the hospital, someone she thought I’d click with better,” she explained.
“That’s the lesson I want to share: Even if I had stuck with the hospital surgeon, I could have asked for a different oncologist,” Knowles kept on. “A lot of folks, especially Black people, feel like they have to stick with the doctor they’re given even if they’re treated poorly. You deserve second opinions, and your opinion is what matters.”
After the surgery, which also included a breast reduction, Knowles reported she was cancer-free. She said she crashed at Beyoncé’s place so her fam could take care of her.
“The Carter house is always buzzing,” she said.
Knowles revealed she was back on her feet in time for Glamour’s 2024 Women of the Year event in October, where she was getting an award. It was during this event, while accepting the award and seeing her daughters’ faces in the crowd, that she had an “aha moment.”
“‘They are my ride-or-dies,'” Knowles remembered saying about her daughters during her speech. “‘They have been there for me through thick and thin… and they cheered me on at the best times of my life. They make me feel like I can do anything.'”
“Matriarch: A Memoir” is Oprah’s latest book club pick. In a statement released on April 22, Oprah Winfrey praised Knowles’ book.
“You might know Tina Knowles as Beyoncé’s mom, but she’s also a boss lady, fashion designer, philanthropist, and now an author of this juicy memoir about her path to success,” she gushed.
“We see how the strength and wisdom of the women before her fueled Tina’s drive to succeed and helped her raise her daughters into the fierce women they are today,” Winfrey added.
In the same statement, Knowles shared her thrill over Oprah endorsing her book.
“Having Oprah give my book her stamp of approval, and knowing she enjoyed it, was everything,” she said. “I mean, it’s Oprah!! She rules, especially when it comes to books. When I found out my book was gonna be a pick for her club, I thought I was in heaven.”
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