Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is receiving plenty of love from her family as she continues recovering from her recent hysterectomy.
The Jersey Shore star, 38, shared an emotional health update on Instagram on Sunday, August 16, giving followers a glimpse at her recovery and the family members who have been supporting her along the way.
“What a journey this has been 🙏🏽,” Snooki wrote alongside a collection of photos documenting the experience.
One particularly sweet photo showed Snooki lying in a hospital bed while cuddling with her youngest son, Angelo, 7. The reality star is also mom to son Lorenzo, 13, and daughter Giovanna, 11, whom she shares with husband Jionni LaValle.
Her parents, Helen and Andrew Polizzi, also appeared in the update after visiting their daughter at the hospital.
Snooki later shared glimpses of her recovery at home, including a cozy moment with her dog Rocky. Angelo appeared again in another photo while holding a camera.
The MTV personality also brought some humor to the difficult experience, showing off a crocheted pink uterus and socks featuring the message, “I’ve got 99 problems, but a uterus ain’t one.”
Several members of her Jersey Shore family offered support. Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Deena Cortese were among those who responded to the post with heart emojis.
The surgery came months after Snooki revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage I cervical cancer earlier this year.
According to the supplied story, she received the diagnosis in April and underwent a hysterectomy four months later as part of her treatment plan.
Snooki has been candid with followers about the challenges of her recovery. Shortly after surgery, she acknowledged that she was struggling with significant pain and described the early days of healing as especially difficult.
She explained that the procedure involved removing her uterus and cervix as part of the effort to address her cancer diagnosis. Snooki also said her surgeon preserved her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Despite the difficult recovery, Snooki said she was doing her best to remain positive.
“I’m doing my best and I’m trying to stay optimistic,” she shared while discussing the early stages of her recovery.
Now, surrounded by her children, parents, pets and supportive friends, the reality star appears to be taking her recovery one day at a time — with Angelo proving to be one particularly sweet source of comfort.
