Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Snuggles Son Angelo in Hospital Bed amid Hysterectomy Recovery: ‘What a Journey This Has Been’

Cara Lynn ShultzMon, August 17, 2026 at 7:21 PM UTC

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Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and son AngeloCredit: Nicole "Snooki"/Instagram -

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi is recovering from a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer earlier this year

The Jersey Shore star has been candid about her recovery process, sharing updates on pain management and emotional challenges

Polizzi hopes to raise awareness about cervical cancer and encourage women to prioritize regular pap smears

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi is leaning on her family — and her sense of humor — while she is on the mend from a hysterectomy.

“What a journey this has been 🙏🏽,” the Jersey Shorestar, 38, captioned a carousel of photos shared to Instagram on Sunday, Aug. 16, which documented her ongoing recovery. The mom of three underwent a hysterectomy six months after she was diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer.

In her post, Polizzi included an image of herself snuggling with her youngest son, 7-year-old Angelo, in her hospital bed. Polizzi also shares son Lorenzo, 13, and daughter Giovanna, 11, with husband Jionni LaValle.

In another photo, Polizzi posted a picture of a crocheted pink uterus between a pair of socks, both with the cheeky message, “I’ve got 99 problems, but a uterus ain’t one.” She also shared photos of herself snuggling with her dog, Rocky, and her parents, Helen and Andrew Polizzi.

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi shares cheeky socks and a crotcheted uterus following her hysterectomyCredit: Nicole "Snooki"/Instagram

The reality TV star has been transparent about her medical journey, admitting at times that the process was painful and slow going.  Recovery after a hysterectomy usually takes four to six weeks, per the Cleveland Clinic. As Polizzi explained in a caption over a selfie shared to her Instagram Stories, “It’s literally going to take the whole 6 weeks.”

She posted another update while walking Rocky, saying, “I’m a hot mess.”

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“Hystersisters: Easier to walk around, but know my limits,” she shared. “Night time is still the worse with pain and being able to sleep.”

Snooki has been documenting her health struggle, which began in January when her doctors discovered cancerous cells in her cervix. The next month, she revealed she’d been diagnosed with cancer. As she explained, in an Instagram video, “It’s a scary thing and a lot of us women deal with it, and no one really talks about it. So I’m here to give that platform for all of us ladies.”

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“I read a lot of your comments that some of you are going to get surgery next week, you’re doing the same thing, so I’m here to show you what’s up and it’s scary, and it’s okay to be scared,” she continued. “But now it’s over. It’s over. I just have to deal with the pain. It’s just like any surgery. You have pain, you gotta manage it, manage it, get the pain meds, and in a couple of days, you’ll feel brand spanking new, no more periods. I don’t have to take birth control anymore. Hopefully I’ll be cancer free, and that’s it.”

And as she told her followers, “I love you. Thanks for being here. And get your Pap smears, okay?”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”