NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Danielle Breezy is no stranger to you, however, for the first time, she is getting fully transparent and honest with her health. As chief meteorologist at WKRN News Channel 2, she is often calming and reassuring during Tennessee’s most chaotic weather moments. From guiding viewers through tornado threats, winter storms, and long stretches of unpredictable weather, her job is public-facing, high-stakes, and relentless, especially when severe conditions grip the region.
But this winter, just weeks after appearing on the Nashville Fit Magazine cover alongside her husband Joe Breezy, Danielle found herself navigating a very different kind of storm, one that had nothing to do with the weather. Now she is sharing how she listened to her body after years of pain and dismissal, ultimately saving her and thousands of other women.
Endometriosis.
A chronic condition where tissue grows outside the uterus, commonly affecting the ovaries, fallopian tube and the pelvic area, causing intense pain and fertility issues.
As she prepared to return to air amid a potentially historic winter storm, Breezy was also still in recovery from a laparoscopic hysterectomy. This condition affects millions of women yet remains widely misunderstood and under-discussed.
To Danielle, she wants to help start that conversation.
For Danielle, severe weather coverage doesn’t come with the luxury of waiting until conditions are ideal or schedules are convenient. The same goes for women experiencing life-changing ailments that need to be attended to as soon as possible.
Long before surgery became part of the conversation, Danielle had sensed something wasn’t right.
“I think I always had an inkling something was off,” she said. “I had periods and then they just disappeared on me. So I would go like a year without them.”
Doctors initially worked to regulate her cycle with the use of birth control, however, the underlying issue remained unresolved. The bullet on a band-aid was becoming a lot more evident and Danielle knew she needed to dig deeper.
Since being on birth control for over 20 years, Danielle says that was merely only a quick fix.
“I always had a lot of pain when I was going through a menstrual cycle,” Breezy said. “The cramping, it was really heavy duty, and I just felt like something was off.”
About 6 years ago, Danielle’s questions finally had answers. Despite normal imaging results, her providers pushed for answers.
After an exploratory surgical procedure, Danielle was told she suffered from stage 3 endometriosis.
While a diagnosis offered clarity, it did not guarantee consistent care.
“Unfortunately, I had some really rough experiences where, like, nobody believed anything with me or cared,” Breezy said. “Don’t take the first no for a hard no.”
At this point, waiting for the right course of treatment was all Danielle felt she could do, however, her condition was becoming a lot harder to ignore.
“I was starting to get a lot more pain again,” she said. “Something was wrong.”
After her regular physician stepped away from women’s health, Danielle was stuck living with a newly identified condition, a lot of questions, pain and lack of expert help.
A close friend referred Danielle to The Nashville Center for Endometriosis and Fibroid Surgery where she met Dr. Roseann Maikis, MD, who specializes in endometriosis removal.
After performing an ultrasound herself in her office, Dr. Maikis informed Danielle that her condition had become much more evident.
“She said, ‘There’s a mass on your uterus,’” Breezy recalled. “And it’s around four centimeters. She showed me on a diagram, and a third of my uterus was covered by it,” she added.
The findings were serious and required immediate attention.
Her surgeon laid out the options with honesty and urgency, noting that this was something that would ultimately affect her for the rest of her life if she did not choose to completely remove the problem area.
“She said, ‘If you do not want children, let’s get it all out’” Breezy said.
Noting that this was a surgery that would eliminate Danielle and her husband Joe from having their own children, she knew she needed to loop him into the conversation.
The decision carried emotional weight, especially in a world that so often asks women when they plan to become mothers.
“People have always said, ‘When’s baby Breezy coming?’” she said.
As two of the most lovable, talented and kind-hearted people in Middle Tennessee, the couple and their loved ones would love the chance to bring children into this world. However, her response from her husband showed just how important it is to ensure Danielle’s overall happiness, safety and health.
“He said, ‘I’d rather have you than have a baby,’” Breezy said. “It was a no brainer for him and a no brainer for me.”
The couple made the decision to undergo a laparoscopic hysterectomy, which would remove Danielle’s fallopian tubes, cervix, uterus and the endometriosis that infiltrated that area for years.
“It happened all within like two months,” Breezy said.
The surgery is a highly sought-after procedure, with many women specifically choosing Dr.
Maikis for her non-invasive laparoscopic techniques, which allow for a faster and smoother
recovery.
The DaVinci Robot is an advanced surgical system which helps surgeons perform complex
procedures through tiny incisions with amazing precision and control. Patients often experience less pain, smaller scars, and a faster recovery than with traditional surgery—and don’t worry, the surgeon is always in control, not the robot.
Dr. Maikis was one of the first surgeons in Nashville to use the DaVinci robot and currently
travels around the country to teach other physicians to use the same technology.
The planning for surgery as well as recovery required patience pausing from the hustle of being the city’s Chief Meteorologist.
“I can’t lift anything over 10 pounds for six weeks,” she said.
From shifting her busy lifestyle to a recovering, passenger princess (as Joe calls it), Danielle was forced to sit idle at home.
Recovering from surgery is never simple, but Danielle went in prepared and ready to get back to the weather desk.
“I relied a lot on my protein shakes and protein drinks, because the first couple of days you’re not even eating that much, but you still got to eat protein so your body can heal.
Danielle was also focusing on staying hydrated and full of electrolytes.
She also doesn’t like to rely too heavily on medically prescribed pain medications and opted to stick to over-the-counter medications instead.
Reintroducing solid foods came next. “I prepared myself with Greek yogurts full of protein and of course our favorite, Music City Fit Meals! Danielle said. We had lots of those on standby, just so that I would eat well.”
With the help of her friends and family, she was able to recover at a stable rate and even return to work a little bit earlier than intended. Tennessee weather waits for NO ONE!
The surgery itself was outpatient, but the experience was intense. “It was a long day,” Danielle recalled. When asked about the early morning start, she recalled, ‘”People do not realize the process before surgery.” From giving herself an enema to an early 5 a.m. surgery call-time, Danielle is now on the other side of recovery.
However, as much as she was ensuring her body was getting back to normal, her mental health was a little harder to nurture.
“I thought physically I’d be challenged, but I was emotionally challenged,” Breezy said. “I cried for no reason multiple days in a row.” It’s an emotional thing when you take out your women’s parts,” she added. “Even if I wasn’t gonna have kids, that window is closed.”
She says the best way to support a woman in your life going through the same feelings is to just remain sensitive. You have to sit back and let the guy [loved ones] lead you for the time period.
For a public figure, sharing such a personal story required vulnerability and transparency, and lucky for Danielle, she knew her story resonated with many just like her.
“I feel like my Facebook page is a great forum!” Danielle expressed. “Whenever I say something, people get talking about other stuff with each other, and I love it. I’m like, ‘Good, go for it, you guys connect on whatever.’”
She wanted to use that platform to share her personal health journey, reminding viewers, followers and more that appearances can be deceiving. “I may look really healthy on the outside, but my inside might not be as healthy,” Danielle shared. “And I felt it was time to tell people what I’ve been dealing with [while] putting on a smiling face,” she added.
With endometriosis being an under-diagnosed condition, many women often go through life living with a disease that may not be taken as serious as it should be.
“I felt like nobody talks about this,” Breezy said.
She described going on air while silently enduring pain. There were even times she would be off to the side cramping in a corner until the camera was ready for her.
Over time, Danielle saw many on Facebook relating to her story and are appreciative that she is using her large platform to open the conversation up.
“So many women and even husbands said, my wife went through this, my daughter went through that. It was amazing!” Danielle said. “I felt so happy I said something, because I feel like so many people are dealing with it and it shouldn’t be taboo to talk about it in this day and age,” she added.
Through candid conversation, she hopes to normalize dialogue around health struggles and remind others that no one has to face challenges alone.
Danielle credits her recovery to the people around her.
“Without my friends, family, and Joe, I don’t think I would be so positive and back so quickly,” she said.
Danielle is back and slowly getting back to her routine as well as her rigorous fitness lifestyle, but fashion has had to take a slower return.
“I’m gonna be wearing sneakers, [on-air]” she laughed. “Don’t judge me.”
Under the great leadership of News 2, Danielle says they are happy to have her back while also respecting her recovery needs.
She currently is a part of an online support group for women dealing with Endometriosis and other conditions that come along with that.
In a career defined by forecasting what’s to come, Danielle Breezy’s most powerful message may be the one she’s delivering off camera. She is reminding women to trust their instincts, advocate for their health, and never weather pain alone.
To follow along with Danielle’s journey, visit her Instagram and Facebook, where she shares behind-the-scenes News Channel 2 moments, recovery updates and her home life alongside Mix929 Radio Personality, Joe Breezy.
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