Samantha Harris To Undergo Double Mastectomy Following Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Samantha Harris will undergo a double mastectomy later this month to treat breast cancer.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Harris, 40, was faced with two choices: a double mastectomy or a less-radical second lumpectomy with radiation, and after much consideration, chose the double mastectomy.

"I was sick of feeling the way that I did in the days after the diagnosis," Harris told PEOPLE Magazine of her decision. "I knew I needed to take control."

During a routine self-examination in the fall of 2013, Harris discovered a lump in her right breast. Prior to her finding the abnormality, Harris had undergone a clean mammogram, but after concluding that something still wasn't right, she opted to see a breast cancer specialist. At the specialist, Harris underwent a needle biopsy and lumpectomy, which led to the breast cancer diagnosis.

"It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest," the former Dancing with the Stars co-host said of the news.

But now, after deciding to have a double mastectomy, Harris feels "so much calmer," and is sure that she is doing the right thing for her family, which is made up of husband Michael Hess, whom she married in 2005, and daughters Josselyn Sydney Hess, 6, and Hillary Madison Hess, 3.

Following the PEOPLE Magazine announcement, Harris took to Twitter where she thanked fans for their support.

"Thks for the well wishes, kindness & support. It means so much to me & my family!" she wrote. "It's a tough road but I'm here to stand up & fight cancer."