Drew Barrymoreis taking her health seriously — and she’s encouraging women everywhere to do the same.
“I do think that we all play a very negative mental tennis game in our head about our health,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I self diagnose all day long and the results are horrible, and that’s not the way I should be doing it.”
“So I’m trying to take charge and figure this out and I want to take everyone on that journey with me because I’m totally imperfect,” Barrymore continued. “I’m just another human walking around with fear of getting bad news. But I know facing it is everything.”
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Drew Barrymore documents the process of getting a mammogram.The Drew Barrymore Show
The Drew Barrymore Show
Mammograms are vital for early detection of breast cancer, which affectsone in eight women in the United States.
In May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Forcelowered the recommended age for screeningfor breast cancer after an increase in younger diagnoses. The task force stated that science now shows all women — including those at average risk — should start getting screened every other year at age 40, which could result in 19 percent more lives being saved.
Barrymore visited Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an OB/GYN and breast cancer survivor, who stressed that women should start getting an annual mammogram at age 40. However, Gilberg-Lenz explained that because the risk of breast cancer gets higher as women get older, she doesn’t suggest skipping years in between screenings.
Drew Barrymore getting a mammogram.The Drew Barrymore Show
In the clip, Barrymore documented her entire mammogram, calling the process “quick and painless.”
“If it hurts, just know it’s only a few seconds and can save your life,” she added after completing the screening.
“I’m gonna be 49, and havingtwokids has changed everything for me,” Barrymore added. “It matters if I stick around, it matters what I do to myself. I’m way more accountable to myself than I ever have been.”
The actress later shared that her results came back normal.
In addition to staying on top of routine screenings, health officials advise women of all ages to practice “breast self-awareness,” which means becoming familiar with how a person’s own breasts normally look and feel, so they will be more likely to recognize anything out of the ordinary when doing abreast self-examination.
The Drew Barrymore Showairs Monday through Friday on CBS.Check your local listings.
source: people.com
