Ladies, the most important thing you can do for yourselves and for your families is to make sure you’re regularly checking your breasts for lumps and also getting your annual pap smear. This doesn’t just apply to women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Once, a female is of reproductive age and menstruating, it should become standard practice to see a doctor and get annual checkups. Even when a woman is having a change of life, she needs to continue to receive regular well-woman’s care. Anything which seems odd is feels strange to you, please talk to your doctor about.
In one week, I’m going to undergo a procedure called, LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure). I am a little scared, I won’t lie. But, at the same time, I will face my fear with courage and knowing that had I not listened to my gut instinct, my story could be going very differently.
A couple of months ago I had been reading a fascinating book called, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. If you don’t know about her, Henrietta Lacks is, most likely, the most important woman in medical science advancement. She was not a doctor. She was a black woman who died of cervical cancer in the 1950s. Allegedly, samples of her cancer cells (known only as He La cells) were taken by her doctors several times during biopsies and finally upon her death, during an autopsy, without her knowledge nor the knowledge of her family. These cells became the catalyst which sparked not only scientific discoveries in cell research into cancer and other diseases but also big business in cell replication. We won’t go into my personal thoughts and ramifications of this, at this time, but let’s just say, now medical science has a name they can and should be thanking every day.
One night as I sat reading this book, I came to the page with Henrietta’s autopsy report. It was so disturbing and I was so distraught, I put down the book and picked up the phone to call my gynecologist’s office. I had suddenly felt violated and, in earnest, anxiety set in. I began checking my breasts for lumps. I had some strange feelings, even so far as wondering if I could be pregnant. All the sudden, the entirety of my attention flew into my anatomy.
The doctor’s office was able to schedule an appointment to see me a few days later. It had been ten years since my last mammogram, which was about right, since I was just about to turn forty. But it had been two or three years since my last pap smear and that was cutting it pretty close. Usually, they should be done annually if usually normal and semi-annually if you’ve gotten an abnormal one before.
My breast exam revealed some lumps and the mammogram and sonogram confirmed that they were cysts hiding among dense breast tissue, which run in my family and they didn’t seem to bother the doctor. But, she would keep a watch on them just to make sure.
The pap came back as abnormal. This is the first time I’ve ever had an abnormal pap and I was worried. There appeared to be mild dysplasia. This means abnormal cells. This also meant, I’d have to have a colposcopy. In a colposcopy, they spray the cervix with vinegar and the abnormal cells show up when they shine a particular light on the cervix. Then, they biopsy the areas they find which are concerning to them.
Two weeks ago, I had this colposcopy and today, I received the results. Signs of dysplasia and what they called, Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3, pre-cancerous cells. If it had just been Stage 1 all around, they would’ve said, “We’ll just watch it.” But, in that there were also cells at Stage 2 and 3, the doctor said I need to get the LEEP procedure. (This video talks a little about the procedure and I show the pamphlet the doctor gave me. https://youtu.be/UEtuL_tXC-c ) In this procedure, under local anesthetic, the doctor removes part of the cervix. There are risks, but even though I am sad that I likely will not be able to carry another baby (without risk of preterm labor or even miscarriage), the hopeful outcome of completely removing the pre-cancerous cells far outweighs the risk to me. I never want to have to go through what women with cervical cancer go through.
My doctor said, “at least we got to it in time.” And that’s really the reason I’m opening up to you, my fellow women artists, actors, filmmakers, directors, writers and producers. I want to live long enough to create wonderful books and films for people. It’s my purpose, my calling and I am not done with this life and this body yet.
My hope is that you take my story seriously and, insurance or not, you go every year and get your pap, as well as do your self-exams on your breasts. It’s too important to ignore. I will keep you updated on my status and, when I get LEEP next week, let you know if they were able to remove all of it (please keep me in your prayers).
Be good to yourself and your body.
Much love,
Aleisha