JUST PLEASE GET YOUR ANNUAL EXAMS

{ THE BOOBS phone case }

There’s nothing worse than going to the gyno & having to put your legs into freezing cold stirrups while the doctor stares up your uterus.

I mean I feel like a root canal while drinking bad Chardonnay sounds more fun.

HOWEVER it’s something every girl on the planet needs to do.

You know, I hate to sounds preachy- I never want to be preachy. Typically I want to show what works for me & then YOU can take what you want & LEAVE what you don’t want but I had an interaction the other day that inspired me to use the platform of The Skinny Confidential. To use it in a way to get through to any young girls who read the blog.

The interaction was at the conference, SIMPLY. I spoke on makeup & beauty which is light, fluffy, & flirty. Afterwards I got to meet a bunch of you guys- all hustlers- all cool- all great attitude. No surprise there.

Anyway, a beautiful girl named Chelsea ( who is a blogger behind Dress To Thrive ) came up to me after I got done speaking & told me she needed the phone case on my phone! It was THE BOOBS case in bubblegum pink I designed. I told her I’d love to send her one & got her info.

She told me that the reason she needed the case is because she’s a breast cancer survivor.

I think my jaw kind of dropped because Chelsea looks so young?

She was diagnosed at 27 years old.

TWENTY.SEVEN.YEARS.OLD. If that doesn’t rock you, I don’t know what will.

That is a young age to deal with radiation & chemotherapy. Obviously any age is horrific, 27 years old just feels young for breast cancer.

She beat cancer & she’s thriving now. Chelsea told me she caught the cancer because of her annual breast exam. Let me repeat this: she found out she had breast cancer from her annual breast exam & caught it in time to proactively do something about it.

Chelsea is NOT BRCA positive ( the “breast cancer gene” ) and had absolutely no family history of breast cancer. It’s not something that only happens to young women if you have a genetic predisposition. In fact, Chelsea told me that during her treatment she learned that typically when young women get breast is is MORE likely to be sporadic than due to genetics.Chelsea had a double mastectomy. No one is immune, so be proactive!

SO TODAY I AM DOING THIS POST TO SAY: GET YOUR ANNUAL EXAMS.

There’s absolutely no excuse for women to not get an annual. And I am totally fine with being annoying right now & telling you: A BREAST EXAM & PAP SMEAR IS ESSENTIAL for women. Every year. Not every two years- every year.

An annual exam will test you from everything to STD’s, to HPV, to cancer, etc. Also you can talk to your gyno about the best birth control methods– they’re super knowledgeable when it comes to prescribing the lowest hormone options. AND guess what? You will sleep soundly after.

Yes, it fucking sucks to be naked with a doctors scope up your vagina…but you know what sucks more? Having to deal with HPV, STD’s, &/or cancer.

It’s so important guys. If you haven’t scheduled one in a while, I am encouraging you to stop reading & schedule an appointment. Schedule a breast exam, Pap Smear, meeting with your gyno, whatever.

At-home breast exams are amazing- DO THEM. But don’t replace them for your annual exam.

Some stats for you:

Definition-wise, a “Pap smear is used to screen for cervical cancer. The Pap smear is usually done in conjunction with a pelvic exam. In women older than age 30, the Pap test may be combined with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) — a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer in some women.” And a breast exam is: “A clinical breast exam (CBE) is a physical exam done by a health care provider. It is often done during your regular medical check-up. A CBE should be performed by a health care provider well trained in the technique.”

BREAST SELF-EXAM AND MAMMOGRAM

• Women may do a monthly breast self-exam. However, experts do not agree about the benefits of breast self-exams in finding breast cancer or saving lives. Talk to your provider about what is best for you.
• If you have a mother or sister who had breast cancer at a young age, consider yearly mammograms. They should begin earlier than the age at which their youngest family member was diagnosed.
• If you have other risk factors for breast cancer, your provider may recommend a mammogram, breast ultrasound, or MRI scan.
• Contact your provider right away if you notice a change in your breasts, whether or not you do breast self-exams.
• If you are between ages 20 to 40, your provider may do a clinical breast exam.

PELVIC EXAM AND PAP SMEAR

• Beginning at age 21, women should have a pelvic exam and Pap smear every 3 years ( I THINK IT SHOULD BE YEARLY!! ) to check for cervical cancer.
• If you are over age 30 and your Pap smear and HPV test are normal, you only need a Pap smear every 5 years.
• If you have had your uterus and cervix removed ( total hysterectomy ) and you have not been diagnosed with cervical cancer you may not need to have Pap smears.
• Women who are sexually active should be screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea up until age 25. Women 25 years and older should be screened if at high risk.
• Your provider will tell you how to prevent infections spread through sexual contact. These are called sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Your provider will ask you questions about alcohol & tobacco and may ask you about depression.

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For the record, I go every year on the same date. I go to Dr. Lee in Solana Beach ( if you’re in San Diego, she’s great ).

Health is wealth! Get on board with annual exams.

Does anyone want to weigh in on this? I would love to hear your experience or questions. If you’re scared or nervous to do an annual- don’t be. It’s really not a big deal. It’s quick & typically painless. Happy to answer any of your questions below but if you have something more personal to discuss feel free to e-mail me.

JUST PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET YOUR ANNUAL EXAMS!

Ok, that’s all. Done with my public service announcement.

We are at Tony Robbins right now having the best time- will do a full podcast/blog recap on the seminar. Personally I am here for self-improvement & to refine my business strategy.

Speaking of strategy, since a bunch of you are interested in branding/business growth: I am going to giveaway a 15 minute FaceTime call with me to discuss your blog/business. All you have to do is tell me ALL about your blog/biz on my latest Instagram– I want to hear the WHAT, WHY, HOW. I’ll pick the winner on Sunday. Good luck!

Oh & WOO! I walked on fire last night! EEK.

Love you guys- get your annual exams, XO lauryn

+ also check Chelsea out– she’s thriving & doing amazing. SHE IS A BRIGHT LIGHT.