women’s wellness & healthy discussions

happy 2024! i hope your new year is off to a beautiful start… not too busy, just yet and hopefully, full of ease. 

over the past 2 or 3 years, i feel like january has been a consistently challenging month for me, personally. i’ve either been going through dental surgeries around this time or dealing with recovering from a vocal hemorrhage, so most janauary’s, as of the past few years, have been pretty depressing. however, this year, january, so far, has been joyful and easeful. i feel like my health, mentally and physically speaking is better than ever, which i am beyond grateful for. i did get sick after wrapping up my christmas tour, but it didn’t take me completely out and my recovery has been swift. 

however, yesterday I headed to the doctors for a minor surgery. i guess january seems to be my month to take care of anything health related. so, i wanted to share what i’m going into surgery for because i think it’s a really important reminder to get our annual screenings in order to catch changes that may be taking place within the body early on. 

several months back, i had my annual pap smear, which came back abnormal. in fact, i’ve had abnormal paps since i was 17 and through regular pap smears and colposcopies, my doctors have been keeping an eye on any cellular changes that could be taking place. after my latest abnormal pap smear and colposcopy, which revealed that i had high grade cervical dysplasia, i consulted with my doctor and we jointly decided that a LEEP procedure would be in my best interest, in order to remove the high grade, abnormal, pre-cancerous cells. now, usually you’re not under anaesthesia for this procedure, but i elected to be. i’ve had enough trauma in my life already, so i prefer to be out and comfortable. that, my friends, is advocating for your overall, mental wellness and comfort and i HIGHLY recommend it, especially at the doctors office! all went well, i was in great hands! 

i’ve always been very open about my health challenges and this time around is no different. i think it’s important to share what we are going through with one another, human to human and on another level, for me, as someone who has a platform to be able to raise awareness for issues such as psoriasis, mental health and now, the discussion around women’s wellness and the importance of annual screenings and early detection. so, ladies, please don’t put off getting your annual pap. my men, too… make sure you get your annual physical, minus the pap smear 😂

early stages of cervical cancer don’t usually involve symptoms, so annual screenings and early detection can be lifesaving. and i believe, the more shares and conversations we have around women’s wellness, the more we take the ewww factor out of talking about vaginas and put the power back in our hands, to be able to take the best care of our bodies that we can. 

so, for the next couple of weeks, i will be laying low. i’m keeping focused on healing and i’m surrounded by great care and lots of love, so i have a feeling that this january is going to continue to be a season of joy, even with a minor bump in the road. 

i am sending you all a huge, 2024 hug! here’s to health! i love you!!