‘Jeopardy!’ Host Mayim Bialik Posts Video From Hospital to Share Important Message
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Mayim Bialik, 47, is raising awareness about colonoscopies on Instagram.
The Jeopardy! host shared photos and videos from the hospital prep room before she underwent the standard procedure.
“It’s not terribly fun getting older,” she wrote.
Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik is speaking up about the importance of colonoscopies. And in an effort to destigmatize the often hushed preventative care, she shared a video while in the hospital—from the prep room of her own colonoscopy—wearing a hospital gown, hair net, and all.
“It’s not terribly fun getting older. Especially when you have to get a routine colonoscopy and really wish you didn’t have to,” she captioned the post. “Let’s remove the stigma of routine things that we really should not have problems as a society talking about—ignoring things doesn’t make them go away!”
According to the Mayo Clinic, a colonoscopy is an exam of the colon in which a doctor views the area via a small tube-shaped camera inserted rectally. The procedure not only reveals the health of the colon, but can also discover colon cancer or involve the removal of pre-cancerous polyps, irritated tissue, and the like. Pain relievers, sedatives, and/or anesthesia are standard precursors to the exam.
In Bialik’s post, she continued, adding that her experience “wasn’t bad at all.” She urged people to make crucial health screenings like colonoscopies a priority. “Please don’t put off taking care of your body,” she wrote. “It’s connected with your mind and your mental and emotional well-being. Be proactive.”
In a follow-up video, Bialik was back home in her regular clothes to update followers about her experience. “Okay, I am home. I have survived the colonoscopy,” she laughed, admitting that “the prep can be daunting.” (It requires the emptying of the colon, per Mayo Clinic.) The 47-year-old pledged to share her tips for smooth prep “another time.”
“This is one of those things a lot of people put off,” she reiterated. “And I highly recommend you do not put it off if you are of the age they recommend a colonoscopy... preventative care in this arena is very important.”
Fans and followers thanked her for being so upfront and honest. “I am sure this post saved at least one life. ❤️,” one person commented. “Colonoscopy saved my life at age 46,” another added. “The prep is unpleasant, but the nap during the colonoscopy is a 10/10,” someone else joked.
Bialik is right, though—we should normalize discussing potentially life-saving screenings like colonoscopies, even if it’s a little uncomfortable. As she pointed out in her post, they’re especially important for those who have a family history of colorectal cancers, which research shows are being diagnosed in increasingly younger patients.
“It’s not as scary as you anticipate,” she said. “I survived and you can, too.”
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