Mayim Bialik, the host of “Jeopardy!”, took to social media to share photos and videos from the hospital, where she was undergoing a routine colonoscopy. Bialik, 47, used the opportunity to urge others to get regular colonoscopies and to not be embarrassed about them.
“It’s not terribly fun getting older,” Bialik wrote in her caption. “Especially when you have to get a routine colonoscopy and really wish you didn’t have to.”
Bialik said she was sharing her experience to “remove the stigma of routine things that we really should not have problems as a society talking about.” She also said that she wanted to encourage others to get regular colonoscopies, even though they may not be pleasant.
“It wasn’t bad at all,” Bialik said of her colonoscopy. “I have tips to share another time to help you not have it be so bad.”
Bialik’s post was met with praise from her followers, many of whom shared their own experiences with colonoscopies.
“Get the test,” one person wrote. “It saved my Mom’s life.”
Another person commented, “Thank you for sharing this! I’m due for a colonoscopy soon and I was dreading it, but you’ve made me feel better about it.”
Bialik’s post is a reminder of the importance of regular colonoscopies. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, but it is also one of the most preventable. Early detection and removal of polyps can help prevent colon cancer from developing.
