‘It matters if I stick around': Drew Barrymore faces her fear of getting 'bad news' and gets a mammogram
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Drew Barrymore is on a mission to inspire women to take charge of their health and get regular mammograms.
The actress, who will turn 49 next year, shared her own experience of getting screened for breast cancer on her talk show 'The Drew Barrymore Show.'
Drew Barrymore reveals she self-diagnoses herself with a horrible outcome
She said she wanted to take her viewers on the journey with her because she was “totally imperfect” and “just another human walking around with fear of getting bad news.”
Barrymore admitted that she often played “a very negative mental tennis game” in her head about her health and self-diagnosed herself with horrible outcomes.
“I don’t know about you, but I self-diagnose all day long and the results are horrible, and that’s not the way I should be doing it," she said as People reports.
Drew Barrymore says facing 'bad news' is everything
She said, “But I know facing it is everything."
She visited Dr Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an Obstetrician gynecologist, and breast cancer survivor, who explained the importance of mammograms for early detection of the disease.
Barrymore documented the whole process which she described as “quick and painless.”
She also opened up about how having two children changed her perspective on her health.
“It matters if I stick around, it matters what I do to myself. I’m way more accountable to myself than I ever have been,” she said.
She later revealed that her results came back normal and encouraged women to get screened every year starting from age 40.
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Drew Barrymore tears up remembering Ross Mathews' mother who lost battle to breast cancer
'The Drew Barrymore Show' aired a special episode on Thursday, October 19, dedicated to the memory of Gay Mathews, the mother of co-host Ross Mathews.
Gay passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy of love and strength.
Ross Mathews opened up about his mother's journey and how much he learned from her during the difficult time.
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He said, “I learned so much being up close and personal with her during this process. It was so heartbreaking but it also taught me so much about strength and family and love — how strong she was and how much I loved her and still do. It was such a gift to have that time.”
He also shared some details about her diagnosis, treatment, and courage.
“She had such strength through the whole process: the diagnosis, the finding out about it, the treatment, everything,” he said.
Drew Barrymore, who was visibly moved by Ross’ words, praised him and his mother for their bond and their impact on others.
She said through tears, “Thank you for being you. The way that Gay raised you? I mean, what a gift your family is to everyone. I mean, I can’t even tell you how much you’ve affected my life," Decider reports.
