Staying Ahead of a Potential Diagnosis
- Better Together podcast host Maria Menounos, 43, is making sure she is staying on top of her health more than ever these days. After a pivot from entertainment to the health space following brain surgery in 2017 for a (thankfully) benign tumor, the former E! News host is even more diligent about getting in for her check-ups.
- Menounos suggests getting your dentist, gynecologist, skin check and any other doctor’s appointments all done during the same time period. Pick a month, and don’t postpone.
- Never ignore symptoms, and be sure to let the medical staff know if you need to get in sooner than your scheduled appointment; Always listen to your body.
“Pro-tip: try to schedule all of your appointments in the same month,” she wrote on an Instagram post of herself at her doctor’s office. Dr. Aronin was the first doctor she saw when she was presenting brain tumor symptoms. “Get your dentist, gynecologist, skin check and any doctor’s appointments all done at once – this way you can always remember. October for example is when I handle the health biz. I try to set back-to-back appointments and knock out as many as I can at once. Try your best to have a rhythm so you never forget! It's helped me! Good luck.”
Read MoreView this post on InstagramDue to the pandemic, it’s better to schedule as soon as you can, even if you’re aiming to do all of your check-ups at the endor beginningof the year. And if you’re presenting any kind of symptoms and not just booking for general wellness, be sure to speak up and let the medical staff know so they can get you in sooner.
It’s Important to Continue Screenings Throughout Pandemic
Not only has Menounos gone through her own major health scare, but sadly she just lost her mother to brain cancer, so she has understandably been experiencing a lot of emotional stress.
Menounos took some time away from her husband and podcast co-host Kevin Undergaro, whom she married in 2017, to visit family in Connecticut this past weekend. As life is continuing to return to somewhat of a new normal post-pandemic, it’s important to continue finding moments to pause and re-ground yourself. Returning to your roots is always a good thing. Menounos is from the Boston suburbs, so going back east is her “home.”
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Maria’s Brain Cancer Scare
Menounos found herself experiencing symptoms of intense ear pain, headaches, slurred speech, blurry vision and exhaustion. Eventually, after deciding to listen to her instincts, she had an MRI which revealed there was a golf-ball-sized tumor called a meningioma pressing down on her facial nerves.
Unlike her mother's tumor, the meningioma was slow-growing and benign, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. After an eight-hour surgery on her 39th birthday and a few months of lingering side effects, Menounos was back to feeling well again. Menounos, who initially attributed her ailments to stress, gets screened yearly, as doctors told her there is a 6% chance of regrowth. Hence the importance of staying on top of things. And always listen to your body.
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