Carmella spent years knowing there was a health test she probably should take and basically decided she’d rather not know. Becoming a mom changed that mindset completely, and the answer she eventually got has understandably brought some scary “what if” thoughts along with it.
During an episode of her Hot Mom Sh*t podcast, Carmella revealed that she recently found out she has Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition associated with an increased risk of several cancers. Her mother also has Lynch syndrome and previously battled endometrial cancer, so Carmella had known for roughly 12 or 13 years that she could have inherited it herself.
“And I knew that there was potential for me to have Lynch syndrome, which again is, like, a higher risk of certain cancers because my mom had it. And I knew I had to get tested, and I knew about this for probably 12, 13 years.
And I never once thought about going to get tested because I’m like, whatever, I don’t care. Like, I don’t want to think about it.”
Carmella admitted she basically buried her head in the sand because knowing the answer felt scarier than ignoring the possibility. Once she had children, however, that approach stopped working for her.
“And now that I have kids, I’m like, I need to know if I have this because I need to make sure I’m going to be around for them.
And I think it just makes everything a lot different when you have kids. It’s like you want to take care of yourself better, you want to be healthier, you want to be a good example, you want to make sure you’re around as long as you can be for these little babies that rely on you.”
Testing ultimately confirmed that Carmella does have Lynch syndrome. That means she can now stay on top of regular screenings, but knowing about the increased cancer risk has also given her anxiety something pretty terrifying to latch onto. That became especially apparent when Carmella recently received an abnormal Pap smear. Her mind immediately jumped from an abnormal result to believing she might have cancer and wondering how she would possibly tell her children.
“I had an abnormal Pap smear come back a couple weeks ago, and in my mind I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God,’ because I recently found out I have Lynch syndrome, which puts me at a much higher risk of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer. My mom had endometrial cancer.
So I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s an abnormal Pap, and now I probably have cancer,’ and I’m just going, like, ‘How am I going to tell the kids?’”
Thankfully, that nightmare scenario didn’t become reality. Carmella underwent another procedure so doctors could examine the cells, and she said everything came back okay. An abnormal Pap result by itself also does not mean someone has cancer.
“I had to go for another procedure so they can, like, look at the cells and all of that, and everything, knock on wood, came back okay. It was fine. But again, catastrophizing it. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, worst-case scenario. What if this happens?’”
That scare seems to have given Carmella a pretty clear example of what she’s trying to work through mentally. She can’t change the fact that Lynch syndrome is now part of her life, but she can get the screenings she previously avoided without allowing every test or medical concern to convince her that the worst has already happened.
What do you think about Carmella opening up about finally getting tested for Lynch syndrome after becoming a mother and the anxiety that came with the diagnosis? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
