Mammograms can be scary, but as R&B singer Shanice knows, not taking them can lead to rather more terrifying results.

A mammogram in his 40s led to the misdiagnosis of an ultimately benign cyst as a cancerous mass. Although the result was positive, the health concerns were enough for the “I Love Your Smile” singer to skip further mammograms, that are advisable yearly after the age of 40.

“Because of the fear I had when they thought they saw something, I didn’t go there for eight years,” said Shanice, whose full name is Shanice Wilson-Knox.Good morning America” during a recent speech.

Overcoming her fear of further misdiagnosis, the 51-year-old singer finally returned for one more scan in March when she felt a lump in her breast. The results revealed one other terrifying – and this time accurate – diagnosis. The mother of two children was diagnosed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)an early type of breast cancer that will develop within the milk ducts of 1 or each breasts.

Although DCIS is non-aggressive, normally non-invasive and easy to treat, it is usually common and accounts for 20% to 25% of recent breast cancer diagnoses annually, according to data Cleveland Clinic. Risk aspects include dense breast tissue it’s more common in black women and can make mammograms harder to read because dense breast tissue and tumors are similarly visible in the photographs. It is price noting that the variety of DCIS cases is increasing, and experts consider that this trend is due to lower rates of diagnosis and treatment.

In Shanice’s case, the diagnosis led her to determine to have a double mastectomy, a procedure she underwent in May. The surgery turned out to be more essential than initially thought, because it revealed a one-centimeter grade 1 tumor in a single breast.

“When I had surgery and was told I had cancer, I literally lost my smile,” she told GMA host Michael Strahan. For months, she didn’t reveal either her diagnosis or her double mastectomy. In September, she split her Instagram storyincluding a video of her within the hospital before surgery.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face in my life, but I know God is with me and everything will be fine,” she said within the video.

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In the post’s caption, she detailed her diagnosis and treatment, thanking each her medical team and her community of family, friends and additional health care professionals, including her longtime husband and former reality TV co-star, actor and comedian Flex Alexander. “Thank God I caught it early… I wasn’t ready to talk about it then, but now I’m strong enough to talk about it,” she wrote, encouraging others to be vigilant about their breast health. “Everyone please check.”

In an interview with GMA, she echoed that advice, telling the show’s hosts, “I just want to tell women how important it is to get a mammogram… If I had gone earlier, I could have caught (breast cancer) just in time at stage zero.”

“Put that fear aside,” she continued. “If you get tested earlier, you can beat this disease. This is not a death sentence. If you can get there early, you will survive.

Shanice assured viewers that she is now cancer-free and that there is not only life but joy on the opposite side of a breast cancer diagnosis. “I wanted to be on the show to encourage women to smile,” she said. “I got my smile back.”

Because our hands function our guides around the world – they open doors, shake hands and hold onto railway poles, they should be washed often after which well moisturized. With this in mind, it is not enough to depend on body lotions after a shower, as your hands require moisturizing hand creams to combat the elements.

Imagine you have just accomplished a rigorous Pilates workout and you think that, “Lori Harvey has nothing on me.” As you’re taking off your socks and pack, you notice that your hands are so dry that you almost don’t recognize them. You quickly dig through your bag and are available to 2 conclusions. First of all, there is no such thing as a hand lotion on this bag. And secondly, Lori actually has something on you, she would never be caught dead with dry skin!

To avoid the risk of drying out my hands, I’ve compiled an inventory of luxury hand creams that I carry in my purse to maintain them moisturized while traveling.

In my gym bag

Conveniently stocked in my sports bag L’Occitane hand cream with shea butter. This moisturizer is an ideal selection all yr round. The wealthy and thick formula is non-greasy, making it ideal to be used before or after training. Specially formulated for dry skin, L’Occitane nourishes, smoothes and rebalances the skin barrier. Its quick absorption and refreshing scent make it a day by day staple.

In the work bag

My pick for a day of writing and the hustle and bustle of meetings is Sisley’s regenerating hand cream. This luxurious moisturizing hand cream is ideal for keeping at your desk or on the go. The hand cream, containing a biosaccharide solution and sweet almond oil, restores moisture, keeping hands and cuticles brilliant and nourished all day long. The added bonus of provitamin B5, which supports nail health, won’t hurt either.

In a lunch bag

When I got here across Le Baume by DiorI knew its compact size was made to live in my evening bags. Although small in size, this hand cream packs a punch and might be used to moisturize your hands and lips. The flat and rounded shape of this multi-functional moisturizing balm is ideal for luggage with limited space. In addition to fitting perfectly into small clutch bags, handbags and pockets, this elegant packaging is an ideal conversation starter when a restaurant’s hand soap is attempting to eliminate moisture out of your hands.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks is reported to be the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race in Maryland against Republican Larry Hogan. Associated Press.

The victory makes her the primary black U.S. senator within the state’s history. With a distinguished record of public service – including eight years as Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, followed by two terms as County Executive – Alsobrooks is poised to bring her deep-rooted experience to Congress, where she joins a small, historic cohort of Black women who served within the Senate.

Alsobrooks’ campaign was historic, and her victory marks a brand new chapter for Maryland. “People like me don’t get into the Senate, and we should,” Alsobrooks said during her speech on the Democratic National Convention in August. She highlighted the systemic barriers black women face in achieving high political office. Reflecting on the experience, she told ESSENCE: “We’ve only elected two black women to the Senate so far and only three have served, so to come out on that stage and represent so many people whose voices I think we’ve been so happy to have been underrepresented.” within the Senate. And it was an excellent moment.

Alsobrooks said her inspiration for public service partly got here from Kamala Harris, then San Francisco’s district attorney. In 2009, Alsobrooks read an article in ESSENCE about Harris’s progressive approach to justice. “I read an article in Essence magazine about a district attorney using new ideas to keep his community safe,” she recalled. Motivated, Alsobrooks began implementing restorative justice principles in her own work, working on a brand new justice system that expands access to opportunity and reduces recidivism.

Looking ahead, Alsobrooks said he’s committed to creating significant changes on key issues, including economic opportunity and access to health care. Her platform emphasizes expanding reproductive rights, improving access to health care and increasing educational resources for Marylanders. She also expressed her support for comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship, and called for a reconsideration of corporate tax policy, particularly the Trump-era tax cuts, to redirect resources to programs that profit working families relatively than corporate interests .

Alsobrooks will officially take office on January 3, starting a historic chapter for Maryland and the complete Senate. Her election also means she’s going to join fellow senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester, who was recently elected as the primary black senator-elect within the state of Delaware. Together they are going to make history as, for the primary time, two Black women will serve in Congress concurrently.