I feel incredibly lucky to receive these follow-up results and am so grateful that, almost two years later, the deeply unsettling panic that once upended my entire world has now faded into a distant memory. But all this has also made me more aware of how important it is to advocate for my own health.

Listen to me: your annual exam is incredibly important. And while it's easy to make excuses and skip that annual appointment — or even to conveniently neglect it out of fear of the unknown — please don't. The point of preventative exams is to catch potential issues and address them early on. We are fortunate to live in such a medically advanced world, so take advantage of that fact!

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In addition to preventative appointments and exams (including at-home breast exams, which you should be performing monthly), you can advocate for your own health by taking one of the many at-home gene-screening tests. Color's Hereditary Cancer Test is one of such kits that's received quite a bit of attention in recent months.

It analyzes 30 genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 (when mutated, it indicates an increased hereditary risk for breast and ovarian cancer). You may remember that Angelina Jolie tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation and underwent a double mastectomy as a result, an experience she then wrote about in the New York Times. Former "The Bachelor" contestant, Lesley Murphy, did the same.

After my recent medical scare, I opted to do the aforementioned Color's Hereditary Cancer Test. For those curious about how it works, they mail you the kit, you spit a bunch of saliva into a tube, seal it up, and then send it back. Your results are returned within a month. It's designed to be privately (and conveniently) used in the comfort of your own home, but your doctor can also arrange a Color test (or something similar) for you.

Logistically, it's a very simple process — though, emotionally, it was another story: To say I was terrified to see my results would be an understatement. But am I glad I did it? Absolutely. It has given me insight into my genes that I otherwise wouldn't have had. I also appreciate that it allows people to navigate their medical options with much more clarity and precision.

We do our best to exercise regularly, to eat healthy food, to avoid the wrong chemicals, and use the right products. Going further and advocating for your health — your future — is something we should all be doing, as well. No matter how scary it might be, it's always the right choice.