Erin Andrews Says It's Time to Tackle Your Fear of the Doctor

Sportscaster Erin Andrews was at the top of her game. It was a Saturday morning in New York City, week three of the 2016 NFL season when Andrews received an impromptu call from her gynecologist. "I just thought, 'This isn't good,'" she tells PS, picking up the phone in a meeting room full of men. Her suspicions were soon confirmed with the news of an unexpected diagnosis: cervical cancer. "I can't feel my arms, I can't feel my legs. I am totally numb," Andrews remembers. "Literally the first thing I said to my doctor was, 'I don't have time for this.'"

Andrews kept her diagnosis quiet for the rest of the football season, making it all the way through the Super Bowl before sharing what she was going through. "When I decided to come out with the news that I had cervical cancer, I had so many people — even good friends — say, 'I haven't been to the doctor in forever,'" she says. This quickly became her point of emphasis, as her own cancer was detected in a routine check-up.

Despite the initial shock, Andrews feels lucky to have caught the cancer so early. "Every year before my season starts, I go and I get checked," she says, crediting her mom for teaching her the importance of consistent appointments. "Because I caught it early, we were able to treat it."

That said, Andrews understands why many people aren't fans of check-ups. For some, it's a mere inconvenience, but for others, the doctor's office can be a major source of anxiety. "There is such a fear of going to the doctor because you don't want to get bad news," Andrews says. Even she can relate to that. "When I was driving to the appointment, I was so close to canceling because I thought to myself, 'The traffic's bad,' but in all honesty, I just didn't want to hear I had anything."

This fear of diagnosis is just part of the problem, with a recent survey from AstraZeneca revealing that the majority of Americans aren't aware of the current cancer screening recommendations. To raise awareness, Andrews is partnering with AstraZeneca to launch Screen: a limited-edition t-shirt that emphasizes the importance of routine cancer screenings and encourages more people to "get body checked" against cancer.

"I literally almost bailed out of a dermatologist appointment this past week, but I thought to myself, 'I haven't gotten my skin checked in forever. I'm getting older. I'm in the sun. My grandfather had melanoma. I need to be smart about this,'" Andrews says. For early detection and optimal treatment, these screenings are crucial — they could even save your life.

The bottom line? It's time to overcome your fear of the doctor and schedule that check-up, even if you don't think anything is wrong. "I am so grateful that I go get checked every single year," Andrews says. "Because of that, my cancer was treatable."

Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.