She only went in early because she was about to lose her insurance

McKerrin is a director, voiceover artist and health coach in Los Angeles,
living with her husband and thirteen-year-old stepdaughter. This is her
account of how her cervical cancer was found.

What happened

In her twenties, as an artist with very little money, she got all her
gynaecological care through Planned Parenthood. She had her **first
abnormal Pap test at 27**; after follow-up she was told to keep an eye on
things and return every six months for a time. *(For women with a recent
history of abnormal results, the recommended interval between screening tests
may be shorter than for women with normal results.)*

After two years of normal results she returned to annual exams, which stayed
normal for another ten years.

In her thirties she took a job with insurance benefits and saw a private
gynaecologist. Then she was laid off — **so she went in for her Pap test five
months early, to use the insurance before it disappeared.**

That test found early-stage cervical cancer. Because it was caught so
early, a CONE and LEEP procedure was enough for a clean bill of health.

The sentence she wants read twice

**Remember, I had no symptoms at all. The only reason I went in at that time
was because I was losing my insurance.**

Not a symptom, not a worry, not a reminder. An insurance deadline. If the
layoff had come two months later, the test would have been five months later
too — and cervical cancer does not wait for scheduling.

What she says to other women

**Please, take care of yourself. You might have convinced yourself that you
don't have the time or the money to get regular exams done because your job,
child, parents, friends and career are more important. But how can you
possibly be good for anyone else if you are sick?**
>
**Listen to your body and talk to your doctor about which cancer screening
tests are right for you, and when you should have them.**

She also thanks the people who provided screening throughout her life,
especially the low-cost and free screening when she had limited resources —
which is the other half of her story: at 27 she had no money, and she was
screened anyway.

If you have a low income or no insurance, free or low-cost cervical cancer
screening may be available through the **National Breast and Cervical Cancer
Early Detection Program** — call 800-CDC-INFO.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.