Journalist Ali Meyer Livestreamed Her Mammogram Only To Find Out She Really Had Breast Cancer

Ali Meyer is a journalist for an Oklahoma news station. Last October, she decided to embark upon a project for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She wanted to encourage women to schedule regular mammograms so that if they did have breast cancer, it would be caught quickly. In order to make a point, she livestreamed her own mammogram. Unfortunately, what she thought would be a simple, routine checkup ended up with her finding out that she had breast cancer. Now she’s opening up about the journey, according to The Washington Post.

After the mammogram was over and the cameras were off, doctors approached Meyer to inform her that they would need to do more tests because what they saw on her mammogram concerned them. There was a possibility she did have breast cancer. When the results were in, again Meyer livestreamed her doctor’s appointment, asking physicians all the vital questions, not just for herself but for other women. While viewers were still watching, she received the crushing news that changed her life forever.

It’s been a year since Meyer received the diagnosis and she’s had surgery to remove the cancer, taking viewers along with her on the journey. While the project certainly didn’t go as she originally planned, she doesn’t regret livestreaming the raw, personal moment when she had that first mammogram. She hopes that her story will encourage other women to get checked early.

“If I’ve maybe opened up a few eyes … then mission accomplished,” she said.

In an emotional Instagram post, Meyer recalled how shocked she was when she got the diagnosis. She was only 40-years-old, had no family history of breast cancer and wasn’t a smoker. She would have had no idea had she not gotten the mammogram.

“I feel thankful that I caught disease at the earliest stage..& I know my treatment was easier because of early diagnosis. It’s October. Love yourself enough to take care of your body,” she wrote.

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame has also been an advocate for regular mammograms as she too is a breast cancer survivor, as The Inquisitr previously reported. In a candid interview, Louis-Dreyfus discussed what it was like opening up to the world about such a personal struggle.

“In many ways, it was very nice to get the support from the outside world. Having said that, I didn’t consider that it would’ve taken on a life of its own, which it did.”