'Today' Host Sheinelle Jones Shares Essential Health Message With Fans

Sheinelle Jones wants her fans to schedule their annual checkups. As she begins her "self-care summer," the Today show co-anchor shared an "emotional" health update with her fans, recounting her recent trip to the doctor and the emotional and urgent chord it struck to make health a priority.

In a Monday, May 9 Instagram post, Jones shared a photo of herself in a blue doctor's gown and red face mask, writing of the personal moment, "Something is telling me I should post this – maybe someone needs to hear it." She went on to admit that while she has "plenty of doctors in my family," she is "horrible" at remembering to schedule and go to yearly checkups. Jones, however, is hoping to change that.

In the message to fans, the Today show star revealed that recently, she has "had so many friends my age with all sorts of health scares," and it made her realize "we *must* get those annual exams." Jones added that "the older I get- the more nervous I am sometimes... I think about my kids and the people I love ... and putting on these scrubs/hospital robes reminds me that I'm human. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true."

"I had an annual mammogram today – as we all waited for the radiologist – the women in the room all started to share with each other. We laughed and admittedly complained a little ... we're all at different stages in our lives ... some survivors – others just there for a checkup," she continued. "All is well, but before I left, I thanked them for their 'sisterhood.' We all agreed it was a sweet moment that we shared in that waiting area."

According to Jones, she still has "a couple more checkups scheduled over the next month." Although Jones acknowledged that her fellow women are all "so busy," she said "we gotta do it." She also encouraged men to make their health a priority, writing, "to my guys ... you too – whether it's a prostate check – or even a colonoscopy." Reflecting on her health and her post, Jones, whose grandfather, Dr Val Brown Sr., passed away in late April, wrote, "I think I'm feeling emotional these days because I'm still grieving ... but I care about us." Jones signed off by encouraging her followers to "please call your doctors and schedule those annual check ups" if they haven't already done so, adding, "I've decided to have a [self-care summer]. I made that up, but I like it."

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