Lindsay Ell is opening up about her recent cancer scare, after undergoing surgery to remove precancerous cells. The Canadian country singer shared her thoughts in YouTube video, which she also shared to her social media.
“So a couple weeks ago, I went to the doctor for a check-up, just a routine check-up,” Ell began. “As you guys know, I’m a huge health nut. I try to work out. I try to eat healthy. I try to take care of my body.”
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Ell recalled walking into the doctor thinking everything was going to be okay, before she received the frightening news no one ever wants to hear.
“During this check-up, the doctor saw something that just looked a little weird,” Ell recalled. “So I go into the doctor for this other test, and they wanted to biopsy something. I go see the doctor the next day, and they sit me down, and they’re like, ‘Lindsay, you don’t have cancer. But you have precancerous cells in your body, and we need to have them removed.”
The singer also showed a video of herself waiting to be called back for surgery, as she laid in the hospital bed. Later, Ell explained why it was important for her to document the entire experience.
“I made this vlog purely for the incentive to encourage you guys to go to the doctor,” Ell said. “Even if your body feels fine, and you think you are healthy, you never know what’s really going on, and just getting an annual check-up could be the difference to saving your life, and catching something early. You honestly never know … Go book a doctor’s appointment.”
The health scare was a dark spot in an otherwise promising time for Ell. The rising star has a song on the charts, “What Happens in a Small Town,” a duet with Brantley Gilbert, and is nominated for an ACM Award, for New Female Artist of the Year.
Ell is also working on her upcoming sophomore album, and is eager to champion not only her music, but those of her fellow female artists, who Ell believes will soon have more opportunities, both at radio and on the road.
“Music should just be good music because it’s good music, not because more women need to be heard or less this and more of that,” Ell told PopCulture.com. “Because it’s so uneven right now, I feel like that’s the only way we can balance it out. I hope that eventually, and I say eventually as in hopefully this year, but maybe two years it gets to that point where it’s just talking about good music is good music. Regardless of if you’re male, female, purple, orange, blue, whatever, you record good music and fans want to hear it.”
Photo Credit: Getty images/Erika Goldring