Country Music Star Lorrie Morgan Is Singing the Praises of Breast Cancer Awareness
Ask Lorrie Morgan and she’ll agree: Country music is in her blood. A Nashville native and daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member George Morgan, Lorrie made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry at age 13 and was inducted into the Opry at the young age of 24. Lorrie is also the first woman to begin her country-music career with three consecutive Platinum albums.
Today, Lorrie is still making music, having just finished a new album with award-winning producer Richard Landis. However, even with her busy music career, she finds the time to be a fierce advocate for breast cancer awareness and women’s health. My Hometown Health recently spoke to Lorrie to discuss her passion for healthy living and lifting the voices of women.
Why did you get involved in breast cancer awareness?
Well, it started close to home. Breast cancer runs in my Daddy’s family. I had a cousin who had breast cancer and needed a double mastectomy. It was very scary for her, but she handled it like a champ. A couple of my close friends have also had tough, tough battles with breast cancer. Kelly Lang, a wonderful singer and person, is a breast cancer survivor. She was a real warrior fighting the disease for so many years. I remember walking at the gym one day and seeing a woman come toward me wearing a black wig. It wasn’t until I passed her that I recognized it was Kelly. She didn’t want people to recognize her because of the cancer. I told her that her strength was her true beauty, not her appearance. The next day, she got rid of the wig.
What do women need to know about breast cancer?
First and foremost, follow the recommended schedule for having a mammogram, starting at age 40. It is so important for detecting breast cancer early, and that can be such a lifesaver. I have a mammogram once a year, and I also see my gynecologist. I really like the new 3-D ultrasound mammogram that is now available. It doesn’t feel as though it is closing down on your breast like a garage door. I am also a huge believer in breast self-exams. I try to perform one whenever I think about it, which is not as often as I should. When a woman does a regular self-exam, she becomes familiar with how her breast feels. That way, it becomes easier for her to detect new lumps or anything else abnormal that might be a sign of breast cancer.
How do you stay healthy?
For me, healthy living comes down to doing little things, like watching the size of the portions I eat, or choosing spinach and other leafy vegetables instead of something less healthy. For exercise, I’m a big swimmer. I love to take walks with my two dogs, Puddin’ and Li’ Mae Rose, who also love playing in the water with me. Floor exercises, like hip rolls and leg raises as well as yoga, are also important to keep my body toned. I eat a lot of soft-boiled eggs and Ezekiel bread, which is made from freshly sprouted organically grown grains, and I love hot peppers, even ghost peppers, the hottest. Hot peppers are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and they help with inflammation.
What other advice would you like women to hear?
When it comes to your health, make sure your voice is heard. Women need to stand up for themselves, so their doctors and nurses take notice and listen to their concerns. Let me share an example. A while back, my health was in bad shape and none of my treatments were working. I felt strongly that something was wrong with me, but I didn’t say anything. This went on for years.
Finally, I insisted on an exploratory procedure to see what might be wrong. My doctors discovered endometriosis in my lower abdomen, and I ended up needing a hysterectomy. I went through a lot of unnecessary suffering that could have been avoided if I had just spoken up and been more assertive.
Any final thoughts?
Trust your intuition. If you think something is wrong with your health, take action. Nobody knows what your body is feeling better than you do.