Chrissy Teigen takes fans along as she gets 1st colonoscopy at age 37

Chrissy Teigen is documenting her first colonoscopy at the early age of 37 to urge others to get checked when it's first recommended by their doctors.

The cookbook author and model began sharing updates on her Instagram Stories on July 18, a day before undergoing the procedure.

"So I have my first colonoscopy tomorrow because I was told by my doctor that people are getting (colon cancer) younger and younger, and they should go in earlier and earlier to get checked now," she said in a video.

Guidelines issued in 2021 from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggested screenings for colorectal cancer should begin at 45, which is five years earlier than previously recommended.

Colorectal cancer was responsible for the second-most deaths of any cancer in the country in 2020, the most recent year that data was available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of colon cancer have been creeping up in people ages 45 to 50, Dr. Michael Barry, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and vice chair of the task force, previously told TODAY.com.

Teigen is getting a jump on the process by having it done before she even turns 40.

"We don’t get checked because we’re not told to," Teigen said. "You’d think that, like, your parents are the ones that get checked."

On July 19, she shared a photo of herself in a bed with a hospital gown and mask and the caption “time 2 check out that a--.”

A day earlier, she joked that she normally wears a black bra and black leggings every day, but made an unfortunate wardrobe selection on the day of her prep for the colonoscopy.

"For some reason on the day that I have to take this wild amount of colon cleanse pills, I chose to wear white pants and a white bra," she said. "Just being a big risk-taker today."

She also shared that she was on a different regimen than the usual laxative liquid that cleans out a patient's colon ahead of the procedure. The Cleveland Clinic notes that colonoscopy prep kits can include liquid colon cleansers or pills.

"One thing that you always hear about is the crazy drink that you have to drink the night before," she said. "It’s like very intense cramping, and obviously you have to get ready to have a camera up your butt. But now, it can be pills."

Teigen also described the eating restrictions patients must endure the day before the colonoscopy.

"I am waiting for my green Jello to solidify because I am starving," she said while lying in bed. "You cannot eat the day before your colonoscopy. You can have clear liquids and Jello."

After the procedure was finished, she shared an update with her followers: "I just woke up from my colonoscopy and I feel great. It took like 20 minutes. I honestly wish it took longer because it was a good nap."

Teigen is the latest celebrity to bring light to the importance of colonoscopies when it comes to catching colon cancer and other health issues early.

Actor Ryan Reynolds shared last year how his first colonoscopy at 45 was "potentially life-saving" after he agreed to broadcast it when he lost a bet to actor and friend Rob McElhenney. The procedure caught a "subtle polyp" that could've grown into something much worse, according to Reynolds' doctor.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com