Monica Potter says she is not pregnant, but has colitis

“Parenthood” and “Wisdom of the Crowd” star Monica Potter, who had sparked speculation she was expecting a baby after posting a social-media image Wednesday of what appeared to be a pregnant belly, revealed Thursday that she has colitis and wants to call attention to the need for regular colonoscopies.

“Thank you for all of the well-wishes. I’m not pregnant. I’m kind of a little old to be pregnant, but you never know. Down the road. Who knows,” Potter, 46, said cheerfully in a YouTube, Instagram and Facebook video. “But what I wanted to bring to everyone’s awareness was some issues that I’ve been having with my belly, and sometimes these issues aren’t talked about: colitis, Crohn’s and getting a colonoscopy to diagnose what’s going on with our stomachs and intestinal problems. So I just wanted to let you guys know how important it is to go and get a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.”

Aiming her advice primarily toward women, who according to the American Cancer Society have a one in 24 chance of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, Potter said in accompanying text, “I’ve had colitis for almost 2 years and sometimes when I get flareups it’s painful and frustrating, so for all of you who suffer from colitis or other abdominal issues, please know you’re not alone.”

In her video, she called the disease “not something very glamorous. I’ve had to wear adult diapers sometimes driving [12-year-old daughter] Molly to school.” But, she stressed, “I’ve actually had a couple of friends pass away from colon cancer, and this is something I wanted to share with you. . . . And it’s not that bad of a procedure,” she maintains. “I’ve had it done before and now I go yearly to get checked.”

The actress, who is married to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Allison and has two adult sons from her first marriage at age 18, said, “I think finding the right health care provider and dealing with these issues can prolong your life and also diagnose things that you might not really understand.”