Happy Girl Winter: How to Overcome Seasonal Depressive Disorder
‘I Felt Ashamed and Unworthy of Love’: My HPV Diagnosis and Overcoming Internalised Misogyny and STI Stigma
My gynaecologist was shocked: she had never experienced anyone so young developing cancer so quickly. I was also shocked. I felt like my womb had failed me. I felt incredibly disconnected from my body, in constant stress and fear of having to endure heavier procedures. I felt dirty, ashamed, and unworthy of love and happiness…
‘Finding the Beauty in Abnormality’: My Diagnosis of Marfan Syndrome
‘Connective tissue disorder’ and ‘aortic dissection’ became regular parts of my vocabulary. Needles, MRIs and hospital gowns became our new normal and, by the time I turned eleven, our differences became more noticeable. My sister was lucky, in a way. At a glance, you wouldn’t know there was anything wrong and her heart was by far the least affected. For my cousin and I, it was different…
‘Women are More Likely to get Thyroid Disease, Is that Why it’s Overlooked?’ My Experience of Primary Care Mismanagement
Surely above all else, the question should be: what price is too high for women to be able to function at optimum health? Do we not have a right to expect to thrive, to live long healthy lives? Would it not in the long term serve both our National Health Service as well as ourselves to be able to do so?
‘Nobody Deserves To Be Convinced Into Silencing Their Body’s Pain’: My Endometriosis Story
My periods were hot red pokers when I was 16. Until I went on the pill for acne, as my doctor recommended, and it all went away: the pain, the symptoms and the bleeding. I was twenty-three when I decided to come off the pill. The first period after I did was a grasping-the-toilet, puddle-on-the-floor, call-my-mum …mess. I suppose that was the beginning. The first sign. But it was just period pain. Right?
‘My Adolescence was Dictated by Epilepsy’: Looking Back at My Illness and Learning to Face My Fears as an Adult
It definitely didn’t make me popular when I got to university. Even now, it’s hard having to justify to people the reasons why I don’t drink. It’s not anyone’s business but that doesn’t stop them from prying. My medication doesn’t recommend drinking, to which someone will always pipe up and say, ‘I know someone who knows someone who is epileptic and drinks.’ That’s great, thanks for your unnecessary input, but funnily enough we’re not all the same…
‘Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome, or MEWDS for Short’: My Story of Being Diagnosed with a Rare Eye Disease
The disease develops spontaneously and mostly in young, healthy adult women. It can sometimes be caused by a virus or an autoimmune disease, but for me the cause is unknown. I had about ten vials of blood taken that day and the results were all normal…
‘An Eating Disorder Can Look Different To Everyone’: Recovering From An Eating Disorder I Didn’t Know I Had
An eating disorder is when you stop eating at all or eat too much and then force your body to get rid of it somehow – at least, that’s all I thought it could be. I was absolutely certain I’d never come close to having one. I loved eating and hated throwing up. The problem here, if you haven’t already guessed it, is that that’s not the entire definition of an eating disorder. Not even close…
How I Survived College with an Undiagnosed Chronic Illness
For many people, going to college poses a fair number of challenges. How will I pay for school? How will I choose a major? How will I balance my classwork and social life? Health is one thing that many young people don’t think about as a potential problem. After all, most young people are the picture-perfect definition of good health…
Accepting Your Illness: How Understanding Your Eating Disorder Aids Healing
To begin recovering from your illness, you must be able to accept it. This acceptance can manifest in many ways. You can admit that you are sick (whether you believe it yourself or not). You can open up to others, allowing yourself to be comforted and supported. You can speak on how you feel, in the moment and during stressful trigger moments…