I’ve toyed with the idea of talking about this publicly for some time, but I figure if I don’t raise awareness now, then when?

I’ve spent my entire life having a strained and tumultuous relationship with food, and by extension, my body. From the stares I got trying to eat with a severe under-bite, to the startling growth spurts. and unexplained weight gain, I’ve seen and felt the full range.

In May 2021, I received 2 fairly shocking health diagnoses; PCOS and diabetes. It feels like my body is betraying me all over again. Despite all the years I’ve spent eating healthy, consciously thinking about how much I eat, and when; it wasn’t not enough to put a stop to my shitty genetics. My father suffered all his life with both types of diabetes, and watching him stab himself with needles three times a day to manage his insulin levels left a lasting effect.

And as a wog, the idea of having children, and plenty of them, is all I’ve ever wanted, and dreamed of; made that much harder by these two new conditions, I’m finding it harder than ever to stay positive about the future, and what it will bring. There’s been far too many knocks, in such a short amount of time.

The idea of adding another handful of symptoms to an already overflowing cup, well, it’s left me emotionally exhausted.

But there’s no time for that, with more pricking and prodding on the way, and with it, I pray, a spoonful of hope…