When I turned 27, my health started deteriorating. I was faced with an onslaught of health issues, including acne, eczema, hives, alopecia and a monthly recurring case of UTI. I popped my prescribed pills like candy, but one day, the UTI medication simply stopped working for me. I was in tremendous pain and discomfort, and couldn’t stand, walk or sleep. The doctor sent me back home, saying that I was already on the strongest medication, and there was no other treatment.
I remember that night vividly. It was late, and I was all alone in the dark, feeling depressed and dejected. I was only 30 – how could I live with this constant pain for my entire life? I was sinking into a whirlpool of pity when I was struck by a thought: The only person who could save me, was me. Mind you, I was not a very confident person at this point, so this realisation was daunting and empowering at the same time. I wanted to take back control of my mind, body and soul, instead of being dependent on others.
Of course, my first stop was Google. The first few pages repeated what I already knew: Take medication, change my body wash, drink more water, and so on. All tried and tested, to no avail.