Cats out the bag - I’m sick

Something you should know about me is that I know survival.

At five years old, I was responsible for my own well-being. I woke myself up, got ready, and walked up a big hill to catch the school bus while other kids were cradled by parents. I learned young that the life I wanted had to be created with my own hands.

I grew up on food stamps and Section 8. I’ve been homeless. I’ve been afraid. But I know survival. And despite the cards I was dealt, I know love, oh, so much love. But now my body is failing me in ways that my spirit can’t out-survive on its own.

I can’t walk myself up that big hill anymore.

This time… I need help. I need some love.

In 2023, I was diagnosed with PCOS — Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Doctors call it a “hormonal disorder,” but those words feel too small for what it does to a person’s body. They found cysts on my ovaries, what they call a “string of pearls.” I still remember the gut feeling when the doctor told me, “You have a big black pearl.” A huge cyst.

Since then, I’ve been bleeding nonstop — almost every day since 2023.

That kind of bleeding steals things from you: iron, energy, clarity, sleep, hope.

It’s given me anemia, migraines that floor me, chronic inflammation, and a body that is constantly fighting for itself.

Now it’s 2025. I’m still bleeding. My life has been put on pause by PCOS — and possibly something undiagnosed that no one has taken seriously enough to investigate.

I’ve been dismissed by doctors. I’ve been failed by a healthcare system that leaves people like me suffering in silence. I’m raising funds to finally see a specialist who can investigate what’s really happening. I need invasive testing to determine whether I may have endometriosis, cancer, cystic fibrosis, or another womb-related disease that has been overlooked for far too long.

I’m currently unemployed and unable to work because of my declining health. My insurance covers almost nothing, and I can’t pay for the tests or specialist care on my own.

Any help — whether through donations or simply sharing my story — brings me closer to answers, proper treatment, and a chance at getting my life back.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping me fight for my health.