real women real stories

Melissa Jordan, R.N.

Anti-Obesity Medication Stopped My Obsessive Thoughts About Food and Helped Me Become a Stronger Woman

For me, the mental benefits of taking an anti-obesity medication are just as important as the physical benefits

Shannon Murphy

I Started My Dream Job. Then I Was Diagnosed with Bladder Cancer.

Being open and honest with myself and my colleagues helped me balance work and bladder cancer

Shannon Murphy

Obtuve el trabajo de mis sueños. Un poco después me diagnosticaron cáncer de vejiga.

Ser abierta y honesta conmigo y mis colegas fue útil para encontrar un equilibrio entre el trabajo y el cáncer de vejiga

Holly Morrell

Genetic Heart Disease Won't Stop Me from Living the Life I Love

Despite having many surgeries over the years, I live a happy, healthy life with heart disease

Sandi Bass

Doctors Thought My Chronic Pain Condition Was Flaring Up. It Ended Up Being Gout.

The pain was unbearable, but with a rheumatologist, I’ve finally found an effective treatment

amy teets

Doctors Said It Was Probably Just a Stomach Bug — It Wound Up Being C. Diff

After months of not finding answers, a Facebook support group led me to the answers I needed to get better

Aliya on the beach

I Was Immunocompromised and a Clinical Trial Changed My Life

Thanks to a clinical trial, living with beta thalassemia is now so much easier

Aliya on the beach

Soy inmunodeficiente y un ensayo clínico cambió mi vida

Gracias a un ensayo clínico, vivir con talasemia β ahora es mucho más fácil

Meg Weber

EMDR Therapy Helped Me Heal from Trauma. Now I Use it to Help My Clients.

After EMDR helped me process my sister’s suicide, I decided to help others through EMDR therapy

Linda Urbanski

For Nearly a Year, Doctors Dismissed My Bladder Cancer Symptoms as UTIs

In my bladder cancer advocacy work, I see many other women overlooked by medical professionals

Diana

After Being Sexually Assaulted, I Started Taking PrEP — and I Plan to Be on It for Life

I encourage everyone to embrace the HIV-preventive medication, no matter their sexual orientation

Schern Yung on the beach

My OB-GYN Told Me It Was Nothing to Worry About — But It Ended Up Being Ovarian Cancer

Fortunately, I wound up with a supportive team of healthcare providers who helped me get well

Aidee Granados

Culture Shock, Then a Cancer Shock, Inspired Me to Create the Community I Needed

As a young mom and recent immigrant to the United States, I thought my life was moving and changing quickly — but cancer was moving even faster

Aidee Granados

El impacto cultural y luego el del cáncer me inspiraron para crear la comunidad que necesitaba

Puesto que era una mamá joven y que había inmigrado recientemente a Estados Unidos, pensaba que mi vida se movía y cambiaba rápidamente; sin embargo,el cáncer estaba avanzando aún más velozmente

Diana Brown

Doctors Told Me It Was Just Perimenopause. It Turned Out to Be Uterine Fibroids.

I wasn’t taken seriously until I developed symptoms of organ failure

Rachel Cohen

A Doctor Talked Me into Getting a Hysterectomy to Cure My Endometriosis. She Was Wrong.

I wish doctors had listened to me, and I wish I’d known to advocate for myself

Tara Mulder

Living with Ovarian Cancer Was Tough, but the Lessons I Learned Led to Lasting Joy and Clarity

I learned how amazing collaborative doctors can be and I was able to prioritize what makes me happy

Alyssa Elaskari

My Uterine Fibroids Make Partner Intimacy and Honoring My Religion Challenging, But I’ve Found Ways to Cope

Though long, heavy and painful periods affect my daily life and prayer rituals, I still find the beauty of God’s mercy in the everyday

Pooja Mehta

I’ve Learned to Be Open About My Mental Illness to Help Bring Awareness in the Indian Community

After years of living in shame, I’m now a mental health advocate who embraces her culture and identity

Carole Motycka

I Walked into the ER with a Shoulder Injury — I Left with a Colon Cancer Diagnosis and 6 Months to Live

As a colon cancer survivor turned advocate, I see the role luck, self-advocacy and privilege played in my diagnosis and treatment