It was the summer of 2007 when I was diagnosed with an auto-immune kidney disorder. For all those who have no clue what the first word means, it’s this: basically there is no real cause for it. The disorder sorta just happens. There I was, on the more glorious side of my teenage years, making my way into more hospitals than high school romances. Long story short, these were four years of heavy steroid medications, not many outdoor activities, and a complete ban on junk food. Let’s just say those 70 kgs piled on rather quick.
Now, it might seem like a long time ago but a lot of people seldom realise that your teenage years are the most important. You’re navigating through the world as a fully conscious human being instead of relying on your parents or your family. You’re learning a thousand things about life and every experience is teaching you something new. Dealing with sickness while working through my raging hormones actually taught me a number of lessons.
Be kind to one another
Yes, we’re aware of this and every inspirational guru preaches the same thing but, during my illness, I realised that we see other people through a shield. Very rarely do we delve deep enough to know what they’re going through. Although, when asked, I would politely say “I’m okay” during those four years, a few extra words would always cheer me up from the sadness within.
Looks aren’t everything
As a 12-year-old dealing with body issues, stretch marks, and a lot of name-calling, you need to keep yourself very grounded to see past the BS. It took a lot of strength but I came to the inevitable conclusion that my scars are a part of my experience, not a sign of my failure. I’ve managed to stick to this even now and you should too. We’re bigger than that.
Boys can wait
Our teenage years were all about vanity. You want to date the hottest boys or at least be around them. Thank god for my illness, or just perhaps being a nutcase personality, I didn’t get the attention I was looking for. Which led me to understand that boys will come and boys will go but making them your priority will only make you dependant. Not only on the boy but also the attention.
Acceptance isn’t key
I was hella weird back in school. Add to that the effect of the steroids which made my face swell right up. After much trying, I finally stopped looking to alter my appearance or me in general. Since I made it out just fine, I realised that sure people will gossip, talk, even ridicule you for that matter, and getting accepted by everyone is not just a Herculean task, but also totally unnecessary. You do you, fam!
