Not something I literally thought only happened to me, but it’s a crime that girls aren’t taught in sex ed/health class that things commonly go wrong with the female reproductive system, so much so it’s normal for something to come up.

Whether it’s as minor as a yeast infection or as serious as PCOS, these things are glossed over or ignored.

So when I developed recurring bartholin cysts in college, I was beyond horrified. Turns out they’re pretty common! All it is is a blocked gland, which in turn creates a cyst when vaginal fluid is unable to exit. Would have been nice to know ahead of time.

I didn’t know girls grew body hair and had regular vaginal discharge. For a while I legitimately thought I was turning into a werewolf, and no, I can’t explain how the pussy juice factored into that.

I thought I was the only one without any social supports. Now I hear about the “epidemic of loneliness”. I’m trying to reach out a lot more. I am most definitely not the only one.

When I nursed my kids, right as the milk dropped I would get this wave of overwhelming DOOM, like absolutely nauseating fear, and then it would pass. I really thought I was crazy, had some hangup or fear around breastfeeding, some trauma I couldn’t remember, something.

I found out years later that it’s a recognized disorder called DMER, some brain chemicals don’t fire off fast enough to cushion you from whatever the fear-inducing chemical is that helps the milk let down. I had never even considered asking a doctor about it because I assumed it was something to do with my individual mind, or experience.