Save yourself

Image Description: Photograph of Kae’s hand holding a banana against a white wall, overlaid a solid mustard yellow background with Instagram username @lettereleven in the bottom left corner of image.

Every time I saw my neuromuscular specialist, I would get reminded that there was no cure for my disease. (Imagine hearing that every single time and knowing it still rings true today). I’d leave the clinic in low spirits, begrudgingly accepting the looming fate ahead of me—something I’m sure many patients do. I don't remember when the turning point for me was but I just remember I was tired of feeling like I was waiting around to die.

It wasn’t until sometime in my early 20’s that a series of events led me to change my relationship with food. Knowledge became my superpower, and the more I learned about nutrition and the human body, the more I no longer felt like a victim. My newfound health journey was powerful and transformative; it felt like a big F you to the disease. But damn, it wasn't easy. It took many, many years of unlearning, relearning, patience, and money to implement a new lifestyle. I think this is what they call self-love. I really had to kick my own ass if I ever wanted to beat the odds.

All of this is to say: I really like this evolved version of me, and I'm a better—and ironically—healthier person today because of #MuscularDystrophy. I’m now more in tune with a body I previously resented, and I actively get to reclaim my health—something I believed I forever lost control over. Today, optimizing health is non-negotiable for me because food is medicine, and you are what you eat—so take care of yourselves, you only get one life. x

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