I was in and out of the hospital at least once a month for many years before doctors finally diagnosed me. Achiness, exhaustion, open sores in my mouth and my genitals and the pain was so bad I couldn’t eat or walk. Like clockwork, those sores would heal and then two weeks later more would erupt. I had to drop out of college because I wasn’t well enough to sit in class.

Behcet’s Disease. A very rare autoimmune disease that presents as inflammation in small to medium arteries and can strike anywhere in the body.

I was very bitter for a long time - I was accused of being a slut, I was treated for syphilis and herpes even when I tested negative for all STIs, I was not believed about my symptoms for years and years. It sucked.