#1
[eats large piece of cheese].
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#3
Everybody has their biological and behavioral quirks; there’s no way around it. But they can be a real nuisance. Someone might feel self-conscious that their ears are a certain shape or that they constantly sneeze whenever they get near cute and cuddly animals. Someone else might find it exhausting that they can’t dine out with their friends as often as they’d like due to their numerous food allergies. Or someone’s still shocked that they’re actually color-blind and literally see their environment differently from most other people.
It can be emotionally taxing dealing with all of this. And nobody’s dismissing the impact of these biological quirks. However, reframing how you view them can reduce some of that anxiety you feel. For instance, instead of seeing your color blindness as a ‘burden,’ you could try to see it as something of a superpower or cool mutation.
On the other hand, instead of focusing on your uniqueness, you could go the other way and look for commonality. There are likely millions of other people around the globe with similar genetic mutations as you. There’s strength in finding a community that can support you.
#4
I was just told it was the curse of being a woman and that periods are supposed to hurt.
Turns out I have endometriosis and the pain was caused by internal bleeding every period.
Thanks mom.
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#6
According to Enchroma, there are a whopping 350 million people who are color-blind on our planet. Though this is far from the majority, it’s such a large minority that you never have to feel alone with your condition if you get diagnosed with it. Literally a third of a billion other human beings know what you’re going through and can potentially guide and support you. That being said, it’s still not an easy life.
Color blindness affects around 1 in 12 men, as well as 1 in 200 women. 90% of color-blind people admitted that it does affect them at work, while 75% said that they need their colleagues’ help to verify certain colors.
Around half of students with this condition are less interested in drawing, painting, and art galleries. And more than half of color-blind women revealed that they left out of activities like shopping, makeup, and fashion, where color plays a key role. Furthermore, nearly half of all color-blind people didn’t find out about their condition until the 7th grade.
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#8
An orthopaedic consultant then told me that I shouldn't do it even if the Queen asked me to. Fortunately that situation has never actually arisen.
#9
Turns out I just have Reynaud's Phenomenon.
What are some of your biological quirks that you were shocked to learn about, dear Pandas? How did you realize that your life experience is different from that of the folks around you?
How do your biological differences affect your life, whether for better or for worse? What advice would you give anyone who’s shocked to learn that their body works rather unusually? Let us know in the comments!
#10
Edit: To clarify, of course she knew they had leaves, but she just thought they fell from the big fluffy tree blobs. Not sure about if she had climbed a tree, maybe she was just too busy playing to make the connection.
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#14
Often would get stuck and involve either throwing it up or forcing it down with other food or water.
Lived like this until 21.
Turns out I had eosinophilic esophagitis. It's basically a constriction of the esophagus due to allergic reactions that are more or less permanent without treatment.
I sought after medical help, upon my first endoscopy the scope found my throat to be 7mm in diameter.
A normal one is 20mm for comparison. I've since had upwards of 10 dilatations to achieve a normal status of 15mm.
All is well now.
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#18
I found out much later that OCD wasn't always just counting steps while wanting everything neat and tidy.
(edit): To anyone reading or commenting here, now thinking they have OCD or any other related illness - trust not what you read on the internet to give you a diagnosis. Take what you've read and written here and think long and hard; if you still feel that my experience fits your symptoms, talk to your doctor, male an appointment with a therapist or psychiatrist and be open and honest about what you experience. Leave it to experts who are sitting in front of you to diagnose what you're experiencing.
#19
