Health journey update and I finally moved!

It has been a longer-than-expected journey, but I finally arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico! I love that I get to have a new start – a new language, culture, experiences – in a place I never anticipated I would move to.   

I thought my life was just beginning when I moved to my homeland of Hawai’i. But it was a beginning that always looked back to what I thought should have been. Moving to Puerto Rico has surprised me. My eyes, ears, and heart are open to this experience in ways I didn’t expect. Everything around me is foreign, and I am not looking at old wounds.  

And, wow, I feel so held by my ancestors in this health journey. In 2 months, I saw all the specialists I needed to see, which seems impossible knowing how burdened our health system is. I saw a cardiologist, lipid specialist, and geneticist. Now I know that I have familial hypertriglyceridemia which is a genetic disorder that causes an overproduction of lipids, which causes high triglycerides and cholesterol. I need to be careful of developing pancreatitis, heart failure, and kidney disease, amongst other health problems. I am learning how to eat in a way that doesn’t make things worse, which ultimately means eating mostly lean proteins, fiber, and veggies. I am making slow progress with the changes, but I am glad I know how to help myself. It feels empowering.  

Through this process, I developed some anger about adoptees not having access to medical records when we are adopted because this info is important. I was told multiple times that because I didn’t know my family’s health history, I “wasted a few decades” getting help. Ugh. How many other adoptees are also “wasting time” not knowing their health history?! My health could have been so much worse if I didn’t advocate for myself and insist that my doctors help me understand why I keep having high cholesterol and triglyceride numbers.  

So, please, learn from me. If something seems strange with your health, don’t let up! Speak up! Fight for yourself! Especially if you are an adoptee. It feels unfair that we additionally have to do this work to learn about our health. I’m exhausted from fighting for myself, but I know I am worth it. We are all worth fighting for, especially when it comes to our health.