I was reading this article, the other day, about Lady Gaga and it always throws me how open people can be about their pains, their misfortunes, their health… 

For the longest time – I’d say my entire life – I believed, with every fiber in my body, that being strong was all about shielding the ones around you from your pain. I still believe it, if I being honest. But I understand now that like with everything else, balance is key.

I don’t condone the Debbie Downers of the world, always saying “poor me, look at me, I’m so miserable” but, I do see the value of sharing our story as a way of making people feel less alone in their own pain. Sharing it in a positive light, showing your strength in overcoming it or, at the very least, showing how you learn to live with it and maybe how it changed you for the better.

This all made me think about what I’ve been thrown and how I hope this might resonate with you – you are not alone, nobody’s life is as perfect as it might seem, and sometimes, if you stay positive, from great hurdles can come the greatest transformations.

This is about to get really personal so, if this is not your cup of tea, come back another day for more styling tips and style inspiration.


In 2005 I became sick. I was tired all the time, I felt shortage of breath, heart palpitation, lack of energy… At first I thought I was just juggling too much – college, work, gym, social life, etc – but at one point, it just became unbearable (and thank God it did) so I went to see a doctor. Turns out I had a sever anemia and after a month of injections I had to be admitted to the hospital and was given a blood transfusion – that’s how serious it was.

I then stayed there for a full week. I didn’t know it then but this day would become the end of an era and the beginning of the new life I would have, a new career (in styling), new dreams… this would mark my entire life-transformation.

From this day, November 16th 2005, 7 years went by of me in hospitals, doctors offices, surgeries, treatments, medicine, needles… You name it, I probably done it. I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids which caused me to be in extreme pain quite often and  also to keep me anemic for so many years.

I had about one surgery a year, several treatments in between, I had to start planning my life around my “hospital-holidays” and doctors visits… Nothing seem to work and after every surgery, the suckers would come back, bigger and more aggressive. Meanwhile, in a routine check of a small nodule I had in my thyroid, my endocrinologist became concerned that this too had grown – So, one more surgery to remove the half-side where it was located.

Did you know that you can live with just half your thyroid, without needing medicine?

Well, once that was out, I wasn’t as lucky. The tests came back and it was cancer so it was necessary to remove the all thing, so I could then have this radioactive treatment that would kill any trace elements of the cancer.

Long story short, after 7 years I ended up with no uterus and no thyroid but, at least, I was healthy again and I no longer had to plan my life around all these chaos.

During all this, I told only my closest family and not even a hand full of friends. Even though now I see that I could have done it differently, I’m still proud of myself for how I handled everything. I could have pitied myself, I could have played the victim, let it become all that I was (am). Instead, this was just a chapter, a tiny part of my story.

Yes, I had to change my life-roadmap, I had to adjust certain expectations, see things in a different light and you know what I came to realize? I’m happier now than I ever was before this all thing happened to me. Through it all, I kept saying to myself that “everything happens for a reason” and I believe this with all my heart.

And, in a way, it did change my life, because, in forcing me to stop, it also forced me to put things into perspective. Helped me understand that I had to get rid of some toxic habits/ people, made me look at my life from the outside and understand that you gotta love what you do everyday, if you wanna shot at making it count and being happy. But it didn’t define me and it didn’t change my core values.

What was the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome? Or maybe you’re still in the midst of it all and you can’t yet see the light at the end of the tunnel? Like I said, you are not alone. I am here for you and maybe your story might inspire someone else ⬇️

Stay Stylish… & Healthy, always ✨

Raquel