A few years ago, I thought my life would change forever. I was a first-generation college girl, trying to make my own in the biggest city in America. So when I suddenly developed painful cysts for unknown reasons, my quality of life took a sharp hit. Walking and sitting became agonizing. Sharp pain and discomfort became a constant worry in the back of my mind. I thought about how long I’d taken what we could call – perfect health for granted. When I went to the doctor, their best course of action was to cut me open and reduce the cyst manually every time I’d get a flare-up. I did the procedure a handful of times until it began to wear on me, physically and mentally. They told me there wasn’t a cure or much else to do. I began to feel defective and helpless.  

As someone who always looks for solutions, I naturally felt stuck. So, I did the only other thing left to do: I found a community who knew my experience. I scoured the internet for people with the same condition. I found countless women who were dealing with painful cysts too and they didn’t have a cure either, but they gave me solutions that made painful cysts something manageable. 

In that small forum in the corner of the internet, I discovered the benefits of turmeric. The same plant turned powder sitting in my kitchen cabinet. I had heard of at-home remedies before; the same natural concoctions my Dominican grandmother used to suggest. Coffee and butter for a congested chest, soursop and orange peel tea for a fever, shallots and honey for a cold – these were never the most enjoyable to consume but they did help the symptoms. 

I researched turmeric and learned that it was revered for its anti-inflammatory properties. I jumped at the opportunity for help and bought a bottle of turmeric pills. To my surprise, I began to see results only after a few days. My cysts stopped growing and causing me pain everyday. I was able to get back to my normal routine, to classes and work, without worrying when the next flare up would come. And when I did experience a flare up, I knew I could lean on turmeric to make the pain go away. 

My experience with painful cysts in a system we’re taught to rely on showed me the healing and restorative benefits of the natural remedies that surround all of us. I learned that using these ingredients didn’t mean I was going against the medical system, but that it brought me peace that the system couldn’t. What started as a desperate search for relief became a journey of rediscovery; of my body’s resilience, a remembrance of wisdom passed down through generations, and of the power found in simplicity. In turning toward nature, I learned that healing can be as much about nurturing the spirit as it is about treating the body. My goal is to uphold what can go overlooked – the power of nature for the body.