Episode 86: Your Voice Works: Advocating for Yourself

A sharp pain in your hip can mess with your workouts, your sleep, and your mood but what messes with you even more is being told it’s “nothing” when you know it isn’t. Tajuana records a candid solo check-in right before a virtual appointment, reflecting on turning 40 and how that milestone is pushing her into a new era of non-avoidance, self-trust, and speaking up sooner.

She walks through her history as a gymnast, years of back flare-ups, and the way this right hip pain keeps showing up no matter how much she stretches. After a dismissive orthopaedic visit, she goes for a second opinion and finally gets clarity from new imaging and a doctor who takes the time to explain what’s happening. The diagnosis: femoroacetabular impingement, specifically cam impingement, where extra bone on the femur can rub in the hip joint and create that stubborn “C-shaped” hip pain. From there we get into realistic next steps like physical therapy to strengthen glutes, hips, and core and why surgery is the last resort.

The conversation widens into the bigger point: self-advocacy in healthcare. Tajuana connects the dots to advocating for an adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment, and to recognising postpartum depression symptoms and getting help. She also names the extra layer Black women carry when it comes to not being believed. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, overwhelmed, or afraid to “be too much,” let this be your permission slip to keep pushing for answers.

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