"I was filled with shame, thinking, 'Oh my god, I'm such a failure at being a woman that I'm harming myself,'" Keltie Knight admitted.
Keltie Knight went through a long battle with intense health issues before she was eventually identified with microcytic anemia, a uncommon blood condition.
On the Tamron Hall show on Wednesday, May 29, Knight, 42, talked about her experience two months after she shared her condition in an Instagram video and an article for E!'s website. The E! News reporter discussed her frustration with the medical professionals.
"Every time I visited Tamron, I was sure something was off. I couldn't read the teleprompter at work, so I had to memorize my lines. Yet, the same suggestions were given each time: 'Are you getting enough vegetables?' 'Are you staying hydrated?' 'Perhaps you're overworking. Try incorporating meditation into your routine.'" Knight elaborated.
The medical professionals treating Knight made her believe that her health problems were her own doing, and she internalized their criticism.
"I thought, 'This is all my fault. I chose coffee over green smoothies. Therefore, this rash that covers 75% of my body is a result of my actions,'" she explained.
Knight experienced deep embarrassment, feeling like she was failing as a woman and to blame for her own pain. Despite adhering to their recommendations, her condition did not improve, leaving her feeling exasperated and overlooked.
After seeing 15 different doctors, a friend suggested Knight see a specialist who eventually gave her a correct diagnosis.
"I went in, and the test results were 60 pages long. I had never seen such detailed information before," Knight remembered. "During my next appointment, the doctor looked directly at me and said, 'You're in a serious condition. I will help you recover. It will take a year. You should start crying.'"
This moment marked the start of her healing process, as it was the first instance a physician acknowledged her emotions.
The Cleveland Clinic describes microcytic anemia as a condition where red blood cells do not have enough hemoglobin, a crucial component for distributing oxygen throughout the body.
Knight chose to open up about her experiences to motivate other women to believe in their own judgment and stand up for their well-being. "I aim for all women to understand that they're not insane, they're not deceivers, their signs are genuine, and they need to persist in their fight for support until they secure the assistance they require," she stated.
The Quran - Chapter An-Najm : 43 - 47
Moreover, He is the One Who brings about joy and sadness.
And He is the One Who gives life and causes death.
And He created the pairs—males and females—
from a sperm-drop when it is emitted.
And it is upon Him to bring about re-creation.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ (and that He is the One who makes [ one ] laugh and makes [ him ] weep,...53:43) Mankind experiences happiness and grief, and consequently laughing and weeping.
Man assigns this to the secondary causes [ which refer to every existent thing in this universe, and that is where he ends the matter.
If we analyze carefully and profoundly, the whole system of cause and effect ends with Allah, the Primary and Supreme Cause.
No secondary cause makes anyone happy or sad, nor does it make him to laugh or weep. Both of these things are created by Allah.
He created the series of secondary causes and effects in our finite world. But as the Primary and Supreme Cause, He can at any moment make the laughing person weep, and make the weeping person laugh. How well it has been versified!
بگوش گُل چہ سخن گفتہ کن خندان ست بعند لیب چہ فرسودہ کہ نالان ست
What have You whispered to the ear of a flower (0 Allah) whereby it is smiling?
And what have You said to the nightingale whereby it is weeping all the times?
