I saw a rare health condition on TikTok. It turns out I had it.
Plus: 💍 marriage decline ✨ magic circle plot 🚀 confidence jump-starts
You wouldn’t expect to have a health epiphany on TikTok.
Or perhaps you would, depending on your age and what parts of social media you frequent.
It was the case for our guest author Cleo, who is 21 and started developing strange symptoms, which TikTok helped her both to communicate with her doctors, and to find a community after her diagnosis with a rare syndrome. Scroll down to read her story.
In this edition of Take The Lead, the newsletter from The Female Lead, we’re also sharing a 2-minute exercise to jump-start your confidence, hearing about a woman who snuck into the all-male Magic Circle, and learning about why sisterhood is powerful, even for bonobo monkeys.
Enjoy, share if you like it, and subscribe if you haven’t so that you never miss an instalment.
The Female Lead Team
We’re talking about…
💍 Fewer women are choosing marriage. Research US shows women are prioritising independence, careers, and personal fulfilment over traditional timelines.
🌟 Emma Willis’ heart surgery shines a light on overlooked symptoms – from arm pain to fatigue, these signs could be more serious than you think.
🩺 Nine years of 'it's just period pain': UK women face nearly a decade-long wait for endometriosis diagnosis, as healthcare continues to dismiss their pain.
🐒 Sisterhood is powerful even in the animal kingdom - new research reveals female bonobos call the shots by working together and keeping male aggression in check.
Inspire me…
“This is for Jenny, really”
Sophie Lloyd managed to deceive the biggest magicians in the world in the 90s, by infiltrating the male-only Magic Circle in a plot with her friend Jenny Winstanley. She was expelled when she revealed her true identity, but 34 years later the society has apologised and welcomed her back. Sophie dedicated her reinstatement to her friend, who passed away in 2004.
I saw a rare health condition on TikTok. It turns out I had it.
By Cleo Lambert
Looking back, it probably started about 2.5 years ago, but you don’t wake up and realise everything in one moment.
The first thing I noticed was when my hairdresser pointed out how thin my hair had become. It didn’t make sense - my hair had always been thick.
My weight kept creeping up, despite me going to the gym five times a week and eating healthily. I had painful bloating after most meals. I blamed the contraceptive pill and stopped taking it, but nothing changed.
Doctors thought I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whilst it isn’t curable, I could manage it with diet and lifestyle changes. I cut out coffee, reduced carbs, stuck to low-impact exercise – but my symptoms only got worse.
By February 2024, things were spiraling. My periods were irregular, I felt exhausted all the time, and I was getting strange new symptoms: nosebleeds, unexplained bruising, stretch marks spread across my body, appearing even from stretching after workouts. I got a tattoo – something I’d done before without issue – and my arm was bruised for weeks.
Then, I saw a video on TikTok.
“Do you have these symptoms?” it asked.
I was reading a checklist of my life.
Toolbox: Jump-start your confidence
From Celine Prinse, coach and consultant specialising in women’s growth, and an ex-marketing director
🤔 Why: Feeling confident can be the difference between underselling yourself vs. commanding what you're worth. But it’s hard to find time to build yourself up, so here are 2 quick ways to boost confidence amid a challenge, or ahead of a big moment.
🔧 How:
Rethink what confidence is
Confidence isn't this untouchable pinnacle we reach. It ebbs and flows, and gets tested every time we grow.
Stop thinking of yourself as an 'imposter'. Instead, shift to remember you’re continually learning.
We've all got as much to offer, as we have to learn: What others learn from or value in you isn't always what you’d expect.
A quick, 2-minute exercise
When you’re in a confidence slump, close your eyes and ask:
What past challenge have I overcome that felt similarly difficult? [PAUSE]
What might I be making up about myself or this situation that isn’t true? [PAUSE]
What strengths (think broad) do I already possess for this challenge? [PAUSE]
What would my wiser, 85-year-old self say to me in this moment? [PAUSE]
What would I say to my best friend facing this? [PAUSE]
What one small action will I take in the next 24 hours to move forward? [PAUSE]
Final thought
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