Throughout my High School career, the scale was never my favorite place to be. "Wow Jenna you've gotten so skinny!" is something that I got used to hearing at least once a day. These comments were understandable considering I lost 10 pounds in 5 months, but that didn't mean that it was easy to hear. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and didn't enjoy being looked up and down day after day by the people surrounding me. The reason it was so hard to handle was because it wasn't my fault and it seemed that there was nothing I could do to control it.

When I began my medication for ADD starting in eighth grade, my whole life turned around. I needed the medicine to help me focus at school but what I didn't realize was that one side effect changed me for the worse. I wasn't the hungry little girl I was years before; she was always looking for something to munch on, even when she wasn't hungry. I was now the girl who woke up with a stomachache each day that seemed to last a lifetime. During these years I felt helpless because it seemed that no one understood what I was going through.

When people looked at me, they saw a sick girl who was starving herself in order to become thinner. This is why the issue hit me so hard. People looked at me like I was from a different planet. Despite the negative attention I was receiving, I kept my head up. There was no way I was going to let these people bring me down and strip me of my happiness. Instead of giving up and letting my weight drop even more, I tried my hardest to gain the weight back and look healthy again.

I started going to countless doctors appointments with the hope of figuring out what I needed to do to be myself again. We figured out that one of the main causes of my stomach issues was that I was lactose intolerant. I stopped drinking milk and eating ice cream. Even through my stomachaches aren't completely gone, I feel like a different person. Missing out on my favorite treat has been worth it.

Over this past summer, I worked with my parents and doctors and I have managed to gain all of my weight back. The road towards recovery was full of arguments, tears, but most importantly hope and passion. There was no way I was going to give up and let my body control my life. I wanted to be healthier so I pushed myself to adjust how and what I eat. Although this experience was very emotionally draining and had a negative impact on my mood most days, it ended up transforming me into a stronger person who didn't let other people bring her down. Even at my lowest, the idea of giving up was not an option. I've always been a hard worker and that personality trait will never change.