So as the title suggests, I went vegan when I was 15 and am now vegan, and it changed my life, became my identity. I am vegan for all the reasons, for the environment, for my health and most importantly for the animals. I pride myself so heavily on this and veganism is so important to me. Almost like a religion.
But I've been pushing down my health problems for some time now. luckily my hair stopped falling out when I added more and more protein into my diet. But I'm dizzy all the time, and lately, it's been the fatigue too. I am type O blood, which means that my body needs the most "animal products" out of any type to function. I've been anemic for most of the time I've been vegan, other when I've had high doses of iron prescribed by a doctor but that isn't always doable. There's just so much brain fog and anxiety and jitters and it would be so great if this wasn't related to veganism, but I've been to so so so many doctors in the last two years hoping to find the overall answer. No matter how healthy I eat, I feel like I am missing something, and worry about what long term damage I may have done on my body.
So eggs have popped into my head for a while now. But I am a STRICT vegan. I am highly educated on animal industries and will know the answer to any stupid question a non-vegan has to ask, and I care so deeply about the honey bees and chickens and everything involved. Not to mention that my body feels pure, adding an animal product into my body seems like contaminating it. And I don't even kill mosquitos!!! I truly am that hippy-dippy save everything kinda person.
I'm terrified, but I'm considering going to a farmer's shop or market, finding their eggs and telling them my story and ask about all the conditions of the chickens, because I will never support the horrific egg industry. I will not be the cause of all those male baby chicks being ground up, I just want to take them home.
I'm scared of losing this identity like it will make me a fraud. I love every vegan birthday I have and that I can say that I've been vegan for five years. And I kind of think that if the only eggs I ever eat are as ethical as they can be, I don't think that stops me from being vegan. My vegan culture is the strongest culture I really have.
I think I really just needed to get this off my chest and would love some insight, this is the hardest choice I've had to make and I'm still not sure about it. But I'm studying abroad and I want to absorb as much knowledge as I can, but my brain just isn't functioning properly.