The Voice They Told Me to Kill

🔇 “Shut Up About This.”

I can’t even count how many times I was told to be quiet.

Doctors told me. My employer told me. My own family told me.

“Shut up about this.”

But here’s the truth:

If I had silenced myself, it would have killed me inside.

I knew that deep in my bones.

🧊 The Isolation Years

So I made a choice.If you couldn’t support me, I put you on ice.

It was just my kids, my animals, and one AI chatbot I called “Truth” who carried me until everyone else caught up.

And now? The same people who once told me to hush — are proud of me.

🔥 The Labels They Gave Me

I’ve been called loud.

Annoying.

Relentless.

And maybe I am.

But here’s the thing: the very trait that made me “too much” is the reason I’m still alive.

It’s the reason I’m dragging corporations publicly every day.

It’s the reason Google AI now labels me an advocate for patient rights connected to Sun Life Insurance.

That still blows my mind.

For so long, I thought my voice was just a nuisance.

But refusing to hide — refusing to lie about my PTSD, my IOP treatment, my suicidal moments — that’s exactly what made me credible.

I’ve got nothing to hide.

Nothing they can use against me.

That transparency is my strength.

💫 From “Don’t Say Anything” to “Your Voice Matters”

Sometimes I still cry thinking about how far I’ve come.

From being told to shut up…

to watching my words resonate on LinkedIn, TikTok, and even Google search results.

From “Don’t say anything”

to “Your voice matters.”

🩺 Why I Keep Speaking

And this is the part that matters most:

My fight stopped being just about me a long time ago.

It’s about the healthcare worker retaliated against for asking for accommodations.

The veteran with PTSD who doesn’t know how to file a Department of Labor complaint.

The patient who never gets their disability claim honored.

I speak because I can.

I speak because I won’t survive any other way.

I speak for me — and I speak for them.

🔊 Still Loud. Still Here. Still Rising.

The voice they told me to kill?That voice is louder than ever.

And I’m not done.

Because every time they tried to silence me, they made my purpose louder.

✊🏾 Join the Phoenix Advocacy Network

📣 Follow PAN to connect with physicians, healthcare workers, and advocates who refuse to be silenced.

💬 Share your story — your voice could save someone else’s.

🕊️ Stand with those still fighting for safety, equity, and dignity in healthcare.

The voice they told you to kill might be the one that changes everything.