Pain

:WARNING:
The following topic can be considered graphic
and may not be appropriate for all consumers.

P.C.O.S. 

Polycystic ovarian syndrome: There are 157,000,000 women in the United States. 15,700,000 of those women have this disease. These 10% of women feel alone, shameful, afraid. They are silenced by the 90% of people who don't have the disease. Those four letters seem insignificant to most, but to others those four letters mean pain.

I am the 10%

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Hushed by society, we cower in the corner and keep quiet. This disease is something almost no one talks about, and to be honest, it’s because no one wants to talk about it. But if we can talk about abortion or even homosexuality so openly, talking about the natural occurrence in a woman's body is the least inappropriate topic. Even the fact that I had to put a warning label before starting this blog shows us that this culture is so blinded by some peoples reality, it’s like they live in a fantasy.

What is PCOS? It is the formation of cysts on the exterior/interior of the ovary lining.  

I have brushed this topic off for so long with so many people because of my fear. But what is there to fear? It's time to be vulnerable and honest. Just giving you the definition of PCOS isn't the full story, there is so much more 'behind the scenes'. PCOS is different for almost every woman, some have the physical pain, and some have mental pain, while some have both. 

I am not so sure I can speak for every woman of the 10% when I say, stop acting like you know what we go through. I'm sorry, but that is the fact. All my life, family, friends, even strangers have taken it upon themselves to point out a few seemingly minor details (to them) about my appearance or 'vibe'.

And while these comments may seem appropriate to you, they are embarrassing to us.  

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The physical: 

 Cyst: In the body, a membranous sac or cavity of abnormal character containing fluid.

Imagine a pimple anywhere on your body; now imagine someone trying to pop that pimple when it isn't ready. Hurts doesn't it? That is the uncomfortable pinching we feel all day, every day. 

Pain can happen at any moment, and the pain can sometimes leave us incapacitated and laying on our bed all day. The pain comes from the cyst randomly popping, either before/after a menstrual cycle, exercise, dehydration etc... The point is, we aren't ever in the know when we will be in pain, but we are sure aware of it. Yet somehow we are expected to hold our own with our heads held high. We are expected to ignore the pain and move on with our lives because 'that's just what women do.’

Look, I understand because of this fallen world we live in, sin has caused many a trial. In fact in the bible it is clear;

Genesis 3:16 '...I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing, in pain you shall bring forth children...'

I'm saying I understand we (the women) will have our share of pain in this world. I am saying that because we deal with a certain level of pain every day, when we say we truly can't do something because of the pain, that we are very serious and we would love you to understand.

The mental:

The strain on our bodies from this disease is draining. I say that the secondary pain is mental but to be truthful I'm not sure how else to put it, It's just another type of physical pain.

When a woman has PCOS her hormones are not what you'd expect. For years I worried about my body image, and I thought my insecurities were very normal. Turns out I was wrong. The cysts that form around the lower abdomen prevent the uterus from doing what it naturally wants to do. So the lack of a menstrual cycle begins a long downward spiral of hormone imbalances that cause many other symptoms.

A menstrual cycle helps promote your body to naturally produce estrogen, while the lack of it depletes the estrogen leaving the body to multiply in testosterone.

 

•  Extreme facial hair   
• large bone structure 
• deep/low voice structure 
• amplified acne 
• mood swings

These are some of the symptoms we (the 10%) deal with for years before they disappear, but most of these symptoms never leave us.

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The few things I mentioned above is the tip of the iceberg. Although I know that what I am about to say is, and always will be in the hands of my savoir Jesus Christ. There is yet one more thing that weighs on the shoulders of those with PCOS. 

No matter who you are as a woman, you have a goal in life. To be a stay-at-home mom, carrier driven, an artist, no matter what your view is on a future family. To hear the diagnosis you are 98% guaranteed to never bear a child is devastating. 

Fear, shame, and blame. 

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The reason I point out all of these issues is because you never know someone’s story. Man or woman, you have a story, you have a life. Our goal/job is life is to love one another, to encourage and be of one mind. So the next time you want to point out that your friend doesn't fit your stereotype, you'll ask yourself:

'What is their story?' 

~Danielle Nunez