#PCOSAwareness

[roisinivy]

September is PCOS Awareness month, and I'd like to point out some of the many symptoms people with PCOS deal with everyday...

moon face

excessive body hair, arm, chests, back, face, legs and buttocks

irregular periods

painful periods

extremely heavy periods

constant bloating

mood swings

struggle to lose weight

struggle to gain weight

food cravings

high cholesterol

insulin resistance

oily skin

acne

insomnia

fatigue

sleep apnea

depression

anxiety

tubular breasts

dark and sensitive underarms

skin tags

belly fat

high testosterone

excessive hair loss

thinning hair

pelvic pain

infertility

ovarian cysts

And so much more, as well as having to struggle to even find a doctor who will take any of our symptoms and pain seriously. The medical industry needs to take better care of women, intersex and trans folks with PCOS and Endometriosis.

Our pains are real and we deserve better.

[animefeminist]

Nagata Kabi and the Mundane Pain of Sickness; or, That Time My Body Broke and I Had To Figure Out How to Keep Going

Content Warnings: Discussion of disordered eating and trauma

For many queer, marginalized manga readers, the name Nagata Kabi rings an immediate bell. Whether it’s her first title, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, her Solo Exchange Diary duology, her musings on alcoholism and marriage in separate, consecutive entries, or most recently, My Pancreas Broke, but My Life Got Better, Nagata’s autobiographical works capture contemporary life with an unflinching honesty that has resonated across her audience. This is certainly true for myself and that last title. 

My Pancreas Broke, but My Life Got Better is a bit of a time capsule, capturing how it felt to be sick in Japan’s emergent COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a pandemic that I had a unique perspective of as I was living in Fukushima when, in March 2020, the country shut down. I would go on to live within that pandemic until I immigrated back to the United States on August 11, 2020, where I would be faced with the jarring dissonance between Japan’s health care system and America’s tendency towards capitalistic cruelty.

While a distinctly different view on the pandemic, Nagata Kabi’s sixth autobiographical entry resonates with my own story as it captures the confusion and mundane chaos of suddenly living in a society that seems to be falling apart at the seams. Simultaneously, it details what happens when your body breaks while the world is just… kind of falling apart. It’s a story—a true narrative—about what happens when your life falls apart and you can no longer escape 

That last bit is what this article is about: falling apart.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[anothergoodtime]

Over 40lbs down in 6 months, the first time I’ve felt my ribcage in years. Battling this PCOS one workout at a time. 💪🏻

[squishmallowo]

EDIT: TME/TMA ARE NOT INTERSEXIST TERMS PLS STOP INTERACTING WITH ME IF YOU BELIEVE THIS THANK YOU - sincerely, an intersex person who actually listens to transfems (including intersex transfems) (no not tme people with pcos/ncah/whatever, you know what i mean)

anyways.. here's the original post:

i regularly see people talk about whether pcos should be considered an intersex condition or not.. and tbh, regardless of what you think, pcos (specifically the symptoms they call virilisation) is treated like an intersex condition in practice anyway

even if they don't actually use the word intersex, so many of the symptoms are completely harmless and instead they're defined by the fact that they're "male" characteristics on a "female", if that isn't intersex then idk what is! having the "wrong" sex characteristics according to society is how intersex is (or at least should be) defined

like hell even the term hirsutism on its own literally only exists because of intersexism, the literal definition of it is "male pattern hair growth"... that's literally just it, the only thing that makes it a "symptom" is being the wrong person to have this kind of hair growth

while intersexness does centre around physical traits, imo it's the way society treats us and reacts to our bodies that actually makes us intersex (as an identity and community), if i wasn't treated this way growing up (and still treated this way today!!), i would probably not have identified as intersex, i think it's important to keep this in mind when looking at how people decide what an intersex condition even is

so with that logic, it makes perfect sense for hyperandrogenic pcos to be considered intersex, the only reason why it isn't is because society benefits from having a large group of women to put below other women while still telling them they have a chance to be "normal" like other women, as long as they put the effort into it.. (by making them spend thousands on stuff like hair removal, weight loss, fertility treatments, anti-androgens, surgery, etc!)

them identifying as intersex in any way completely breaks the illusion, it separates the "male" features from the actually bad symptoms, people would start to question why they have to put themselves through so much effort rejecting their bodies just to be seen as normal, and ofc society does not want that, especially because it makes a lot of money to keep things this way

even the way pcos is diagnosed reeks of this, you could easily be diagnosed with it even if your only problem is high androgens and nothing else (i've been told to get checked for pcos for the crime of: simply having more testosterone than average)

if you tell someone their perfectly harmless features are actually part of this scary disorder that needs treatment then it suddenly becomes a lot easier to manipulate them into finding a "cure" for these harmless features, the pathologisation of intersex features is a huge part of what makes intersex an identity in the first place..

not only that, but ncah (a condition that's more commonly accepted as intersex) is almost always misdiagnosed as pcos, if pcos can look almost exactly like an intersex condition, it is probably intersex. i most likely have ncah, not pcos, and it's treated as almost the same especially before it's actually diagnosed as ncah

and if nothing else, if the intersex "symptoms" of pcos could somehow be found out at birth, and could be "fixed" by a surgery, they absolutely would do it (something that so many intersex children have to suffer through), the only reason why they don't is because they can't, if that isn't enough proof on its own that pcos can be intersex then idk what is!!

the experience of being pathologised for having the "wrong" sex characteristics (both primary and secondary) is what makes intersex a community and grouping these "symptoms" in with actually bad symptoms under one syndrome is not by accident!

[lumidotexe]

noticed my top abs slightly forming but then remembered I took a genetic lottery L.

proud of my progress but it makes working out twice as hard

[berrycontrary]

PCOS Rabbit!

The other day I bought myself a PCOS Rabbit Plushie Dreadful!

As someone with PCOS I LOVE adorable this little fella so much and I can't wait to have em!! So for celebration I drew this!!

Super proud of this piece ngl ghj

[tooedgyforbrunch]

Girlies with PCOS send me your tips and things that have worked for you. I’ve gained so much weight and losing it has been difficult. I feel so uncomfortable in my skin and it’s been very deflating to be honest.

[ratatoast]

Whew, I’ve really been debating whether I should make this post or not, but I’ve decided that it is my civic duty as a fellow cyster to bring awareness and maybe help others understand or even recognise the symptoms and what it means to have PCOS

I could hit you guys with all the official terms and statistics, but I will let the pictures do the talking on that

I personally just thought that I should share my story and how I got diagnosed with PCOS, and how I’ve been managing since then

So, I got my first period when I was 10. Which is quite early, but it never really bothered me. I always had a very regular menstrual cycle, from the number of days I menstruated, to the length of each phase.

Well, that all stopped when I was almost 19. My periods stopped being regular, I even went 3 whole consecutive months without even ovulating once. I was always irritated, I gained a lot of weight, my skin was horrible and I just wasn’t really on top of my game in general.

But I just kept telling myself that everything would be fine. I floated through 2 years of my life without knowing if I would be getting my period each month. I didn’t understand why I was always so hormonal and I kind of started hating myself.

So this year, in the very beginning of july, now at the big old age of 21, I decided to go to the OBGYN. I was honestly scared shitless, but I was trying to gaslight myself into thinking that it would be all fine. Except it ended up not being all fine. Because I got diagnosed with PCOS.

Now, I don’t know about other OBGYNs, but mine didn’t particularly care to explain stuff to me, just gave me my papers and told me to get a bunch of tests done to find out my root cause. My regular doctor just gave me a pamphlet for dieting with diabetes/IR and basically told me to just figure things out on my own.

I think it’s honestly disgusting how little healthcare professionals seem to care about a condition that affects so many afab people. There isn’t a cure, because nobody cares to find a cure.

Well, they should.

Everyone should.

Living with PCOS isn’t easy. I have mental breakdowns about it on the weekly. I hate having to restrict what I can eat so much.

And I hate that it is worth it. I hate that I actually feel better when I don’t eat dairy, I hate that I actually feel awful physically when I eat carbs. It’s not fair.

And I hate that my sickness affects the most important (to me) aspect of my life: my fertility.

I have never not wanted children. Becoming a mother is the biggest dream I had since I was a kid. It’s my life purpose. And I might not ever get it.

But I can’t let my PCOS rule my life. I am me, first and foremost. Chronic illness or not.

And I really hope that every woman struggling with PCOS can look into the mirror at the end of the day and find beauty in what she sees.

You are beautiful.

You are strong.

You are loved.

[avalentina]

The Gift

100% Pure Fluff🧸🧸🧸

Kind of part 2 to A family that just can't be

Image not mine.

Harry talked you into it. He always does get his way, and even with a little pushback from you, he still got it. You agreed to one, ONE. One singular round of IVF.

"H. I don't care that you don't think it's expensive."

"Yes, I'm sure it's worth it to you if we get to have a baby."

"OH MY GOD, HARRY! Stop trying to turn this into a dirty joke, it's a serious topic H."

"I will not continuously set myself up for heartbreak."

"One. One round, if lightning doesn't strike, then maybe it's just not meant to be."

Harry made all the arrangements, doing it privately, sparing no expense, consulting your OBGYN, wanting to do literally everything possible to ensure that your dream of carrying the child, in addition to both of your dreams of having a family all came true.

"I promised you the world, our world, my love. And nothing will keep me from fulfilling that promise." H had said to you this morning when you woke up. He even went as far as to make your favorite breakfast. He also knows how much you love the Dino, so that was the car you took. Today is the day the fertilized eggs get planted back inside you. Tomorrow you're sleeping in, and then the next day Harry has to leave for a week to do a few more shows, but he'll be back in time for the two week check to see if it took.

Anne was checking in on you, you knew Harry asked her to, he hated the fact that he had to leave. You and Gem were having baby safe girl time almost every night. And when the two week check came, your OBGYN was already tearing up.

Seeing her tears you assumed the worst, and by the looks of it, so did Harry.

"Those better be happy tears like mine." She had said to the two of you.

You and Harry froze, once the words she had said sunk in, you finally regained your ability to speak.

"I…I…I'm actually pregnant?" You said, crying again.

"You 100% are." She replied. Harry couldn't hold it together any longer. He hugged you, then hugged your OBGYN and then hugged you again.

She gave you instructions on what to start watching for, some exercises to help, and everything else she could to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.

When you and H got back to the house, you grazed your fingers along the door handle to the future nursery with a smile on your face as you and Harry celebrated the miracle inside you.

[artistic-shapeshifter]

September is PCOS awareness month. I've been hard at work on this comic. I've used my comfort ocs and characters in order to describe my experience with PCOS. I always put a part of myself in my ocs when I make them. In this comic, Pexio is worried he can't help the human he's assigned to as a guardian pinata because he doesn't understand the condition she's been diagnosed with. Ana teaches Pexio and JJ about PCOS and the effects it can have on women mentally, emotionally and physically. (with Sun and Moon's help) If any of my art were to blow up and get a ton of attention, please let it be this comic. I was invalidated, lost and hating myself thanks to my PCOS, other conditions and issues on top of it and...toxicity. I still am. Even with some of the help I'm finally getting after so long. If I can do one thing, I want to touch someone's heart. I want to make them feel seen and valid. I want to give someone else the validation and love that I didn't get. I hope you enjoy the comic :3 I put my heart and soul into it.

[spaghettimakesflags]

PCOS pride flag

[eyezdrawz]

sigh crying because I see no representation of transmascs with PCOS and it makes me sad. but alas we persist

[girl-unnoticed911]

I’m so done with everything dude

Like honestly

[sugarplumz100]

Thinking about the moon boys with girlfriend with PCOS. How Steven helps you set a diet if you want one and how he does tons of research on your condition to make sure he is educated with it. Steven definitely goes to doctor visits so you don't feel alone. How Marc watches your stress level to make sure you're okay. Marc who tells you you're beautiful and comforts you when you get insecure about your acne and hair. Jake who helps you when you get extreme cramps and makes you comfort food for when you don't feel like yourself. Jake who helps you remember to take your birth control pills.

(I legit see nothing on here about PCOS and it bums me out. I know that for every person the symptoms can be different but I tried my best to make this one general. We PCOS girlie need representation.)

[roisinivy]

September is PCOS Awareness month. Last year I made a post including all of the common symptoms. As it's nearly a year since my diagnosis, I thought I would share my story of being diagnosed...

I started showing symptoms of having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS for short) when I was 14, in 2018. I went 9 months without a period, started growing body hair in places that are not considered 'normal' for women, gained a lot of weight, started getting very oily skin and acne.

When my mum queried this with a doctor, she was told I was just a teenager having an irregular phase and that no doctor would seriously look at a diagnosis for me until I was at least 16.

(what my mum didn't know is that I was being groomed and had been assaulted, which is when I developed binge eat disorder, which also accounted for the weight gain...)

By the time I had turned 16 in 2020, covid had put the uk into a second national wide lockdown and completely ruined an already struggling NHS.

I didn't see a doctor about my PCOS until a month before I turned 19, due to all of the backlog.

My doctor ordered a blood test, and an ultrasound of my ovaries at a nearby hospital. The blood test was completed within a week, but it took me 6 weeks to get my first scan. I am still a virgin, and due to being sexually assaulted when I was younger, I was extremely nervous about having something in me and to have a nurse/doctor see me like that.

The external ultrasound was incredibly painful, having a bladder full of two liters of water pushing down onto you. The nurse couldn't get a good enough view, so I went to relive myself before having what would be my first of three ultrasounds.

The nurse took one look at my scan and confirmed I definitely had polycystic ovaries, she could also see I had ovulated. I knew I would be having my first period in 4 months in December of 2023. This was the last period I had, it was the worst I'd had in a very long time.

On my first scan, a large cyst was spotted, so I would need a second one due to the size of it. It was roughly the size of a ping-pong ball. My ovaries are also swollen to about three times the size they should be.

By my second scan, it had disappeared. I had a third as a precaution, which was also clear of anything concerning.

I then started taking Cerelle birth control in February.

I have had two bartholin cysts (infection of the vagina), hives, extremely sore breasts on and off, nausea, low libido, acne, increased body weight, tiredness, rashes and so much more caused by my birth control...

But it's preventing me from having an increased risk of developing cancer when I'm older, masking my symptoms so that I can have a 'normal' life whilst living with PCOS.

Although I still grow a better beard than my 18 year old brothers thanks to the increase androgen lol

I don't know how long I'll stay on birth control, or if I'll have to use other treatments, but this is my PCOS journey so far.

[fluentmoviequoter]

In honor of PCOS Awareness Month, I (a diagnosed cyster) have compiled a list of characters that I write for who would be absolutely amazing supports and do everything they can to learn more about the condition and help you on good days, bad days, and everything in between.🩵

Deacon Kay and Dominique Luca win. They’d take such good care of you and everything else!!

Jim Street and Dick Grayson fall into the category of trying their absolute best (which is more than you could ever ask for), but they’re terrified inside that they’ll mess up and hurt you or make something harder for you.

Jason Todd practically earns a medical degree overnight. He can handle anything you throw at him, and he loves to do it. (He may hide that fact, because, you know…)

Sorry, Bruce. Bruce Wayne tries to throw money at the problem which anyone who’s ever tried knows doesn’t work. After that fails, he’s donating to charities to find a cure or better resources while doting over you.

PCOS affects mood, weight, cravings, anxiety, acne, excess hair growth, and just about everything else that can make you feel insecure or undesirable. Javi Esposito, however, makes you feel like the prettiest girl in the world.

Tim Bradford’s response depends. If you work with him, you’re getting gentle but invisible touches to your back or waist when you’re feeling bad. If you’re separate, part of his life outside of the uniform, I think he’d drop everything and just be there for you whenever and however you need.

John Casey is probably really awkward about it but somehow exceptional at cheering you up and supporting you. Neither of you know how he manages it, but he does.

I hate to say it, but part of me feels like Victor Vale doesn’t necessarily care. It’s part of who you are, he doesn’t care if you have a diagnosis or not. If you really need him to help with pain, he will, but outside of that, the level of interpersonal support and care you probably need is outside of his qualifications. I think Dalton Lambert is like this too; he’ll help if you ask, be slightly more mindful about it than Victor, but it would never really be his first thought or consideration.

Hal Jordan straight up shocks you out of mood swings or heavy cycles. You could be worried about anything, stressed, insecure, whatever, and he returns from Oa with the most insane story you’ve ever heard, and then you’re laughing and welcoming him home. When another wave hits or you remember, he’ll hug you, ground you, and then do whatever you ask. Or don’t ask, because he’s more intuitive than people (or DC, honestly) give him credit for.

I don’t even have to explain this: Stu Redman and Aragorn are walking angels.

Honorable Mentions: Seeley Booth would be fantastic about monitoring you and recognizing when you’re feeling off, and then doing something about it. Dean Winchester would offer pie. Shawn Spencer would sense that you were having a bad day and brighten it without trying. Carlton Lassiter would tell you to suck it up then awkwardly hug you and apologize. Neal Caffrey would ask if you like his hat.

I think that’s everyone. Whether you have PCOS or not, you deserve love and someone who treats you like the amazing person you are. You’re not alone.🩵