Going through puberty can be difficult for any girl, but for someone with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), it can be devastating. As Amy Pallant reveals in this especially honest memoir of living with the disorder (Cysterhood: Living with PCOS at the Intersection of Feminism, Medicine, & Medical Research), embarrassing symptoms such as excessive facial and body hair made her an extremely self-conscious and insecure teen. Being nervous about a boy feeling you up during your very first makeout session is one thing, but worrying if he can feel the hair on your belly through your shirt, as Pallant once did, is quite another.
PCOS has many other symptoms, including exceedingly heavy periods, issues with fertility,and a higher risk of uterine and ovarian cancers. Around one in ten women suffers from PCOS, but, as Pallant reports, there is little research dedicated to it, and even fewer treatments. This was especially true at the time she was first diagnosed, at age 12 in the early ‘70s. At the time,her male doctor prescribed such high doses of hormones, that they sent her into an extended emotional tailspin—like a monster version of PMS.
Despite the many challenges of PCOS, Pallant does manage to find a more knowledgeable doctor, and leads a relatively happy life – complete with a fulfilling career, a loving husband, and even a child. But, as she details, that life was constantly interrupted by a variety of ailments associated with the disorder, including a cancer scare. Perhaps worst of all, was the persistent isolation she felt living with a disease that, like so many disorders experienced primarily by women, is so infrequently talked about.
By bravely telling her story in this relatable, informative, and ultimately hopeful read, Pallant is sure to help those suffering from PCOS feel less alone. If only it had been around when she was young.
Image: Smudgeworks Press
