PCOS can be debilitating. It’s not just infertility and missed periods. It’s plucking your mustache and chin, sweating excessively, painful cramping, and annoyingly painful PMS.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a full bladder but were in too much pain to move?

That’s what it’s like living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and has happened on multiple occasions. If you have cysts on one or both ovaries, the full bladder puts pressure on an area that is already in pain. Now, imagine waking up at 2:30 am and not being able to move because your bladder is so full and your cysts hurt to the point that you can not get up. This last time, I tried and failed for about three or four minutes before I grabbed between the planks in my headboard and rolled myself over and waddled to the bathroom. I had immediate relief after relieving my bladder and was back asleep in no time.

There are other times when I’m getting up from the couch or the chair in the break room and have to take a breath and stand up slowly. At this point, I’m used to it.

I left work early one day because of the pain. I was on break and noticed my right ovary was beginning to hurt, which was only slightly annoying until I had to stand up. I had my feet propped up and it took me a little longer than usual to get into a standing position. I finally made it up and to the bathroom where I almost collapsed into the floor. The slightly stabbing pain turned into a very intense stabbing pain and I started stumbling. I sat on the toilet crying and waiting for the pain to let up. After five or ten minutes, I decide it’s time to limp out. I literally limp back to my work area and one of my coworkers and asks if I’m okay. I look at him with tears in my eyes and tell him the truth. (We were cool like that). After making it back, I say to the coworker that was training me, “If you’re sending someone home early today, please let it be me.” He immediately talked to our boss and it was set that I’m the first to go home. I left less than twenty minutes later.

Remember me mentioning the mustache and chin hair? Yep, that happens, too. I spend time every morning plucking, shaving, and putting concealer on after it’s nice and red to cover it all up. My goal is to get electrolysis at some point this year. I’ve been struggling with it since I was twelve and that was almost nineteen years ago. It’s about time something is done!

Don’t get me started on the sweat… I can’t even go check my mail in the summer without working up a nice sweat. And forget working out or running in the summer. That’s torture and takes so long to cool down from.

Do you relate to any of these symptoms? Is PCOS a minor annoyance or is it debilitating for you? Let me know!