Kristy-lee Clarke! Here is her story!
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| *** Photo's on the right (with the red shirt) are photos taken today, photo's on the left are from the past 6 months *** |
My name is Kristy, I'm 25 & I have PCOS. I don't always look different
to other women, but sometimes, I do.
PCOS is a condition that affects 1 in 10 women, some symptoms include; high
testosterone - resulting in excess hair, missed / absent / long periods,
painful periods, it makes it harder to conceive & carry to term and weight
problems.
For more in depth information please go to;
I found out I had PCOS when I was a few months shy of 19. I didn't know
what was wrong with me, all I knew was, I had excess hair - all over my body,
my periods were sparce & when I did get them, the pain was unbearable! Fast
forward 3 years & I'd done everything the doctors asked, I'd lost over 25kg
& my periods were regular! Fast forward again to 2015, my periods have
stopped - with no reason or warning and my testosterone levels have gone
through the roof - again!
Which brings me to why I don't always look like your average female. I have
hair, under my chin, (see below photos) and while I am completely aware of what
I look like, and yes, I am aware of everyone that looks or points at me, I
don't usually mind, except today, today cut me deeper than deep, deeper than
being mocked or bullied. A little boy - maybe 7 - is on the bus with another
little boy (I'm assuming a friend) and two women, who (once again, I am
assuming) are his mum and big sister.
As his curious eyes wander around the bus, he sees me - in all my glory! -
and he just stares. Now, you could see the puzzled look on this poor kids face,
he doesn't understand why I look so different to all the other girls he's seen.
I just give him that polite smile, you know, the one, that you give little kids
when they're looking at you. He turns to (I assume) his sister - who looks
around 17 - and asks, "Why does she have hair on her chin if she's a
girl?".
Innocent child's question, right? I was intrigued, as to what his sister
would say. She turned to me, looked at me (in disgust, nonetheless), snorted,
turned back to her brother and said "I don't know mate, she's just a freak,
who doesn't care what she looks like & obviously doesn't want to find
love."
EXCUSE ME?!
I am not a freak, I have a medical condition. I do care about my appearance
- when it matters- do you know how much it hurts to shave your face, daily?
Only to feel the regrowth 30 minutes later? Waxing is the same. And I refuse to
have a laser pointed at my face.
But what got me the most, was, that beauty is what gets you love. IT'S NOT!
I have love - and he's amazing - BUT since when did how beautiful you are, determine
whether or not, you could be loved? This poor boy, now thinks, it's you're
different, you can't be loved.
Shouldn't we be teaching ALL children, true beauty, is on the inside? It's
not about how much makeup you wear, what clothes you wear or where you're from,
it's how you treat people. I truly hope, that little boy, doesn't grow up to be
as shallow as his sister sounds.
Please, share my story, raise awareness and remember, you are you, you are
unique, you are whatever you want to be. Thank you, for taking the time to read.