Exhaustion and Unrelenting Pain Define Life with PCOS for Many Women, Despite Growing Awareness
Réunion Island, France – Rachel, a young woman on Réunion Island, embodies the frustrating reality for countless women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): debilitating fatigue and chronic pain with no clear path to a cure. Despite striving to maintain normalcy for her customers as a professional, she finds herself increasingly unable to work, a struggle eased only by the support of her mother and a network of friends also living with the syndrome. “During the hard blows, they are there to listen. We all live this pain,” she shared.
PCOS, affecting approximately 1 in 10 women, remains a frequently encountered yet poorly understood condition. Currently, treatment focuses on managing symptoms rather than providing a cure.Dr. Husaunndee emphasizes a personalized approach: “There is no global treatment. We make a case-by-case basis to try to alleviate the symptoms, according to needs: cycle disorders, desire for pregnancy, hyper-Androgenic…” A diagnosis requires meeting four criteria: cycle irregularities, visible ovarian cysts, biological indicators (cholesterol, diabetes), and hyper-Androgenia (excess hair growth, hair loss).Endocrinologist consultation may also be necessary.
Rachel has learned the importance of listening to her body and, guided by her gynecologist, avoids an IUD due to its potential to accelerate cyst formation. Dietary recommendations center around unprocessed, anti-inflammatory foods. She recounts a fellow PCOS sufferer’s positive experience adopting a diet similar to traditional Réunionese cuisine (“Dan Tan Lontan”). However, she stresses caution, stating, “I am still under observation, in learning. I do not have much advice to give, apart from that of speaking.”
Facing relentless pain, Rachel is even considering a drastic measure: surgical removal of her ovaries. “I think of being removed from the ovaries. It is extreme for the people who I talk about. But they are not aware of the daily life in which I live.” While acknowledging potential financial barriers to the procedure, she is driven by the hope of escaping constant pain and menstrual distress.
Dr. Husaunndee strongly opposes this approach.”I am not for the removal of ovaries. It is useless to mutilate still young women if there are other solutions to explore. It is radical, definitive and nothing guarantees that this will solve all the problems.”
The lack of awareness surrounding PCOS often leads to delayed diagnoses and minimized suffering, compounded by insufficient training among healthcare professionals and societal dismissal of female pain.
Rachel’s message to those suspecting they may have PCOS is simple: “You are not alone. You have the right to be heard. We must not suffer in silence. What helped me is to talk about it. To my loved ones, to other affected women. It is the first step towards emotional, if not physical healing.”
