I understand that it’s human nature to ask “why?” when we hear that someone really hates something. Curious bunch aren’t we?
Given my hate-hate relationship with Tilly, I think it’s time to begin outlining all of the reasons that she and I just don’t get along.
So, why not start at the very beginning.
At the ripe young age of 15 I sat in my local GP’s office with the ultrasound results in my hand. I’d often visited his office to discuss a range of troubles with my irregular extremely heavy periods, my acne, my sudden and embarrassing excess hair growth, my moods and my weight problem.
It wasn’t until now that we’d taken the leap to really find out why. It couldn’t be blamed on typical puberty blues anymore. No, I wasn’t just a bitchy teen, something was seriously wrong here.
Doc looks through the ultrasound images and the accompanying report, clicking his tongue as another flake of dandruff floats down onto his shoulder like a delicate little snowflake. Fuck…..it’s really coming down up there…..does it even snow in Queensland? I didn’t think so.
Finally, it seemed that all of the puzzle pieces had fit together. ” Well Rebecca” he says, scratching his head, “you my dear, have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)”.
What? I have what?
“This means that your ovaries don’t function normally, they’re riddled with tiny little cysts. You will find it terribly difficult to have children as you wont ovulate naturally – oh – and there’s no cure”.
I sat there processing this information. Children? Fuck off snowy! I’m 15 (going on 30) I hadn’t even thought about that. I mean, all I cared about was my new Limp Bizkit album, Dashboard Confessional, staying up ALL night talking to my boyfriend on my new beaut Nokia 3315 and hanging out with my friends at lunch after Morgo’s art class.
Snowy goes on to say – ” If you ever want to have children, I suggest that you make that decision early. But for now we’ll get you on some diabetic medication and birth control to manage those pesky PCOS symptoms”.
Yep, sure thing snowfields. And, my hatred for Tilly was born.
I’m sure that having a family one day is something that a lot of girls dream about. We dream about the perfect husband, the perfect house with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids playing in the backyard on the Sir Walter.
I now felt that I didn’t have a chance to write my own future. After researching PCOS on my dial up internet connection, I had a preview of what my future might look like.
So, while the other kids sat their OP exams dreaming about becoming a doctor, a lawyer or a teacher one day; I sat there and dreamed about one day, becoming a mum.
Little did I know, Tilly was there, sitting back in her lounge chair sipping her coffee and smoking her cigarette. I know now, she was chortling to herself thinking ” Yeah, well, we’ll see about that idea kiddo.”