Bullies on the Bus

You would think that age 26 I would be free from bullies, that bullying is something that only happens at school and such. Alas not. I dread going out in public, I have for quite a while. At least, I do during the day as I cannot hide in the light. For you see, I suffer from a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS for short) and because of this I have various symptoms that bullies relish in. I have really bad acne due to the hormone imbalance caused by my PCOS, but because of my sensitive skin I rarely wear make-up as this only irritates me and makes my acne worse. I have various other symptoms too, some which are too embarrassing to write about here. But the bullies notice. They notice every single thing that bothers me about my condition, and the name calling begins. I always try and hide when I’m on the bus, sit amongst the elderly as the name calling isn’t as bad then, or have my coat hood up and slouch and just pretend not to hear the hurtful words directed my way. I have always had really long hair and so I always wear it long and loose, another way to try and hide my face from show. My social life has suffered severely because of bullying. My self-confidence has dwindled too. I hate looking in the mirror, for I don’t see the pretty face I’m told I have, or the beautiful smile that I always get complimented on, or the eyes that people assure me are alluring and expressive. I see the greasy hair, the dry and flaky skin, the itchy acne, the painful boil-type lumps under my skin, the facial hair that only men should have… I don’t like being me.