Cajun Cyster of NWLA,Inc.-PCOS Advocate

06/11/2026

Can't express how much I appreciate this spotlight! 🥹🥰

Some women advocate.
Some spend years ensuring other women have the information, resources, and support they need to fight for their health.

This Community Impact Spotlight honors Essence L. Payne, founder of Cajun Cyster of NWLA, Inc., whose nearly decade-long commitment to awareness and advocacy has helped shine a light on PCOS—now known as PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome).

Through community outreach, awareness walks, health fairs, legislative advocacy on Capitol Hill, and direct support initiatives, Essence has worked tirelessly to reduce the number of undiagnosed women and girls while helping families access education, resources, and hope.

Her impact has been recognized through proclamations from the Cities of Shreveport and Minden, a resolution from the State of Louisiana, and her service on the Patient Advisory Board for PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic O***y Syndrome Association.

Community impact isn't always loud. Sometimes it looks like years of consistent advocacy, education, and service that changes lives one woman at a time.

Thank you, Essence, for being a voice, a resource, and a champion for women throughout Northwest Louisiana and beyond. 🤎

06/01/2026

I know there's some uncertainty in the PCOS Community but as a Advocate our mission is still the same!

Get ready to:
👟 Step Up for ●Answers●Advocacy●Action

Join us this September 2026 for the 9th Annual NWLA PCOS Awareness Walk as we come together to raise awareness, empower those affected by PCOS, and advocate for better answers, research, and support.

Every step matters. Every voice counts. Together, we can create change and bring hope to the millions impacted by PCOS.

Dates & registration links will be shared VERY SOON!

At this time we're looking for Sponsors, Partners for PCOS, Vendors & Raffle donations!

05/12/2026

As a PCOS patient
As a PCOS Advocate
As a member of the Patient Advisory Board

Repost from :

For many in the PCOS community, today is complicated.

Some are concerned the change will cause more harm than the problems it aims to fix. Some welcome it. Some are uncertain. Some feel relief, others feel sadness and anxiety. All of these responses belong in this community.

WHAT YOU ARE LIKELY TO HEAR
That this change is straightforward and all upside. It is not. A change of this scale carries significant risks and impacts that have not been adequately assessed or disclosed.

QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS
There are many questions that need answers, including:
◾ How will confusion and delays in care be prevented?
◾ How will long-standing patient-provider relationships be protected?
◾ How will the advocacy efforts, support programs, research and communication networks, and the people and organizations patients rely on every day be sustained?

WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR THE FIELD
A name change impacts the infrastructure that clinicians, researchers, and patients depend on. That includes:
◾ decades of PCOS research
◾ clinical guidelines built on PCOS evidence
◾ patient education materials and resources
◾ patient recruitment networks that fuel clinical trials
How this carries forward under a new name has not been resolved.

WHO PAYS
◾ The direct healthcare costs of PCOS in the United States already exceed $15 billion a year. Do those costs get passed on to patients, who already carry a significant share of that burden?
◾ PCOS has always been underfunded and under-supported. Where are the resources to support this global change supposed to come from? Again, who pays?

THE STANDARD
"First, do no harm" is a principle healthcare asks of itself. Decisions made in the name of patients should be held to that same standard. Patients deserve to be informed, included, and protected in any process that may reshape their care and community.

WHERE PCOS CHALLENGE HAS STOOD
Since 2015, PCOS Challenge has advocated that the patient remains the central focus of this decision, and that the experiences of all people with PCOS are represented, including those often left out of th

03/07/2026

this is about to be monumental for the State of Louisiana!! I cant thank you enough for doing such great works!

There are 190,000 women affected by PCOS ALONE in Louisiana!! Some of those woman are also affected by endometriosis, like myself.

The commission's primary aim is to enhance awareness, education, and policy development regarding uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and PCOS.


Amazing job on covering this story!!

03/05/2026

PCOS Advocacy Day is here!!

Advocate 121 checking in for one of our most important days of the year! Please feel free to share our information sheet!

Today I'll be speaking with Louisiana State Representatives & Senators about PCOS Awareness in the United States House and Senate (both sides of the aisle).

Why is today & advocating SO IMPORTANT?

*PCOS has no cure

*PCOS affects 10-15% of the population

*PCOS is the main cause of anovulatory infertility

*PCOS isn’t just a fertility issue, it causes metabolic and endocrine problems

**We can’t do it alone and we need the support of congress!! We deserve more!


***ySyndrome

02/22/2026

My current situation...
PCOS Advocacy is not limited to September!!

There's still time to register for the 2026 Virtual Advocacy Day !

***ySyndrome

02/13/2026

🥳🎉🥳 Happy Birthday to one of my favorite people that's been supportive since the beginning!! Nathailia Archer Enjoy your day!!!

Happy Birthday, Nathailia!🎉

Today, we celebrate our amazing clinic manager, whose dedication, hard work, and heart make a world of difference for our team and our patients. Please join us in wishing her a day as wonderful as she is! 🎂✨

02/04/2026

Im registered! Will you join us?

Join us for the 9th Annual PCOS Advocacy Day presented by PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic O***y Syndrome Association

Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Virtual Event
REGISTER: pcos.ch/advocacy-2026 (link in profile)

Thank you to the returning patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and industry partners and to those joining us for the first time.

DRIVING CHANGE - YOUR PARTICIPATION MATTERS
PCOS Advocacy Day brings together the PCOS community to advocate for increased federal investment in PCOS research, support for new treatments and expanded access to care. Your perspective is needed. Members of Congress want to hear directly from you as their constituent about why PCOS should be a priority and how they can help.

ACCELERATING PROGRESS, EXPANDING ACCESS
During our last virtual Advocacy Day, participants met with more than 200 congressional offices representing 40+ U.S. states and territories. Please join us to represent your district and state in 2026 and help us continue the hard-won progress we have made to increase PCOS research and access to care.

NO PREVIOUS ADVOCACY EXPERIENCE NEEDED
Training is provided. All are welcome.

Together, we are changing the future for millions with PCOS.

womenshealth

01/29/2026

Join us for the 9th Annual PCOS Advocacy Day presented by PCOS Challenge: The National Polycystic O***y Syndrome Association

Thursday, March 5, 2026 | Virtual Event
REGISTER: pcos.ch/advocacy-2026 (link in profile)

Thank you to the returning patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and industry partners and to those joining us for the first time.

DRIVING CHANGE - YOUR PARTICIPATION MATTERS
PCOS Advocacy Day brings together the PCOS community to advocate for increased federal investment in PCOS research, support for new treatments and expanded access to care. Your perspective is needed. Members of Congress want to hear directly from you as their constituent about why PCOS should be a priority and how they can help.

ACCELERATING PROGRESS, EXPANDING ACCESS
During our last virtual Advocacy Day, participants met with more than 200 congressional offices representing 40+ U.S. states and territories. Please join us to represent your district and state in 2026 and help us continue the hard-won progress we have made to increase PCOS research and access to care.

NO PREVIOUS ADVOCACY EXPERIENCE NEEDED
Training is provided. All are welcome.

Together, we are changing the future for millions with PCOS.

01/20/2026

has released the 2025 Impact Report & The Cajun Cyster of NWLA, Inc was highlighted under Community Leaders! 🥹 I was also blessed with the opportunity to be present for the Legislative Advocacy in Washington! Every event i host, every dollar i raise ,every interview I do is for the greater good of PCOS patients EVERYWHERE!
***ySyndrome