The day I was diagnosed.

I remember it clear as day, I am sure all of us PCOS sufferers do too! That confused expression masking your face once the nurse says you have ‘cysts on your ovaries’. What the hell does that mean? – was the first thing that both me and my mother asked her. The nurse was kind enough to tell me that PCOS was nothing to worry about. Huh, how simple and easy was that to tell a 15 year old who didn’t have a clue what problems laid ahead of her.

Yes, I was 15 at the time I was diagnosed, and yet 2 years later I have seen no changes at all to my PCOS. What I have noticed however, is that my body has changed. I’m sure many other women with PCOS would agree that weight gain and hair loss is inevitable! Not to forget those pesky spots that just like to surprise you every morning. I can hardly remember the last time I was slim. I even have a picture of me from when I was 13, hanging on my bedroom door, motivating me to get back into shape. I can let you in on a secret, having a picture of you in your pre-puberty years, is not motivating at all!

There’s not much to say about the day that I was diagnosed except for the fact that my mum was asking the nurse hundreds of questions. The nurse eventually got tired and handed us a leaflet notifying us of the symptoms of PCOS. This was probably the only helpful thing aside from the fact that she assured us that PCOS ‘was nothing to worry about’. Soon my mother and I came to terms with the fact that PCOS may affect my fertility; I was totally fine with that at the time, I was 15! I wasn’t focused on my future let alone future children! I think I was just thrilled with the fact that I didn’t have to suffer a week of hell every month of every year. That was every girl’s (who doesn’t have PCOS) dream isn’t it?

Little did I know that 2 years later, I would be prying for good doctors and searching online for ways to get my periods back. I think this is the only time where I can actually relate to the quote “you never know what you have until it’s gone” without associating it to anything materialistic.

What I have learnt since the day I was diagnosed was that PCOS could be an excuse for my “mood swings”. I have tried to relieve stress and alleviate my negative moods with the archetypal method of using comfort-food. But it was only after I packed on the weight when I realised that ‘comfort-food’ is not actually ‘comforting’ at all. Particularly for those with PCOS, because it is twice as difficult to lose weight with. Doctors have also advised me to ‘lose weight’, claiming that it helps to alleviate PCOS. I have noticed how my BMI has gone from underweight, to okay (when I was diagnosed) to overweight and for two years it’s just been stuck on the ‘overweight’ scale.

I’d love to know what age group PCOS is most common in! Please vote on the poll below when you were diagnosed!

 

 

 

 

Are introductions really necessary?

Hi – to the internet, my name is Xara. I’d rather not use my full name, not because I’m embarrassed but because this is a personal topic that I feel uncomfortable exposing to the public eye. I can tell you however, that I am seventeen years old.

Of course, my close friends and family, doctors etc are aware of this issue. Mainly because it helps to tell someone about your problems in the possibility that they may be experiencing the same issue as you, or can offer some hints and tips etc. This has worked for me, since the majority of people that I have spoken to about this issue (going to be honest – ‘majority’ meaning 4 out of 7 people) either have experienced PCOS, fought PCOS, are currently fighting PCOS and know people that have PCOS, other than me.

Reading other people’s blogs and learning more about PCOS had inspired me to write my own blog and share what I found with you – after I experiment with it of course. (Let me just put it out there that I am by no means qualified as a dietitian, nutritionist or doctor). In our society, PCOS is not something people talk about publicly. In my culture, specifically, talking about your periods to someone outside your family is not the norm, because ‘menstruation’ is apparently a personal topic. But surprisingly, I understand why. I wouldn’t want to tell a random stranger that ” I rarely have that time of a month but I’m still a girl!” too. However, I do want to share my story with those that are in the same position as me.

If you are like me and you are a 17 year old student who put her exams, revision, job searching and university applications as priority, then hi-five. The issue here is that we are letting our education and our future stop us from fighting PCOS, like other people are. And I don’t blame you because I do it too! In fact, sometimes I hardly think about my PCOS; I almost forget about it until one of my friends complain about period cramps. That’s when I’m reminded that somewhere in my body, my hormones are having some sort of disagreement with each other. And that’s also the point when my mood deteriorates.

Please be aware, I haven’t battled PCOS yet, nor am I currently fighting it (as explained above because of the exams etc). But I am taking the first step (instead of revising, which I should be doing right now). To follow my steps on how I take action against PCOS, then please read more.

Also, just because I’m sharing my stories about my attempts with tackling PCOS, doesn’t mean that you can’t share yours! Please leave your stories of PCOS success in the comments as I would love to read them and I’m sure many other readers would too! Just remember, you are not alone in PCOS, there are 1 in 10 women who suffer from this which is quite a lot if you think about it! So if you’re helping one person, you’re helping almost everyone!