Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) isn’t really talked about that much, and it’s a hard disorder to understand. From what I’ve gathered, it’s created by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some symptoms, I’ve experienced my whole life, but never thought anything of it: Irregular periods, HEAVY periods (TMI: But real talk… Give me a super plus and one hour, and I will need a lot more than a fresh tampon). What else? Jaw line acne flare ups, a red and rashy looking face, chronic fatigue, and drastic weight changes. Recently I learned that many women with PCOS, also have sleep apnea. That’s when you stop breathing for a small period of time while you’re sleeping. Fun fact, I use to have that. It’s one of the biggest reasons I got my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was 14.
Deep down, I knew there were some red flags, but I accepted them as my normal. Having irregular and heavy periods was all I ever knew. Heck, that’s the reason I went on birth control at such a young age. As for my other symptoms, I was diagnosed with Mono as a teenager. I was also diagnosed with a terrible case of Lyme Disease in 2014, so anytime my body was acting strange, I just blamed those auto-immune diseases. Never for a second did I think of an additional diagnosis to add to the list. Real talk round 2: I’ve never heard of PCOS in my 29 years of existence, until now. Maybe people talked about it, but I clearly wasn’t listening.
I regret that now. I wish I was more knowledgable about hormonal disorders. I wish I asked questions, and discussed areas of concern with my medical professionals. Perhaps, I would of learned about my diagnosis sooner. I could have gotten a head start on necessary life adjustments. Had I known, perhaps I would be singing a different tune at this point in my life. But it’s too easy to play the should of, could of game. I should of could of done a lot of things differently in my life, but the past is in ink. There’s no eraser. All I can do is focus on right now. All I can do is share my story with you, and encourage you to not make the same mistakes. If you think something is off, speak up.
When I talk about my diagnosis, I find a lot of people asking why infertility, and hormonal disorders such as PCOS are becoming more and more common. I mean seriously, good luck finding one person who doesn’t know a single soul who’s been down this long and windy road. My personal opinion, based off of research, books, chat groups, discussions with fertility doctors, our environment is filled with junk that directly affects our hormones. Plastics, GMO foods, makeup, nail polish, stress, deodorant, perfumes, tampons, caffeine, sugar, sleep, I could be here a while. So where’s the line drawn between playing it safe and living your life?
I’ve been reading this book: It All Starts With an Egg. This book hit home. It’s overwhelming to read about egg quality and the powerful impact our world has on not just women getting pregnant, but miscarriages. The book is based off of some intense scientific research, and offers a groundbreaking new approach for improving egg quality and fertility. I’m not paid to say this, I am saying it with every ounce of my being — This book should be a mandatory read at some point in your adult life. It provides true knowledge to make better decisions. If you’re not a reader, checkout the website and familiarize yourself with the spark-note version the website provides. Little lifestyle decisions can and will make the world of a difference.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is very common. Truthfully, a lot of women like me, have it, and don’t even know it. PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that causes the ovaries to become larger than normal. In some cases, like mine, it can also cause the ovaries to be covered in cysts. The severity of PCOS is different for every woman. There may be a lot of similarities, but every diagnosis should be treated on a case by case scenario. If every case were the exact same, then it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. We’d all be fat and happy with a miracle babe on the way. Doctors are still trying to figure it out, and so are we - the ones living with it. What we do know, is women with PCOS are more likely to face fertility struggles and/or miscarriages, and are typically at greater risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy. Why? Because our hormones are shit. They are out 👏of 👏control 👏!
Something else that goes hand in hand with hormonal imbalances, are thryoid issues. Next time you visit your primary doctor, or your OB, ask them to write you a script to get your thyroid checked, it’s an easy stick in the arm. There’s no harm in being proactive. Thyroid issues can also play a role in miscarriages. 10-15% of women have anti-thryoid antibodies regardless of their thyroid status. Thyroid imbalances can be a super easy fix, but it all starts with getting checked. FYI: a healthy TSH level during pregnancy ranges from 0.1-2.5. If you do learn your levels are slightly higher or lower, and you have crazy heavy, or inconsistent periods, and perhaps someone in your family has PCOS, or some other hormonal imbalance, then guess what? You’re two steps ahead of where you’re going to wish you were when the time comes to start a family. Don’t be afraid to get checked, even if starting a family is 5 years away. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. React now. Know what you’re up against right now. If knowledge is power, then learning is our super power. Don’t let it go to waste.
Now back to the story.