The Hard Truth

The Hard Truth

Here’s the thing - PCOS is not easy. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sought after. It’s NOT pretty. 

It’s challenging. It’s frustrating to the point of ugly tears. It’s aggressive. It’s angry. It’s moody. It’s painful. It’s forgetfulness. It’s guilt. It’s everything all at once. 

For those that don’t know - PCOS is an autoimmune disease plagued by polycistic ovaries. This causes an array of hormone imbalances. Everything from testosterone and estrogen to insulin and cortisol goes haywire in the body. PCOS is MORE than just the cysts. It is a full body chemical imbalance. 

I spent a year of my life not knowing my diagnosis. All I knew is that something was wrong. My mind was going crazy, I had endless nerve pain in my hands, I was SO fatigued, and I had very little drive for life. 

The first lesson in PCOS is that it’s a hot mess. It’s not an easy process and it requires a lifelong battle. 

-E

I Felt "Off"

The Journey to a PCOS Diagnosis

I'll skip the "growing up" and go straight to the good stuff. Yes, I was an overweight child. Yes, I started menstruation early and had issues with it.

When I was 18 and went out into life on my own, I did what seemed like every woman does - I got on birth control. Yes, it was a good thing for "safety" reasons, but the biggest reason I chose it was because my periods were very irregular, heavy, and often very painful. No amount of pain meds could fix that pain!

This ultimately became the downfall of my PCOS. The birth control regulated me, and I loved it at first. However, it masked my undiagnosed PCOS, and I started gaining weight slowly - regardless of diet and exercise. When I went to college, I also took up the sport of powerlifting. It was something I LOVED, and I soon found myself competing in USAPL competitions. However, this became very taxing to my CNS (Central Nervous System), and it caused great stress on my body and my PCOS flared up.

I competed in 3 meets during my sophomore year of college - which I soon learned was a mistake. After my 3rd meet, my body was absolutely exhausted. I had nerve pain. I was gaining weight more rapidly. I was sleeping all the time. I had no drive for life. My libido was gone. I had acne. Hair was growing in places hair hadn't grown before. I was a hot mess!

My periods also became very irregular at this time. I went to a local clinic to get checked out because I felt so "off" and not like myself. The clinic sent me into a dead end. I was going back every Monday for two months because they had me panicking over STDs and other issues. Every week they kept trying to test me for something new. I knew I was clean, and the tests were all negative, but the not-knowing caused much anxiety. Which caused even more issues.

I finally became fed up and found a gynecologist. On my first visit, she sat with me for over 30 minutes and obtained my whole history. Right away she suggested a pelvic ultrasound. Upon getting the test, it revealed that I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I had a total of 28 cysts that were plaguing my ovaries, my hormones, and my body.

 I felt so relieved! Finally I had an answer!