Hello lovelies,
We've got a pretty serious post today, sorry. I'm in a pretty serious mood right now, and this is something I've been considering talking about for a while now.
Anyway, we may as well start right into what this post is centered around, so here we go.
I deal with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
And I'm not going to lie... it really sucks.
For those of you who don't know what PCOS is, it is something that only affects females, and this post is going to be very TMI-based and, perhaps, very gross and very uncomfortable (like I said, I'm not going to lie). If this bothers you, you might want to skip this post in its entirety.
"Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a set of symptoms due to elevated androgens (male hormones) in females." source
I was officially diagnosed earlier this year, but I've been dealing with it for many years, based on my symptoms. Some of the symptoms of PCOS include irregular to no periods, excess body/facial hair, heavy periods, pain in the pelvic area, acne, difficulty becoming pregnant/infertility, and dark patches of skin.
Some of the associated diseases include type 2 diabetes, obesity, mood disorders, heart disease, sleep apnea, and even cancer. Of course, every case is different, but no matter what it's like, it is never fun.
I have always dealt with extremely irregular, painful periods. As of right now, I've been dealing with PMS symptoms for 2ish weeks, but I have not had a period since April. Towards the end of last year/beginning of this year, I had a period that lasted for nearly a month and a half. My whole body's female cycle has been completely thrown off balance.
I deal with some of the other symptoms, too. Body hair, pain, acne, obesity, and some other stuff, too. Not only does it cause my physical appearance to suffer, it also affects the way I feel. Sometimes the periods are so bad I have to miss stuff I really want to do because I'm stuck in bed, waiting until I can take my next dose of ibuprofen.
And sometimes, because things are so irregular, even when I try to track my periods, sometimes they start at really bad times and I won't have any feminine hygiene products readily available, or I'll be in public, or getting ready to go swimming or something and then my whole day just gets messed up over it.
There are things to help with PCOS, like eating healthier/dieting, exercising, or even taking medicine, which is fantastic. However, from what I understand about this, there is no known cure or fix-all, you can only help alleviate your symptoms.
I'm going to admit something else that I don't like to tell a lot of people, partly due to feeling like they may view me differently. I have been on birth control twice. The first pill I took made me feel really bad (that was a long while back) so I went off of it slowly.
The second pill I was on, just after being diagnosed, worsened my depression and caused some thoughts to come back that I haven't even touched in at least a year- I dropped it immediately and felt better within a week.
It's a rough place to be in, because it really does help regulate your periods/hormones some, and some meds can help improve the other symptoms over time, too, but sometimes your mental health just has to win out, the way it did in my case.
Having this diagnosis has really helped me a lot. It's helped me to understand other women with PCOS better. It's helped me learn how to take these symptoms and make them somewhat better, through eating better and exercising more (which I love anyway). It's made me realize that the way I feel isn't all in my head, and I don't feel like a freak the way I did when I was a little kid. I've become more assertive about what I need.
Once when I was younger (I think I was 10 or 11), I was out with two particular family members. I had recently started my cycle, but I thought I would be okay to go on this outing. Well, when we got to a restaurant for lunch, I had a breakdown in the bathroom and had to call my parents to come get me.
The particular family members I was with were not happy at all with me and I felt horrible about it. Despite reassurance from my mom (and even my dad) that it was okay, that I was okay, that the whole thing was okay, I thought I had done something wrong by not pushing through the pain.
I don't think one of those family members ever fully let it go, but now knowing why I have such wonky periods and the pain and everything from it has made me realize that it's not my fault. I can't control how other people respond to me, but I can make sure that I'm doing what's best for my body.
So long story short is that you're not alone. There are many of us going through PCOS and we have to stand united. I know it stinks, I know it's rough, but I understand, and I am here for all of you.
Ciao,
Hannah
Some of the associated diseases include type 2 diabetes, obesity, mood disorders, heart disease, sleep apnea, and even cancer. Of course, every case is different, but no matter what it's like, it is never fun.
I have always dealt with extremely irregular, painful periods. As of right now, I've been dealing with PMS symptoms for 2ish weeks, but I have not had a period since April. Towards the end of last year/beginning of this year, I had a period that lasted for nearly a month and a half. My whole body's female cycle has been completely thrown off balance.
I deal with some of the other symptoms, too. Body hair, pain, acne, obesity, and some other stuff, too. Not only does it cause my physical appearance to suffer, it also affects the way I feel. Sometimes the periods are so bad I have to miss stuff I really want to do because I'm stuck in bed, waiting until I can take my next dose of ibuprofen.
And sometimes, because things are so irregular, even when I try to track my periods, sometimes they start at really bad times and I won't have any feminine hygiene products readily available, or I'll be in public, or getting ready to go swimming or something and then my whole day just gets messed up over it.
There are things to help with PCOS, like eating healthier/dieting, exercising, or even taking medicine, which is fantastic. However, from what I understand about this, there is no known cure or fix-all, you can only help alleviate your symptoms.
I'm going to admit something else that I don't like to tell a lot of people, partly due to feeling like they may view me differently. I have been on birth control twice. The first pill I took made me feel really bad (that was a long while back) so I went off of it slowly.
The second pill I was on, just after being diagnosed, worsened my depression and caused some thoughts to come back that I haven't even touched in at least a year- I dropped it immediately and felt better within a week.
It's a rough place to be in, because it really does help regulate your periods/hormones some, and some meds can help improve the other symptoms over time, too, but sometimes your mental health just has to win out, the way it did in my case.
Having this diagnosis has really helped me a lot. It's helped me to understand other women with PCOS better. It's helped me learn how to take these symptoms and make them somewhat better, through eating better and exercising more (which I love anyway). It's made me realize that the way I feel isn't all in my head, and I don't feel like a freak the way I did when I was a little kid. I've become more assertive about what I need.
Once when I was younger (I think I was 10 or 11), I was out with two particular family members. I had recently started my cycle, but I thought I would be okay to go on this outing. Well, when we got to a restaurant for lunch, I had a breakdown in the bathroom and had to call my parents to come get me.
The particular family members I was with were not happy at all with me and I felt horrible about it. Despite reassurance from my mom (and even my dad) that it was okay, that I was okay, that the whole thing was okay, I thought I had done something wrong by not pushing through the pain.
I don't think one of those family members ever fully let it go, but now knowing why I have such wonky periods and the pain and everything from it has made me realize that it's not my fault. I can't control how other people respond to me, but I can make sure that I'm doing what's best for my body.
So long story short is that you're not alone. There are many of us going through PCOS and we have to stand united. I know it stinks, I know it's rough, but I understand, and I am here for all of you.
Ciao,
Hannah
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