Saturday, Sept. 17: Vlogging day! Record a vlog about anything you like!
Hey lovelies! I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday, I'm off work so I know that I am haha. The prompt for today was to record a vlog, and that's something that I don't think I'll ever be into so instead I'll be talking PCOS.
"Polycystic ovary syndrome: Abbreviated PCOS. Polcystic ovary syndrome is a condition in women characterized by irregular or no menstrual periods, acne, obesity and excess hair growth. PCOS is a disorder of chronically abnormal ovarian function and hyperandrogegism (abnormally elevated androgen levels). It affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is also called the Stein-Leventhal syndrome."
I always try to keep the posts on my blog as positive as I possibly can, but sometimes I just need to ramble and speak my mine. You see I have a syndrome, a syndrome that completely makes sense when I look back on my life.
I'm 22 and the last thing I wanted to be told is that I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and that there's no cure. The one thing that truly makes you feel like a woman is having the ability to give the one you love in your life a child, and something that comes along with that, no matter how much we hate them, is our monthly periods. I knew something was wrong when I was 16 and was only having a period every 4 months. I spent a lot of time in discussion with my doctors, visiting the hospital, and having various tests, only for them to all return and say that nothing was wrong. I was told that my periods would regulate themselves again and that I had nothing to worry about, it was just because I was young. So I learned to live with it, pushing it to the back of my mind and never wondering what was wrong.
I always knew that there was something wrong with me, I never knew what it was, but I always had that feeling. It was late last year when things began to change for me, my periods became less frequent and a lot heavier. My periods became so heavy that I was afraid to leave the house, and to the point that I'm crying in pain. This is the moment that I knew I needed to return to the doctors and demand answers.
Over the last few months, I have been sent for more blood tests than I ever imagined, along with a Transvaginal Ultrasound that was absolutely as unbearably uncomfortable as it sounds. Once the ultrasound was over, the technician told me that I had a cyst on my ovary around the size of a golf ball and that they would explain more once back in the clinic.
I returned to the clinic on the 7th September, after around a month of waiting. I was told about the cyst on my ovary, and that they wanted to repeat both my blood tests and ultrasound, much to my annoyance. Following this, the doctor explained to me that I have polycystic ovary syndrome, but it has nothing to do with the cyst they are currently testing. I went into my appointment expecting one thing to be wrong, not two.
I have PCOS, I don't really know too much about it, but I'm terrified. I now haven't had a period since February, and I'm afraid to have one. I'm afraid I will struggle to have children, I'm just so afraid right now.
How much do you know about PCOS?
((Huge hugs)) Please know you are not alone! I know quite a few women who have PCOS...quite a few who have gone on to have healthy pregnancies. For some, it's been easy, for some it's been a harder road. But the biggest thing is knowing you are not alone and working with your doctors to find out a plan that works for you.
ReplyDeleteI have never been diagnosed with PCOS but I strongly suspect that I have it. It's never come back positive on my blood tests--and I've had many--yet I struggle with almost every symptom. I dealt with multiple miscarriages (for other blood disorder reasons along with extremely irregular cycles and normally not even ovulating). I do now have three kids and since my youngest was born, I have dealt with irregular cycles again and almost every time suffer from cyst pain. I need to go back in to my dr and figure it out but I so understand the not fun-ness of all the tests
Anyway, all this is to say that, you are not alone and I'll be praying for you. PCOS sucks but it doesn't own you. Lots of love!
Becca