my pcos story
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome affects affects 7–10% of women of childbearing age and is the most common cause of infertility. It comes with many other symptoms. I have PCOS and train others who do as well.
This is my story:
When I was 15 years old, I was loosely diagnosed with PCOS due to my excessive body hair growth and irregular menstrual cycle. PCOS is a hormonal disorder in which the female body produces an excessive amount of androgens (male hormones) as well as in my case, not enough female hormones.
I was put on birth control at a young age to control these minor characteristics, yet never really given any information about why or how this affects me.
Fast forward to 2020, when I went off my birth control. This happened because due to COVID, things got very complicated with doctors, prescriptions, and appointments. It just seemed easier to go off it (At the time, i felt i didn't need any form of hormone therapy).
2020 started a very slow yet drastic decline in my health and things started happening to me that I had no idea was linked to this terrible disorder.
For months and months, I experienced an abnormal amount of infections on my knees, feet, and toes from just minor cuts or scrapes, that would take so long to heal, I would be on antibiotics months at a time. One month, I was on 3 antibiotics 2x a day at once. Now I know these infections were caused by the lack of hormones in my body and the inability for my body to fight off infection.
Due to the imbalance of hormones, my body went into early menopause causing me to loose menstruation for 2 + years. I also struggled with putting on weight. Most women with PCOS experience the opposite. However, I am of the very few with "lean PCOS." Although I am back on birth control, my hormones are still not regulated as they should be, causing many issues. I struggle daily with excessive bloating and stomach distention, no matter how healthy I eat or how many sit-ups I do. The bloating becomes so bad that it makes me look 9 months pregnant. My body is consistently dealing with inflammation, which leads to joint pain and discomfort. I have bald spots on my scalp due to hair loss from PCOS. I also deal with hirsutism (male pattern body hair). PCOS also affects my mental health, resulting in axiety and bouts of depression. After many doctor visits and my own personal research, I have learned that my PCOS is caused by the placement of my Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt. .This is what is placed in my brain to treat the hydrocephalus. It puts pressure on the pituitary gland and the hypothalamas, causing severe hormonal imbalances. This is the reason why "normal" PCOS treatment plans (e.g. birth control) have never worked for me. My brain is constantly fighting a man made object. My VP Shunt is attached to a tube that runs down my stomach, which causes issues with my digestion. The tubing plus the inflammation from PCOS is why I have issues with digestion and bloating. I share my story in hopes to help others with PCOS and/or hydrocephalus. I am lucky enough to be able to work with clients with both PCOS and hydrocephalus. If you are reading this and you have PCOS and/or hydrocephalus, YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE.
When I was 15 years old, I was loosely diagnosed with PCOS due to my excessive body hair growth and irregular menstrual cycle. PCOS is a hormonal disorder in which the female body produces an excessive amount of androgens (male hormones) as well as in my case, not enough female hormones.
I was put on birth control at a young age to control these minor characteristics, yet never really given any information about why or how this affects me.
Fast forward to 2020, when I went off my birth control. This happened because due to COVID, things got very complicated with doctors, prescriptions, and appointments. It just seemed easier to go off it (At the time, i felt i didn't need any form of hormone therapy).
2020 started a very slow yet drastic decline in my health and things started happening to me that I had no idea was linked to this terrible disorder.
For months and months, I experienced an abnormal amount of infections on my knees, feet, and toes from just minor cuts or scrapes, that would take so long to heal, I would be on antibiotics months at a time. One month, I was on 3 antibiotics 2x a day at once. Now I know these infections were caused by the lack of hormones in my body and the inability for my body to fight off infection.
Due to the imbalance of hormones, my body went into early menopause causing me to loose menstruation for 2 + years. I also struggled with putting on weight. Most women with PCOS experience the opposite. However, I am of the very few with "lean PCOS." Although I am back on birth control, my hormones are still not regulated as they should be, causing many issues. I struggle daily with excessive bloating and stomach distention, no matter how healthy I eat or how many sit-ups I do. The bloating becomes so bad that it makes me look 9 months pregnant. My body is consistently dealing with inflammation, which leads to joint pain and discomfort. I have bald spots on my scalp due to hair loss from PCOS. I also deal with hirsutism (male pattern body hair). PCOS also affects my mental health, resulting in axiety and bouts of depression. After many doctor visits and my own personal research, I have learned that my PCOS is caused by the placement of my Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt. .This is what is placed in my brain to treat the hydrocephalus. It puts pressure on the pituitary gland and the hypothalamas, causing severe hormonal imbalances. This is the reason why "normal" PCOS treatment plans (e.g. birth control) have never worked for me. My brain is constantly fighting a man made object. My VP Shunt is attached to a tube that runs down my stomach, which causes issues with my digestion. The tubing plus the inflammation from PCOS is why I have issues with digestion and bloating. I share my story in hopes to help others with PCOS and/or hydrocephalus. I am lucky enough to be able to work with clients with both PCOS and hydrocephalus. If you are reading this and you have PCOS and/or hydrocephalus, YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE.
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