Adventures With PCOS

So for those who don’t already know, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition where hormones in the body are off so there’s a high testosterone level in the woman’s body and symptoms such as weight gain, hair growth in male patterns, and irregular periods which can cause infertility.

Now me as a grown woman, I married my high school sweetheart and we’re madly in love just like Cinderella and Prince Charming! Soon after my 21st birthday, we got married and I stopped having a period. Naturally I was excited, thinking I was carrying the most precious gift I could ask for. But all the pregnancy tests came back negative. The doctor confirmed I wasn’t pregnant but if I wanted to just have my cycles regulated I could just go on the pill.

So we waited a year and he convinced me that it may be best to get on the pill for now since we were both at the time still growing in our careers and so I did. The first birth control I went on inflamed my face with acne! It was the worst! My husband couldn’t even kiss my cheek, it hurt! So a month after that my doctor switched me to a different brand that worked a lot better for me. I was on that for a year and a half and after the death of his mother, he started really wanting a family.

So I got off the pill in hopes of getting pregnant. My regular health doctor informed me it may have been a thyroid issue causing me to lack periods and now those levels are balanced. So, I wait two months and no period. I took pregnancy test after pregnancy test. After I missed my third period I went to the OB-GYN again—once again, not pregnant. They did a blood draw and that’s when I got the news about having PCOS. I wept. I wanted to give my husband the family he wanted but how could I? I started making changes in my diet. I took out dairy, gluten, soy, as well as artificial and processed foods. My stomach went down a little bit. I didn't realize how bloated I was.

I was put on this drug called medroxyprogesterone to force me to cycle. 10 days after I finished the series given to me, I finally had my cycle. I was getting irritated with how long it was taking. Never again with that drug though, I’m usually a calm and understanding person. Being forced to cycle caused me to be easily agitated and I was yelling at my husband for petty stuff. Then it happened and I was back to myself.

The doctor recently did an ultrasound on me to take a look at my ovaries. I have 20+ “pearls” as the doctor phrased it, or in other words, cysts, on each ovary. The doctor wants to refer me to a fertility doctor but I have another blood draw coming up to see if even Clomid is a possibility.

More to come in my next article...