Finding Out I Have PCOS

I have always known there was something wrong with me... I started my period at 9-years-old and would suffer through excruciating pain and extremely heaving bleeding EVERY SINGLE MONTH. My Mum thought I had endometriosis, therefore took me to the doctors; however, they brushed it off and sent me on my way. Eventually when I was 14, I went back to the doctors because I couldn’t take it anymore... They put me on the pill. Thinking back, I wish I had put up more of a fight for more answers but I was given my Microgynon 30 and went on my way.

I took Microgynon 30 for approximately 6 months before returning to the doctors due to still suffering with pain and now I had... an acne flare up! The doctor said the pain is normal and the pill will only ever stop how heavy the bleed is, not the pain. As for the acne he chose to change my pill to Dianette... well Dianette isn’t actually used as a pill in the UK anymore, only an acne treatment but he said it used to be and would do the job. Within 1 WEEK I had gone up two clothes sizes! I rushed back to the doctors and begged them to change my pill... they then gave me Cilest, which I have been taking ever since with no issues (I'm now 22).

I still continued to feel as though something was wrong with my fertility. My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex on enough occasions to get caught out, falling pregnant, and yet it never happened. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t ready for a baby but it just didn’t seem right. I used to also get inconsistent pain in my groin area, near my ovaries at random times.

June 2016—I’m staying over at my boyfriends house and I have excruciating stabbing pains near my right ovary and was being violently sick all night. I refused to go to the hospital until 6 AM the following morning when I couldn’t cope any longer and was sure I had appendicitis. My boyfriend took my to the hospital and my mum met us there. I couldn’t even keep down water—as quick as anything hit my stomach, I threw it up. I was in the hospital for most of the day being poked and prodded by different doctors. Three agreed it was my appendix and the last doctor did not. She said I was constipated and sent me home.

The following day I dragged myself into work and could barely stand. My colleague took me to the manager's office and insisted she send me home. I left work and headed off back to the hospital where I sat for 14 hours, again poking and prodding me before admitting me due to not being sure what was wrong.

I stayed in hospital for 3 DAYS! Having scans, blood tests, etc. The scan showed I had some cysts on my ovaries which the doctor thought may have burst; however, when I asked for more information I was told to book an appointment with my GP! Eventually they sent me home, still adamant it was just constipation and they wanted me to come back as an outpatient for a colonoscopy. They said they would send me a letter (I’m still waiting for it!)

I still knew deep down there was something wrong.

October 2016—I had a strange discharge so I went to my GP. I explained to her that I thought it might be to do with these cysts that were never explained to me so she sent me for a blood test. A few days later my GP called with my results and said, “Oh, your testosterone levels are high but that’s normal for as you know you have polycystic ovaries.” I was gob smacked. I did NOT know I had polycystic ovaries! This means when I went to the hospital all those months ago, they knew! They knew from my scan but wouldn’t tell me! I spent the rest of the day at work trying not to cry. What if I’ll never have kids? What if I don’t even get a chance to try because they’ll take my ovaries away? Will I have to deal with this pain forever? If I come off the pill, will I get more of the symptoms of PCOS? My head was in a whirlwind of negative thoughts!

Once I began looking into polycystic ovaries and starting delving a bit deeper, I came across a page about ruptured cysts. Then it hit me! All those months ago in the hospital, that must have been what happened. I had every sign and symptom! I felt relief that I finally knew what was wrong with me!

I still get upset about my PCOS now sometimes, especially when I think about having children. However, I have the best boyfriend in the world who says to me, whenever I get sad, that we will just take it day by day and if we don’t have a baby, then we’ll just have lots of holidays instead!

My advice to all you women out there with PCOS... don’t ever feel less of a women and you are not alone. 1 in 10 of us suffer with this irritant of a condition.

Thank you for reading 😊