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Living With PCOS

Real Issues of Living With PCOS.

By Amber NickolPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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Since I can remember, things were just different for me compared to other girls my age. Doctors would tell me: watch what you’re eating, exercise, drink water, etc. You know the normal things they tell people to lose weight. But it just wasn’t the working. I could eat the right things and still not lose the weight. I could exercise on a daily basis and only feel more depressed and see no results in the weight. At the age of 12, the beginning of womanhood, I wasn’t regular and I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). At that age it was scary to hear I had something wrong, but I was sent to a specialist in which I was told to just take birth control and it would regulate everything. For the next ten years, this was what I continued to use. But, like mentioned above, it never helped with weight, hair, or your typical symptoms of PCOS. Finally, at the age of 24, single, educated, and working on my future, I decided to look into my diagnosis.

I came to find out PCOS research and its education had changed dramatically in the last ten years. I found out that birth control wasn’t the correct way to my problem. It was actually delaying my chances on being regular and even having a baby. I decided to stop taking it and go see an endocrinologist who specializes in hormones. I have now been off birth control for a year. I had a period for three months straight after stopping and then seven months without one. This is when I started Metformin to help regulate my hormonal imbalance. I am insulin resistant and my testosterone is high. Once I started the medicine, it took a couple months and also an added medicine called pioglitazone. I have began to have regular periods and have dropped 30 lbs in four months. I am pleased with the weight, but some of the other symptoms are still taking their sweet time to regulate. PCOS has many symptoms and my testosterone levels are still an issue. I’m hoping with my next check up I have dropped more weight and my levels will have dropped. I know PCOS affects one out of five women and one of the biggest fears is infertility. Without the right diagnosis and medication the chances are low to get pregnant. As I reach the age of 26, my chances are getting better with the right medications. This is only the beginning of the right direction for my PCOS life, and I want to be able to share my knowledge and story with many other women struggling with polycystic ovarian syndrome as well as being able to hear the stories of others struggling.

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About the Creator

Amber Nickol

Passionate. Psychology. Sociable. Photography. Laidback. Cars&Motorcycles. Savage, but a sweetheart. Old soul w/a new style. Black is my color. Aunt. Sister. Daughter. Girlfriend. Humorous. Small town country gal.

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