PCOS and me.

A lot of women don't know what PCOS is, hell I didn't when I first found out about it but it is actually the most common cause of infertility in women and I would recommend that if you have any of the symptoms, you should get checked out. For a quick overview on PCOS just go to the PCOS tab. Here is my story:

Well I was always the awkward kid in school, overweight, hardly any friends with depression. I always wondered what was wrong with me. I struggled to loose weight, I could work out every day, eat the right food and still nothing would go. I had extra hair in places such as my stomach and face (not that bad to do something about it thank god) but I wondered why. I always had pain in my abdomen but was prone to kidney infections so it was just brushed aside. Now the main part, I was an early starter, I hit puberty when I was 9 so I was use to my periods but suddenly gradually over the years they became irregular, I could go between 8 to 12 months at a time without a period. Eventually at the age of 19 I brought it up to the doctors, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner, I guess I was scared encase it was something serious, turned out it kinda was.

After a series of blood tests including one that took 7 viles of blood at one time, that wasn't pretty but a friendly old couple sat outside the doctors with me until my taxi come. Also had the ultrasound scan and boy did I know something was wrong. I remember lying there looking intently at the nurse for any sign and she certainly couldn't keep a poker face, her face changed when I knew she had seen something. Instead of telling me I had to wait weeks to find out what was wrong, the agony. It was finally revealed. I had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

I remember the day I found out, I cried in the car with my mum of sadness of the fear of not having children, I am one of those people whose dream is to have children, a huge family, if I couldn't I wouldn't know what to do. There was almost a sort of happiness though, happiness that I knew what was wrong with me, everything clicked in my head. I knew it wasn't just me being me, there actually was something going on with my body, mentally and physically, and I could explain it.

When the doctor first told me I was a bit like okay what is that? You can't just say I have something and expect me to know what it is.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is when the eggs don't fully leave the fallopian tube and get stuck and form tiny cysts, nothing serious enough to remove but can cause pains, this is the reason you can go months without periods. This, of course to state the obvious, can cause women to find it difficult to become pregnant and can cause infertility if not checked regularly. It also raises the risks of cancer.

Symptoms of PCOS are as follows:

• Depression/Anxiety/Paranoia - This can be a pain.
• Hair loss or excessive hair growth - The joys, too bad the excessive hair growth isn't on your head and the hair loss isn't on your legs or arm pits.
• Lack of periods - The obvious one. There are tablets to regulate them which you take for one month every three months. The main problem I find is, because they balance your hormones out, once the month is up your hormones get whacked out and cause your mood swings to become severe and depression really hits home. Personally I choose not to take them and just go on a regular monthly birth control pill.
• Hormone imbalance - Reasons why it causes severe mood swings and depression/anxiety problems. You also have higher testerone levels, hence the hair problems.
• Hard to loose weight/Obesity. - Just to make things that extra more difficult.
• Higher insulin levels - This means you have a higher risk of diabetes...fun.
• Acne - Specially spots on the jawline, these tend to mean there are problems with your ovaries
• Problems conceiving - There are ways to help though as I have been told over and over.

One major thing that is not your friend when it comes to PCOS is glutton which is a bummer because I looooove bread, pizzas, burgers, all the good things but I have them as treats now and again.

I deal with this day to day and I am finding it easier, not saying there are no hurdles to face from time to time but the fact that I have something that explains my problem really helps and I like to talk to other women about it and expand their knowledge. I read books on PCOS specially ones by Colette Harr. I visit the Verity site daily, Verity is the only charity in the UK for PCOS.

There is no cure for PCOS and no cause, one source is that doctors believe it can run between families but women never know because they do not get checked out and brush the problems aside.

If you any questions please ask and I would suggest you go get checked out if you have some of these symptoms. Better to be safe than sorry.

PCOS needs to be made more aware of so spread the word ladies! And guys :-).

Thanks for reading.

http://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/