It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
I really can't believe that this is the last week of September. This month is flying by. With the last week of the month upon us, I would love the opportunity to just share some encouragement with you. If you or someone you know is suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, I hope that this can help!
PCOS is not fair. It's simply that. It completely sucks, if I can be quite honest. The symptoms can be overwhelming. The emotions can be crazy. It can leave us feeling less than a woman, and that is not fair.
Allow yourself to feel those feelings. If you need to grieve your diagnosis, then by all means, please do so! Sometimes you have to do that in order to move forward. Allow yourself to lean into those feelings and emotions. Be mad, sad, angry, etc. Allow yourself to grieve the dreams you once had.
But don't allow yourself to wallow in those feelings too long. Allow yourself enough time to do that, but then create a plan of action so that you can move along. PCOS isn't a death sentence. Yes, we have it the rest of our lives because there is no cure, but that doesn't mean we have to allow it to define us.
We live in a broken, fallen world. There are other things that people are dealing with. Some of those things we won't have to deal with. So remember that we are each dealt with tough things that we have to face. PCOS is ours.
As a woman with PCOS, we have to bond together. We are a "cysterhood." We need to encourage one another and lift one another up. Let us be empowered to share our story so that other women won't feel alone!
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Yesterday, I shared some of the things that you may not want to say to someone who has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Today, I want to share some things that you can and should do.
I believe that the most important thing that you can do for someone with PCOS is just be there to support them. Be someone that they can come talk to without fear of judgment. Be there for them to vent to. Be someone they can bounce ideas off of. Be someone that they can be confident in. PCOS is not easy, and sometimes we just want someone to be there to talk to. If they decide something that you don't necessarily agree with, realize that it's okay. It's their decision.
Secondly, educate yourself. One of the best things in supporting someone you know with PCOS is educating yourself. Figure out what they're going through. Read up on the symptoms. Learn what is happening. Listen to what they have to say. Learn about their own story. This will give you a little more insight into what they are going through.
Lastly, don't criticize them. Instead, compliment them. Don't be negative about their decisions. Ultimately, it's their life, they get to decide what happens. Instead of asking them, "Why are you eating that?" You could simply offer a compliment and tell them you are proud of them for making healthy decisions. Instead of telling them which doctor they should go see, tell them you are proud of them for being proactive about their health. Learn to compliment. This will go a long way.
What other things do you want your friends and family to tell you while you're struggling with PCOS?
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Do you know someone with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? It's a private matter, and I know lots of people don't want to blurt it out from the mountaintop. I didn't even publicly share that I had PCOS until just two years ago. But maybe someone in your life has shared this information with you in hopes that you can be supportive.
Here are just a few things that you may want to steer clear of in talking with her.
Don't tell her that she's being moody. Yes, we know that we can be moody. That's a symptom of PCOS. It's caused by our hormones being imbalanced. So if things aren't normal, we can definitely be moody. I know that I get even madder when someone tells me that I'm being moody.
Don't tell them to just go lose some weight. Yes, I also know that we can be very discouraged where we are at physically. It's hard to look in the mirror sometimes and not recognize the girl that used to be there. But it's also super difficult to lose weight. The culprit? Again, it's because of the imbalance of hormones. It is not as easy to lose weight as someone who does have their hormones in check. It's a vicious cycle which can be very discouraging.
Lastly, and I say this for ALL women. DO NOT ASK THEM WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE KIDS!!!!! This can be a very hurtful question for some women. Maybe they've had miscarriages. Maybe they want a baby so bad that they cry themselves to sleep every night because they can't get pregnant. Maybe they are dealing with secondary infertility. There are a LOT of reasons you should NEVER ask a woman what her family plans are. If you have asked this question to other women in the past, can I please ask you to reconsider ever asking this question again? If you know them well, I'm sure they will share that information with you at some point. Asking this question or nagging them to have kids will get you absolutely nowhere. I like to tell my best friend that my uterus is nobody's business. :) And it's true...please don't ever ask this question. You have no idea what someone might be battling privately.
There are so many other things that I could share in this post, but these are my top three. I hope that helps! Tomorrow, I'll share the things that you can say! ;)
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
There is no cure for PCOS. But that doesn't mean you can't heal from it.
Being diagnosed Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can be emotional. Since many women aren't diagnosed until they are trying to conceive, it may be even more emotional. From my personal experience, doctors aren't super great at explaining PCOS and all that it entails. The majority of what I know, I've figured out through my own research. So the lack of explanation and information given at the time of diagnosis may make it even more emotional. It is okay to feel all the feelings. It's okay to be mad and sad. It's okay to grieve. It can be overwhelming. If you are in this boat, it's okay. Allow yourself to feel these things. This can be part of the healing process on the emotional side of it.
And while there isn't a cure, we can do a few things to help with the healing within. These aren't new because I've already shared these things previously. But they are important, and that's why I want to reiterate them.
First off, be educated. Knowing what PCOS is and what your body is telling you is extremely important. This will allow you to form a plan to help you heal.
Changing your lifestyle is going to be a big factor in helping you heal as well. From the things you eat to the products you use. Food is medicine. It can help us naturally balance our hormones. It helps us feel confident because we physically feel good. When we take the endocrine disruptors out of our homes, we can feel confident in the products we use as well. This will help our hormones balance as well.
Working out, even just 30 minutes a day, will help us feel good as well. This can help combat some of the emotions that we're feeling, and it will help us feel more confident. Lastly, eliminating stress can be a huge help as well. Learn how to take care of your stress. Eliminate it or learn how to deal with it in a healthy way.
These things can help us "heal" and feel normal.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
While there isn't a cure for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the treatment options mainly help suppress the symptoms, there are some things that we can do to make us more aware of what is going on in our body.
Here are my tips for caring for yourself:
Go to your OB/GYN yearly. It's important to be proactive about your healthcare. I mentioned earlier on that something to be aware of is the risk of endometrial cancer. Going regularly to your doctor will help you be preventative.
Get annual blood tests. The outside doesn't always tell the truth. Knowing what is going on inside of you is just as important. It will also help you decide what the next steps are in your healthcare. You can ask your family practitioner for these tests or your OB/GYN. Some blood tests you may want to consider are: Vitamin D, androgen levels, LH and FSH, TSH, T3, T4, and rT3. I also personally have my Hemoglobin A1C and glucose tested (normally a 2-hour glucose test). What you have tested is up to you. You can also ask your doctor for recommendations.
Spend some time for self-care. Cortisol is another hormone that can become out of whack in our system. When we are stressed out, our cortisol levels rise. This can mess up other things within our body. Keeping our stress low will help with that. I know, easier said that done, right? Take time for yourself once a week. Do something that you love and enjoy. Read a book. Take a walk. Go floating. Take a relaxing bath...if you like that sort of thing. ;) Eat healthy and workout. When we do those things, we feel physically better and more confident about ourselves.
It is best when you know what is going on with your body. Knowledge is power and it empowers you to make good decisions for yourself.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 bag dry coleslaw mix
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup coconut aminos (or sub soy sauce)
1 tsp ginger
Sliced green onion Directions:
In a large, deep skillet, brown the meat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine garlic, coconut aminos, and ginger. Set aside. Once meat is cooked through, add dry coleslaw mix and stir to combine. Pour coconut aminos mixture into skillet and stir, continuing to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until cabbage is wilted, but still a bit crunchy. Serve with sliced green onion.
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Yesterday, I shared the treatment options for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. There are many different medications that can be used to treat the symptoms. One of the best treatments that I have found is to change diet and exercise. So how have I changed my lifestyle?
I personally have chosen to go a more holistic route when helping with my symptoms. I don't think there is anything wrong with medications, and if you choose to use medications to help your symptoms, I think that is fine. For me personally, I wanted to see what I could do without the help of medication. That is what led me to finally go off of birth control pills.
I started my health and fitness journey a little over four years ago when I wanted to get rid of my headaches. I had a daily headache since I was in the second grade. I started getting migraines when I was in sixth grade, and quite frankly, I was tired of them. Slowly, I realized that I was living a very unhealthy life and needed to make a change.
There are four main things that I've done to change the way I'm living now:
I changed the way I eat. Food is meant to be fuel for our bodies. I had to understand that. So when looking to see which diet was best for women with PCOS, I quickly realized that it was going to be a huge change and not just a 30-day diet. It was stated that no dairy, gluten, soy, or sugar would be a great place to start. My diet has struggled, but I found Whole30 which has radically transformed the way that I live and eat. I found a vegan superfood shake that incorporates specific supplements that help with PCOS symptoms. I drink it daily, and I feel great about that choice! The biggest change that I made was that I became a health and fitness coach so that I could have accountability...no just for 30 days, but every day.
I work out minutes a day. I hate working out. When I first started, I wasn't really that committed. I would work out for a few days in a row, then take a couple weeks off. Last February, I decided that I was going to be committed to myself. I was going to follow a workout calendar, and I would do the workout that it says. Since then, I've been working out for 20 months straight, with only one or two rest days a week. I've not skipped weeks, and it has been amazing to see the change in my cardiovascular health.
I changed the products that I use. Within the last several months, I started to change the products that I use. From household cleaners to shower products, to oral health, and makeup. I've changed it all. I decided that I didn't need any help with making my hormones whacky, and I can simply do that all on my own--thank you, PCOS. The one thing that I look for and have changed in my products: no endocrine disrupters. I look for parabens and fragrance/parfum in the ingredient list. I've also been adding essential oils to my routine, but that is another story for another day.
Lastly, I found my identity. This may sound strange to you, but over the course of the years, I lost who I was. We moved three times in the first couple years of marriage. When my Granny passed away, I was completely broken, and we moved yet again. That was a defining moment for me in my life. So when we got settled, I knew that I needed to figure it out. God convicted me of clearing out my schedule so that I could have a time specifically for Him. It was in that time that I figured out who I am.I'm currently reading a book called, "She's Still There," by Chrystal Evans Hurst, and in it, she says this:
It's not enough to know you are a unique, divinely created soul. You must believeit. And to believe it, ou must choose to remember what you already know--or learn what you don't. Then you must choose to rehearse the idea of your value until it becomes so ingrained in your mind that it affects what you do, how you think, and the way you respond to what has occured in your life, whether you caused it or not.
When you know who you are and you truly believe it, you exude confidence in other areas of your life.
Those are the few things that I have made changes to, but these things have made a huge impact on my life. I find mysef feeling good. I feel good on the inside, and I feel good on the outside. To me, that's what matters.
You can make these changes, too! Start slowly and work on one thing at a time. Pretty soon, you'll be feeling the best you ever have as well! If I can help you in any way, with workouts, a healthy eating plan, or a quiet time, please reach out! That's what I'm here for.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Unfortunately, if you're born with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, you will have it the rest of your life. There is no cure. But there are treatment options.
Please note, most doctors are trained in medicine, so their first option is going to be medication. If you want other options, you will need to see a more holistic doctor. But we'll cover that in a future post. ;) Basically, we just suppress our symptoms since we cannot cure them.
Let's take a look back at the symptoms of PCOS and I'll share what I know about treatment options.
Irregular Periods: The birth control pill will be the option to help you regulate your cycle and control the flow. Some may choose a progesterone only pill instead of the combination pill (estrogen/progesterone). However, as soon as you go off the pill, the irregular cycle will be back.
High Androgens (Testosterone): With a high testosterone level comes a whole host of other symptoms--hirsutism, male pattern baldness, thinning hair--and to help combat those, there's also a medication that can be taken. A popular one is Spironolactone, which is a blood pressure medication, but can also lower male hormone's effect on hair.
Insulin Resistance: Sometimes the doctor will offer a medication used for diabetes, such as Metformin, to help control the insulin levels. This also will help with weight loss. This can also help decrease testosterone production.
Infertility. Sometimes the cause of infertility in women with PCOS is because the body doesn't naturally ovulate. A medication (pills or shots) can be used to help "make" the body ovulate. Another option for help in this area is seeing a fertility specialist to discuss options for conceiving.
Weight Gain/Obesity. The best option for this is to lose weight. But it's kind of a catch-22 because it is HARD to lose weight with PCOS. Ultimately, it comes down to changing your lifestyle. Changing the way you eat and making it a habit to work out is extremely important. I'll be sharing tomorrow what changes I've made in my life.
No matter how you choose to treat your symptoms, it is ultimately up to YOU to decide. Make sure you know the side effects of each medication before choosing to take them. Make sure you do your research and educate yourself. This is extremely important. YOU are the one that is in charge of your health...YOU get to decide. Just because a doctor offers you a prescription doesn't mean you have to use it.
The power is in your hands.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
As I have mentioned before, each case of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is different. Each woman has their own unique story to share with their own unique symptoms. No two stories are identical. While some may have the same symptoms, the varying degree of the symptom is what sets each other apart.
It is very common for women with PCOS to also see insulin resistance. We already know that PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. It's not just the estrogen and progesterone imbalance, but insulin plays a big factor as well. Typically, I hear that PCOS and insulin resistance go hand-in-hand. This is why Type 2 Diabetes can be a symptom and/or a risk of PCOS.
Allow me to get a little bit "science-y" with you right now.
Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, in It Starts With Food, say that "insulin is about as close to a 'master hormone' as you can get." They go on to say that insulin "directly controls or influences energy storage, cell growth and repair, reproductive function, and, most important, blood sugar levels."
It's the job of insulin to use or store the energy (or food) that we eat. In a perfect world, our blood sugar levels would be in a normal range, which means our body would be functioning properly.
For example, let's say we eat some cake. A cake is made from sugar. We eat that cake, and then our pancreas can tell that we ate that cake. The sugar in our blood stream rises. So our pancreas produces the perfect amount of insulin and tells it to go out into the blood stream and grab that glucose (read: sugar) from it and put it in storage, which would usually be the liver or muscles. Then our blood sugar returns to the normal range after insulin does its job, and the stored sugar is now called glycogen, which can then be used as energy.
However, when your hormones are out of whack, it's not an ideal world. Women who have insulin resistance have a different story.
Let's say we eat some cake. But this is the real world. So we probably ate some cake and before that, we had a meal full of carbohydrates, with very little real food. And we probably have had meal after meal after meal like that as well. So anyway, that cake is still made from sugar. We eat that cake, and then our pancreas can tell we ate that cake. The sugar in our blood stream rises even more. But because we've eaten so much sugar, our body has nowhere to store it. The glycogen stores are full (the liver and muscles), so it converts to fat. But we continue to eat like that, our blood sugar is still high, our pancreas is still making insulin, but it has nowhere to go. Our bodies will burn that sugar off as energy first before it taps into our fat stores. So we continue to accumulate fat.
That then means that we still have high blood sugar, high triglycerides, and that sends a message to our brain which messes up our leptin, yet another hormone. Leptin tells our body that we are full. If this hormone is messed up and doesn't allow it to communicate with our bodies, we will continue to eat.
If we become leptin resistant, meaning our body doesn't know when it's full, so it keeps telling us to eat, we can become insulin resistant. Because we've already had a diet full of junk, our cells are already full with the necessary storage. The cells then become insulin resistant, meaning they won't allow insulin in because it will cause more damage. So our blood sugar remains high, the body continues to produce more insulin, which then elevates fat in the blood stream. The vicious cycle continues.
With chronic high blood sugar and insulin resistance, this can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.
If what I just describe is confusing and crazy, it's because it is. Insulin resistance is definitely something that has to be watched. If you have a hard time losing weight, you may be insulin resistant. But with the right lifestyle changes, you can reverse this!!
If you are struggling to get out of this vicious cycle of insulin resistance, I would love to help you! This is why I'm so passionate about living this lifestyle. I personally have to be careful about what I eat, and I can share that information with you! Please reach out if I can help.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
As I have mentioned previously, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome often goes undiagnosed or it can be misdiagnosed. That is unfortunate, and here's why. There are a lot of secondary diseases that are associated with PCOS that you have to be aware of.
Having a diagnosis means that you know what to look for and how to care for your body. It also means that you know there are possibilities of future complications. But by knowing that you have PCOS, you can start now to lower the chances of complications.
What are some of the risks and complications associated with PCOS?
Infertility. I know that I've mentioned this in the past, but many women don't even know they have PCOS until they start trying to conceive. If they have difficulty, it's in the months following when they have doctors appointments, that they may be tested and diagnosed.
Gestational Diabetes. Women with PCOS have a higher chance of having gestational diabetes when pregnant, which will contribute to having a "high-risk pregnancy."
Miscarriage/premature birth. Women have a higher risk of miscarriage, and there's also a higher risk of premature birth. Women who have PCOS and are pregnant may be considered a "high-risk pregnancy."
Metabolic Syndrome. Women with PCOS have higher chances of having metabolic syndrome, which according to Mayo Clinic, is defined as a "cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes."
Type 2 Diabetes. Women with PCOS have a higher risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes, especially if they have Insulin Resistance.
High Blood Pressure.
High Cholesterol.
Heart Disease.
Sleep Apnea.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Eating Disorders.
Endometrial Cancer. Women who have irregular or non-existent periods are at higher risk for endometrial cancer. Having an irregular period with the absence of ovulation cause the body to produce estrogen, but not progesterone. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus cannot shed, the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy or irregular bleeding, and this can lead to uterine cancer. [Side note...this risk is what made me decide to go on the birth control pill.]
A lot of the things mentioned above can be prevented. Some of them cannot. Some of the conditions mentioned above can be reversed, which is always a good sign.
Personally, I am glad that I have been diagnosed so that I can do my research and know what is possible. I also know how to change my lifestyle now so that I can give my body the best nutrients possible. I know how to prevent some of these things and work to an overall healthier me.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
When I was just 9 or 10 years old, I had my first period. I didn't really know what it was. I thought something was wrong with me. I hadn't had the "talk" yet, as that was supposed to happen in 4th grade. But it happened earlier than that for me. I hadn't even started wearing a training bra yet. So yes, it was extremely embarrassing. It came once and then didn't come back until I was 14.
When I was 10 or 11, I had some extreme pain in the right lower side of my abdomen. My cousin had just had an appendectomy, so we "tested" out the pushing in of the abdomen to see if it hurt worse when it was released. It didn't, so we were fairly certain it wasn't appendicitis. My mom and I chalked it up to being random growing pains.
Entering high school, I hadn't had a normal period yet. Mine were sporadic and super heavy. They would happen when I least expected, and again, it was super embarrassing. I always had to carry hygiene products with me and an extra set of clothes, which most of the time happened to be black gym shorts.
After a stint where I had gone 5 months without a cycle, my mom took me to her gynecologist. Due to some family history, we already thought that I could possibly have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, but I didn't have a formal diagnosis. I had to do some fasting blood work, and I also had an ultrasound that day.
At the ripe age of 15, I was formally diagnosed with PCOS. My androgen levels came back high, my insulin levels came back high, my HA1C came back high, and from looking at the ultrasound, I had cysts on both my right and left ovaries.
I was given some paperwork with information about PCOS, but at 15, I didn't really care. Okay, great...I had a diagnosis. That explains the belly weight, the irregular periods, and extreme mood swings. It explained the unwanted body hair, and it even explained my symptoms from when I was younger.
I thought that PCOS was a reproductive issue. That's how it was presented to me, but I knew that diet was important as well. It wasn't until these last few years that I realized how important diet and exercise is to create a healthy lifestyle with PCOS. Food is medicine, and I'm living proof of that today.
One of the treatment options for PCOS is birth control pills. We decided not to go on birth control once I was diagnosed. It seemed a little early, and I was okay with that at the time. When I turned 18 and was heading off to college, I did go on birth control. I wanted to know when I was going to have a period, and I wanted to lessen the effects.
Something that I've not gone public with is the fact that I went off birth control in January. I didn't go off to try and start a family. In fact, I feel strongly about being mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually stable before starting a family. The last two years have been rocky for me with the death of my Granny, going through grief and depression, and then moving to a new city. My husband and I have felt the need to be able to plant roots here, and then hopefully in the future start a family.
So I feel like I have a different view of PCOS from this side of things. I have found that in order for me to truly live a healthy lifestyle, I have to get my hormones in check. PCOS is a hormonal issue, not just a reproductive one. To be able to live healthily, you've got to have healthy hormone levels.
The reason I started my health and fitness journey, and the reason I became a health and fitness coach is to truly become a healthy person...inside and out. Since going off birth control, I have been able to see that healing in my body. The last three months, I've had a period. That may not mean much to you, but I've never had a natural period three months in a row.
I feel so much better being off the pill. My mind is stable. I feel better physically. There are a lot of things I feel better about, and I don't regret going off of it at all. But even more so, I'm excited that my body is actually doing what it's supposed to be doing. I know that I am on the right track, and this journey has been worth it.
So if you're struggling with PCOS, I just want you to know that you're not alone. This journey is hard. It's so tough, but when you see the effects of making going choices, it's worth it! If I can help you get started on your health and fitness journey, please reach out to me!
To hear me share my story, see the video below:
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Now that we know what Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is usually the next question is what causes it? That is also a good question and one that I don't have an answer for. Why? Because no one really knows what causes it. The syndrome is a mystery in a way. There are several ideas on the cause of PCOS, which I will share with you.
It could possibly be hereditary. I have heard that it comes from the father's side of the family, but I've also heard that it comes from the mother's side of the family. It may be likely that you have a mom or sister who also has PCOS. I have neither. In my search for the answer to this question, I've come up with no real answers. There may have been some signs of PCOS among my father's side since my dad and my uncle are 10 months apart. They were supposed to be 11 months apart, but Dad came a month early. ;) There are also some more definite signs along my mother's side. It really is a mystery, and I'm not sure I will ever find out the answer to my own family history.
There could be a possibility that insulin plays a larger role in the cause than we know. Some women with PCOS make too much insulin, which helps regulate the intake of sugar, starches, and other food into energy for the body. Could the cause of PCOS be that if the body makes too much insulin, then the ovaries react and make too many male hormones (androgens)?
Could the possibility be that women with PCOS have chronic inflammation in their bodies and that is the cause of PCOS?
These are all speculation at this point. I have not found a definitive answer, and I have come to accept the fact that we may never know the cause of it. Ultimately, we live in a broken world where things like PCOS and sickness and cancer are present. Although we may want answers, we may not get them this side of heaven. In my opinion, part of having this diagnosis is having to accept that we may never get the answers we want.
So the question remains...what causes PCOS? I think there are several factors in determining this, but there isn't a straight answer.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can be tricky. Often times, the patient has to keep pushing to get an official diagnosis. Sometimes it takes going to multiple doctors in order to get a diagnosis. PCOS often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed. It's so tricky. I just read a staggering statistic from health.com that said it took an average of 2 years and 3 doctors to get a diagnosis. This is very, very sad.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is fairly common, yet it takes quite a bit to get a diagnosis. If it sounds crazy, it's because it is! Ten percent of women in childbearing years are affected by PCOS, but less than 50% are ever diagnosed. It is not diagnosable by just a single test. In fact, it may take several tests, several times, to get a diagnosis.
In order to be officially diagnosed with PCOS, the patient must have at least 2 of the 3 following symptoms:
The woman may have irregular or non-existent periods.
The woman may have excess androgens.
The woman may have polycystic ovaries.
There are various tests that can be used to find the answers to these symptoms such as a pelvic exam, a blood test, and/or an ultrasound.
I have 3 of the 3 symptoms mentioned above and was diagnosed by a blood test and ultrasound. There are several things that could be a factor as to how the doctor tests you. My doctor was sensitive to the fact that I was not sexually active, so I did not have to have a pelvic exam. The ultrasound was clear enough to show that I had numerous cysts on both ovaries, and my blood test came back with high testosterone levels (as well as elevated insulin and sugar levels, which I will talk about later this month).
You know your body best. If you think you may have PCOS, you will have to learn to be your own advocate. There may not be a doctor on your side, pushing to help get you answers. You may have to push for them yourself. As I have mentioned previously, take note of what your body is saying. Write these things down, do your own research, and take the information to your doctor.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of symptoms that are associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Each woman is different and may experience some of them, but not all of them. Some women have varying degrees of the symptoms. It really all depends on the woman's body and her hormone levels. My symptoms may be completely different from your symptoms.
It is important to understand that I am sharing this information to educate. If you are dealing with some unexplained symptoms and you feel like they may add up to PCOS, I would encourage you to continue researching yourself. Educate yourself and be an advocate for your health. Go to your doctor with the information. Be prepared for pushback. But ultimately, you know your body best.
Symptoms of PCOS may include:
weight gain or obesity, typically carrying it around the tummy area
irregular or non-existent periods
multiple cysts on the ovaries
high testosterone levels (androgens)
hirsutism (excessive hair growth) on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
male pattern baldness/thinning hair
acne/oily skin/dandruff
painful periods/pelvic pain
infertility
patches of thickened and dark brown/black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
skin tags
sleep apnea
For me personally, I have nine, sometimes ten symptoms listed above. Any of these can be present for someone who has PCOS but they may not have all of them. Some of these affect the physical appearance, while some may require further testing to confirm. They can come at different times in life, and they may come and go. Luckily, most of them can be treated, and I'll be sharing more on that later.
The symptoms that are most common are:
high levels of male hormones (androgens).
an irregular or no menstrual cycle.
may or may not have many small cysts on the ovaries.
Tomorrow, I'll be sharing more on how to get a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I hope you'll stay tuned.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is September which means that it is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month! I am hoping to bring more awareness to this syndrome and help educate you along the way. Before I get started, I want you to be aware that I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a woman who was diagnosed early in life and has been learning about my diagnosis ever since. If you have specific questions, you can, of course, ask them, and I will do my best to answer. However, I would encourage you to take them to your doctor as well.
So what exactly is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome? Good question.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal endocrine disorder that affects 1 in 10 women. That means about 10% of all women of childbearing age are affected by it.
It can affect:
the menstrual cycle.
hormone levels.
insulin levels.
ability to have kids.
the heart.
blood vessels.
physical appearance.
metabolism.
PCOS is the most common hormonal reproductive problem of women of childbearing age. Typically, women with PCOS have these characteristics--
high levels of male hormones (androgens).
an irregular or no menstrual cycle.
may or may not have many small cysts on their ovaries.
I will share in detail about the symptoms of the syndrome and how to be diagnosed at alater date, but those are the main three characteristics.
When I was first diagnosed, I thought it was all about the reproductive system, as the doctors talk a lot about the ovaries, cysts, and trying to get pregnant. And many women aren't diagnosed until they do try to conceive, however, it is not just a reproductive issue. PCOS is a whole body issue. As the month progresses, I hope to share with you how, as women with PCOS, we can treat the symptoms, but also try to heal as best as we can, especially since there isn't a cure.
The statistic of 1 in 10 women can seem like you're alone, or at least that's how I felt. I only knew one person who had PCOS, so I felt like it was rare. In reality, there are many, many women affected by it. My eyes were opened to that statistic and what it really means, by hopping on social media and searching for posts about it. There are some great support groups, and the women who are affected by it have bonded through "cysterhood." So if you happen to be one of the ten who is affected, you are not alone.
If you know someone who could benefit from reading this blog, by all means, share it! After all, sharing is caring and greatly appreciated!
It is the first day of September. It's my favorite month of the year because I know that fall is coming. Fall just happens to be my favorite season. It's full of color and hoodies and bonfires and cooler weather and craft fairs. I want to be outside more and enjoy the fresh air. I am motivated to move more, and I just appreciate the change in season. I really love it all. <3
Within the last several years, I learned that September is an important month because it is PCOS Awareness Month! PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and I am 1 in 10 women who have it. Lucky me! I feel that this is an extremely important month, as it gives me the opportunity to share more of my story with you, as well as encourage and educate if you are going through similar struggles.
Throughout the month of September, I will be bringing awareness to PCOS, sharing my own story and what we know about it. When I say "we," I mean what I personally know and what researchers and doctors know. Just to give you a spoiler alert, I know just about as much about PCOS as any of the doctors that I have seen for it.
I sure hope that by educating ourselves, we can become advocates for those who can't be. I have hope that perhaps one day, we will be able to understand the syndrome and have more answers for those of us who are waiting for them. Until then, I will continue to educate myself, share what I know, work on my own health by putting into practice what I can, and sharing my knowledge with others.
If you or someone you know has PCOS, I would be honored if you would share my posts with them. I truly want to encourage and support as many women as I can that are on this journey with me.
