How My PCOS Vanished
My sweet story of struggle and relief.
A common physical condition many women can relate to. PCOS is not the same for everyone. It affects everyone differently. Some may show mild symptoms while some may have fallen prey to extreme conditions.
But do you know what is common among all the women who are suffering? They all worry and they all search for treatment, almost everywhere. I was no different.
When I got my periods at the age of 13, they were irregular which is common. As per doctors, it will take 2 -3 years to regularize.
Years passed and the periods remained irregular. I remember keeping pads with me every time as I would worry to get them any day.
I missed my periods for a long, which made me happy. I was free from pain and cramps, while my friends were suffering. But this happiness didn’t stay long. When I googled I found this can affect my ability to reproduce and I was devastated. I thought my married life will be over if I won’t bear the child. Later on, I realized it’s not the child which keeps the marriage alive, it’s the people in the marriage.
What Were My Symptoms?
Some pounds extra, acne, a teeny tiny cactus on the chin to start with. When they become totally off the track in terms of following the calendar, I visited a new doctor. I went through all that blood work and ultrasound. The report said no cysts in the ovary, just a little bit of rise in testosterone, and that’s it.
In 10 years I went through this drill of tests almost 4 times but nothing was detected. Doctors said I am still a PCOS patient as I have the symptoms. Some even said it be fine after the first pregnancy and I was like phew! I know I will never conceive, they are all lying. I was on and off birth control tablets several times. It ended on the note that “it is a lifestyle disease”.
I took care of my diet. Threw all the junk in the kitchen and started living healthy. I choose fruits and vegetables over pizzas and burgers.
I was doing fine until one day I noticed my scalp has started showing. I knew I was suffering from hair fall just like every other girl but nothing serious.
I was worried, I remember myself crying. I did everything I could. I asked everyone who was losing hair about the treatment. I used to read so much about PCOS that I could remember every drug and its use by heart. Now I was no more a patient, I was a researcher. I was studying case studies, research papers, and whatnot. At that time there were a handful of YouTubers who were talking about it. They were uploading their struggles in very bad picture quality but the information was useful. I learned Minoxidil was the only solution to get your hair back and I started using it after discussing it with my dermatologist.
This year I got married. All my symptoms were suppressed by birth control tables and metformin (thrice a day). I was losing hair like crazy. I couldn’t focus on anything. Thinking about a bald future made me cry even more.
I discussed everything with my partner and he asked me to throw out all the medicines and just focus on my well-being. I started living super healthy, lost weight and just when we tried I got pregnant. After my delivery my periods became regular and all the symptoms were gone.
So simple it was!
I realized there is so much written about PCOS that is inaccurate and anxiety-provoking. It just increases insecurity and lowers your confidence. In this journey, I learned some lessons.
- Stay positive: No matter how worse the situation is, it still has some solution. Even if you have cysts, there are many women who could conceive easily after the operation.
- Exercise and healthy eating: No matter what, “you are what you eat”. Develop self-control over junk. Keep your weight in check.
- Avoid sugar: Sugar may be a treat but it’s doing no good to your body.
Thankfully I am living a PCOS-free life. The acne keeps coming back but intermittent fasting really helps. If you are going through something similar please share your concerns in the comments section below. I would like to help you in every way possible.
