25th July 2014 | by MFC Team
My PCOS experience
My name is Polly. I’ve always been on the chunky side and have struggled to keep my weight under control for as long as I can remember. My periods have been irregular since I started menstruating in my early teens. I have some dark facial hair, but figured that was because I am Greek and most of the women in my family do too. It wasn’t until my husband Tom and I started trying to get pregnant without success that I realized something might be wrong. My menstrual cycles were all over the place, and after a year of serious trying we still weren’t pregnant. After my doctor ran some tests, she came back with the devastating diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – PCOS. She was very kind about delivering the news that it would likely be very difficult for Tom and I to have children. She said there isn’t a “cure” for PCOS, but suggested that I could manage my “condition” with lifestyle changes such as more healthy eating and regular exercise. She recommended that I try to lose some weight. She gave us a referral to a fertility clinic where the doctors might be able to provide some specialized care and advice on how we can get pregnant with my condition.
I figured that Tom and I would be parents by now, so this diagnosis hit us both like a ton of bricks. Unlike so many other people who wait to establish their careers before having kids and leave it too late, we started trying in our 20’s. We want at least 3 kids and wanted to have them while we’re still young. It just doesn’t seem fair. But I guess we’re not alone. I’ve been surfing the net and reading about different women’s struggles with PCOS. Their stories have helped give me some hope that one day Tom and I will be able to have a baby. We’re definitely not giving up. We both are trying to eat better, we’re making a point of walking every day, and I’ve started getting acupuncture to enhance my fertility. I’ve also started my own blog to share my experience as I learn more about managing my PCOS and continue trying to conceive. Who knows, maybe my story will give another woman the courage to face her diagnosis like I have.
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