PCOS, my new healthy lifestyle.

PCOSKira · January 2020

I have been trying to get in shape for about 5 months, no matter what I ate or how much I worked out I just got fatter. As you can imagine this was quite frustrating and on top of that I was on my period, not a regular period of a week or two, but I was almost on month 3 of being on my period. I had so much pain and cramps, I honestly did not know what to do working out made everything hurt worse so I stopped. After stopping my workout regime and focusing just on what I ate I rapidly gained 30 pounds and bleed even more. I decided it was time to see a obgyn. The obgyn told me that I had PCOS, an incurable disease that for me presented with massive levels of testosterone, ovarian cysts, obesity due to my body not being able to process the little food I was taking in, me having no chance of fertility, and pain lots of pain.

Since being diagnosed in December they gave me a mass amount of hormones and with my luck every rare side effect I had. Shortness of breath, check, nausea, check, headache, check, really bad pelvic pain, check, cold sores, check, increased bleeding, did not think it was possible but check. So I agreed to continue with possible treatments for 3 months through the pain. One thing that I was told helped a lot of women with PCOS was changing their diet. At first I was stubborn I mean I literally had been dieting for half a year I knew what I ate was fine, plain oats and apple slices for breakfast, salad for lunch, and chicken broccoli and cheese for dinner. Almost everyday for 6 months, turns out my body can not process grain well, but can not have it eliminated from a diet. So this is the journey of me trying to find what makes me healthy.

The opposite would result in ovarian cancer, worsening cysts, so honestly when looking at the facts I kind of need to try everything. My PCOS went a long time undetected and I am grateful that it was caught now and I will do everything in my power to stop it in its tracks. Even though it can not be cured does not mean I cant try and stop it on my own by living a healthy lifestyle!

MikePTY · January 2020

Weclome, I am glad you have recieved your diagnosis and are on track for a healthy lifestyle. My wife was diagnosed with PCOS several years ago. It is important to know that while the disease is not curable, many women have it, and it is maneable and symptoms are treatable. While there are a number of things that can help treat and control it, weight loss and diet/lifestyle change is the number one. My wife's OBGYN doesn't recommend any of the other treatments to her clients until they work on getting that under control.

One thing I know from her is that it is possible to lose weight with PCOS. She gained about 70 pounds while having PCOS, but she's recently lost 25 through diet and exercise changes. With PCOS, you can have insulin resistance, so it can lower the amount of calories that your body burns naturally. But you still do burn calories naturally. A low carb diet can often help with it. My wife did not need to go on a low carb diet, just start exercising and control her intake. But I know that for a lot of women, going on a lower carb diet can be beneficial. If you can, I'd ask your OBGYN to a referral to a registered dietician who specializes specially in PCOS. They can work with you to create a specific plan that is best suited to your symptoms, as the effect of PCOS varies widely.

I also wanted to comment on the "no chance of having fertility" comment. Did your obgyn run specific fertility tests on you? Or did they just say that because you have PCOS, you won't be able to have kids? Becuase the latter is definitely NOT true. Many many women with PCOS have children. It is true that PCOS can affect fertility, and cause issues in some women. My wife has her own fertility issues. But that does not mean it is anywhere close to universal, and with diet and exercise, fertility chances can be improved (some women respond well to fertility supplements as well).

PCOS can be scary (my wife has had to have two surgies due to cysts/fibroid removal, and the disease has definitely negatively affected her quality of life in a number of ways), but it does not have to control your life. You are on the right track getting it treated, especially with a change in diet.

I am happy to friend you if you want some support. Even though as a man I obviously don't know what it is like to experience it, I have been dealing very closely with it for several years so I do have a fair bit of insight I can share.

TracyX88 · January 2020

Hi. I have PCOS as well. I’d definitely suggest doing some research on it. It can cause fertility issues, but not always. It’s not that your body can’t process food, it’s insulin resistance or diabetes. I’ve also never once had pain related to mine.. I know it bothers some women, but not all. I’d definitely suggest low carb. You can add me if you’d like. I’d be happy to answer questions or help you find accurate information. Some doctors really don’t know much about PCOS. Don’t let that one doctor make you think your life is ruined because of it.

mworeilly · January 2020

Brave of you sharing your story. There are many supportive people here I’m finding. I wanted to mention what little I know about the fertility issue. It’s true it affects fertility, but there may be ways to pursue children if that is what you choose for yourself. My best friend’s wife (who is now a great friend too), was diagnosed with PCOS a little over a decade ago. They have been very successful with IVF. They now have three awesome boys. It was costly and was not a sure thing but it worked three times. Maybe you already know your exact circumstances and kids are not part of it. Either way, you are at this part of life where you are identifying the challenges ahead and setting your goals with information, courage, and positivity on your side. Decide what’s important to you, and every day of your life that you can move, move toward it. Good luck.

PCOS, my new healthy lifestyle.

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