Source: pixabay.com
Seeing me for the first time may indicate how bubbly I am as a person. I smile and laugh easily; I am extremely chill to be with as well. However, you should believe that like most people, I can hide my problems behind the broad smiles and loud laughs I give.
In truth, I was diagnosed with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) when I was 19 years old. The layman explanation for this condition is that watery cysts engulf the ovaries, preventing the eggs from coming out. The result is that the menstruation becomes delayed for months.
I read online from Joann P. Galst Ph.D. that: “PCOS, a common cause of female infertility, is a hormonal disorder in which cysts form on the ovaries (unfertilized eggs). The condition can cause women’s bodies to produce excess male hormones and not provide a woman’s body with enough female hormones for the eggs in her ovaries to mature, thus interfering with ovulation. Symptoms of this hormonal disorder may manifest as excessive growth of body hair, acne, weight gain, and irregular periods.”
I have been keeping in touch with my OB-GYN ever since I learned about my PCOS. She checks on me every month and makes sure that I am getting my periods regularly. Despite that, from the day I found out about it up to now, I can’t shake off a few worries.
Can I Get Pregnant?
My biggest concern is my capability to conceive a baby and carry it to full-term. Although I am not a doctor, I am aware of the basic idea that menstruating each month increases my chances of being a mom. The blood entails that at least one egg drops from the ovaries, albeit unfertilized. So, there is no barrier for the sperm cells if ever I am ready to bear a child.
As mentioned above, however, having polycystic ovary syndrome makes the cycle unstable. Sometimes it is regular; other times, it skips. That is why it feels bothersome to ensure that I can become a mom in time.
Source: pixabay.com
When Can I Mind My Lifestyle Less?
It seems typical for every individual to want to let loose and do everything guilt-free. If you want to drink soda all day long, you can do it. In case you binge-watch on Netflix till morning and only eat junk foods, no one will scold you.
The thing is, I have not been able to do any of that since the diagnosis. After all, the OB-GYN has had a great sense that the PCOS came about because all I used to eat are junk foods. Not to mention, I barely slept due to work.
I know that being mindful of my lifestyle can regularize my cycle, but I still miss the old, PCOS-free days.
Will My PCOS Go Away?
The question seems pointless, considering polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the illnesses that scientists still don’t know much about. As a patient, though, I can’t help but wonder if it will ever happen.
PCOS is not as life-threatening as cancer or diabetes – that’s true. It does not come with debilitating symptoms either. Still, it is difficult to carry a disease that can prevent you from reaching the full circle.
“The key take home messages are that while lifestyle management is the first and most important step in the management of PCOS, addition of metformin to lifestyle modification appears to provide additional advantages in improving BMI and menstrual cyclicity in the medium term,” says Helena Teede MBBS, PhD, FRACP.
Final Thoughts
Source: pixabay.com
Learning that you have a condition that science cannot understand or help you get rid of can be frustrating. That is precisely the case when it affects your ability to get pregnant. Nevertheless, if you devote yourself to the various treatment options that your doctor may present to you, nothing is impossible. “The most common treatment for PCOS is the birth control pill, which lowers testosterone in a woman’s body. Diet and exercise are also recommended. PCOS is associated with diabetes and obesity, and can result in making it difficult to conceive,” according to Paul Joannides Psy.D.
Good luck!