According to Johns Hopkins, ‘PCOS is a very common hormone problem for women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS may not ovulate, have high levels of androgens, and have many small cysts on the ovaries. PCOS can cause missed or irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, and weight gain.’
In 2020, the pandemic was in full swing, and I had met someone special with whom I was spending my free time. I went to my PCP (General Practioner) for a check-up. Summer is when most women dress to impress, and I wasn’t any different. I remember wanting to wear my white linen pants in early August, but I was experiencing my cycle and couldn’t for obvious reasons. Fast forward to the end of August, I laid out my linen pants. Ala s, I started a new cycle at the end of the month. Alarm bells began to ring because I tracked my menstrual cycle in an app where I found the days were on day 15, meaning that my actual period was weeks away. I became so afraid I called the doctor immediately. I wished I had known I needed to see my gynecologist instead of my PCP. I would have saved so much valuable time and suffering.
A trip to the doctor’s office entailed monthly sonograms and blood work. The sonograms highlighted that I had two cysts on my left ovary. The worst part was they were sitting on a nerve. This experience became a nightmare overnight. I was bleeding multiple times a month. Some symptoms the doctor told me to expect were irregular periods, excess body hair, acne, weight gain, and infertility. What I wish I knew about was ovarian Torsion. Ovarian Torsion can cause nausea and vomiting; this is the twisting of the ovary. The doctor explained that some women die if the ovary does not twist back. One night I came home from work in so much pain, I remember walking into my room, and it went black, and I passed out.
The remedies I used with my doctor’s prescription were diet changes, walking as exercise, stress management, sleep hygiene, and probiotics. After months of going to my doctor and making those changes, I was finally cyst free.
