I started noticing my irregular periods during my junior year of high school. I kept track of when I was supposed to get my period and sometimes I would skip my period for months. During the time my period was supposed to come around, I’d get what I thought were pre-period cramps. My abdominal area would be in so much pain that I couldn’t get up from my bed and would miss out on a lot—I missed school, I was a cheerleader in high school and missed football and basketball games, I missed church, and the list goes on. I felt that I was letting everyone down and would be disappointed in myself, but I was just in so much pain.
However, I heard that it was normal to have irregular periods if I was really stressed. This became my justification for my irregular periods, considering I was an academic student, athlete, held leadership positions in many student organizations and was in a couple of the honor societies at my school. So, I didn’t think much of my irregular periods and I didn’t do anything about it in high school.
College came around and I had to meet the general practitioner at school because I was going to start receiving allergy shots at the clinic on campus. At the end of the appointment, the doctor asked if I had any other concerns. I mentioned to her that my periods were irregular. After hearing this, she told me to make another appointment for that. I did.
At the next appointment, the doctor asked me a series of questions—How long did I notice that my periods were irregular? How many months at a time did I usually skip my period? Did I notice any excess hair growing on my body? Did I experience severe acne as an adolescent or even as an adult? Was I balding? I didn’t know where any of these questions were leading, but I did notice that my periods had been irregular since junior year of high school, I had skipped my period between one to four months at a time, and I experienced severe acne as an adolescent. After hearing these answers, my doctor requested that I had blood work taken. She then explained that she was going to see if I had an excess of androgen, a male hormone. She further clarified that an elevated amount of androgen and irregular periods would lead her to diagnosing me with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Essentially, girls with PCOS have enlarged ovaries, don’t form eggs and form cysts on the outer edge of their ovaries. The cause of PCOS is still unknown, but doctors believe that excessive insulin, low-grade inflammation and heredity are aspects of PCOS. PCOS puts girls at a higher risk for many health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, infertility, depression, anxiety and endometrial cancer.
Hearing all of this horrified me. I originally thought that I was just missing my period because I was stressed out, but in reality, I probably had a hormonal imbalance that could lead to a series of other health complications. What scared me the most was hearing that I had the chance of being infertile and could also get endometrial cancer. I had always dreamed of having a family one day and of giving my parents grandchildren. But, that might not happen and instead, I could get cancer and die. As detrimental as those thoughts were, that’s what was running through my mind.
After getting my blood work done, I was supposed to come in the week after to discuss the results with my doctor. The time leading up to that appointment was very frightening for me. I kept thinking of the worst-case scenario, which distracted me from living my every day life as a college student.
That appointment finally came around and the doctor didn’t have the best news for me—I had PCOS. I was shaking as she told me this. However, she tried to relieve me by telling me that there was something I could do about it. Her suggestions were to maintain a healthy diet, ensure that I exercise regularly, and start taking hormone pills to help regulate the androgen. I was fine with the first two suggestions, but I was a little iffy about taking the hormone pills. I wasn’t sure how my parents would feel about me taking hormone pills, especially since they are commonly used as a form of contraception. I asked the doctor if she could call my mom and explain the diagnosis and treatment. She did so and explained everything thoroughly to my mom.
As this was going on, tears were rushing down my face, as I was scared about what my mom was going to think and what could possibly happen to me. After speaking with my mom, the doctor handed me the phone. My voice made it apparent that I was crying and my mom asked if I was okay. I told her that I was nervous about what she would think and for my future health. To my surprise, my mom assured me that everything was going to be okay and that she would understand if I made the decision to take the hormone pills. Her support lifted me up a little, but I was still in panic mode after I finished speaking with her. The doctor wrote me a prescription for the hormone pills, and I was to start taking them the next day.
I remember leaving student health services devastated. After my appointment, I was supposed to go out with my best friend Lauren to pick up something from the store. She knew about my appointment and as soon as I met up with her, she asked me how it went. With a somber look on my face, I muttered, “I have PCOS” and nearly burst into tears. Immediately, she gave me a big hug. She was the first person I confided in outside of the appointment, and her love and support meant so much to me. However, I couldn’t help but feel sad for the rest of the day.
The melancholy carried on into the semester. Every day seemed like a gloomy day for me, my grades were slipping, and I just didn’t feel like the same person anymore. I felt hopeless and pathetic. It was as if life were going in a downwards spiral.
Eventually, I had follow-up blood work done to see if the hormone pills were helping with the androgen imbalance. This time, good news was coming my way. My androgen levels came back normal, so the pills were doing their job in regulating my hormones. Learning this gave me a little hope. Then, my doctor said something that really changed my outlook. “Hopefully, we can solve this problem down the line.” Her confidence in being able to overcome this issue helped me see the positive in the situation. Sure, I had PCOS, but as long as I took care of myself and continued to take my medicine as directed, I can make the symptoms bearable and still continue to live life to the fullest.
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