Posted on September 19, 2015
This month is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness month (PCOS for short) and in light of the last few days I felt it was only right to give an account of how PCOS can affect a woman in their day to day life.
For those who do not know what PCOS is, it is a mild to severe condition that according to the NHS website “affects how a woman’s ovaries work.” The website also states that the three main features of PCOS is: Cysts that develop in your ovaries, your ovaries not regularly releasing eggs and high levels of androgens (male hormones) in the body. Symptoms to not usually surface until your late teens or early twenties.
Symptoms include:
1) Irregular periods or no periods at all
2) Difficulty getting pregnant
3) Excessive hair growth commonly on the face, chest hair, back or bum
4) Weight gain
5) Thinning hair and hair loss from the head
6) Oily skin or acne
The more I research this topic the more I get frustrated as no-one seems to know quite exactly causes PCOS, although it is seen to be hereditary and associated with abnormal hormone levels which includes high levels of insulin which is why there is an increased risk of Diabetes type II amongst other later in life health issues.
Every website I have looked at states that to treat PCOS, although there is no cure, losing weight apparently can make symptoms better. However, when I was diagnosed I weighed 6st 2lbs and I now weigh roughly 9 and a half stone and my symptoms are exactly the same as they were when I was a stick thin slim-jim. So I personally think losing weight doesn’t really have an impact, but what can help is a healthy balanced diet and in my opinion; the birth pill. However this is only due to the hormones being pumped through your giving it a false sense of regularity. But at the same time for those who want a family if you are on it for too long it can cause your body to take a while to get back to normal once you decide to start trying for a baby. I personally found microgynon 30 the best but after a bout of Migraines was told I could not take it anymore, so after numerous other types of Pills, I couldn’t find one to mask my PCOS symptoms until I had the implant fitted.
My main reason for this post was due to the incident that happened last night. But first a little backstory =]
At my Grandad’s funeral this week, I did not stick to the Paleo Diet and that night I didn’t either. The next night I went to the cinema straight after work so I again, cheated on my diet. Yesterday I started to get painful tummy gripes and cramps, but I put this down to my IBS playing up due to my eating habits over the past few days. Boy was I wrong!!
During the night I woke up with a stabbing pain in my tummy, I run to the bathroom thinking I was either going to be sick or it was a case that I had a bad tummy, but the pain would not subside. I felt lightheaded and the pain was indescribable, I honestly thought I would black out. After being sick, the pain died down and I was able to go back to bed.
Having woken up today, to what was meant to be H’s fake birthday (his birthday was the day of my Grandad’s funeral so we agreed to rearrange it). I feel so rubbish, I am exhausted, my tummy still hurts, I have a fever and I just feel horrible. I am pretty sure this is all due to a cyst bursting.
If you think you have had an Ovarian Cyst Rupture, here are the 5 signs:
1)Sudden and severe abdominal, back and/or pelvic pain – I had pain radiating in my whole lower tummy and thought that if it was a cyst rupturing then it would be nearer to my ovaries (apparently not!) The pain is the ripping of the membrane wall of the cyst so once it has detached itself the pain goes quite quickly.
2)Increased pain during sex and bowel movements and an increased urge to urinate – Well I wee a lot according to H, so this wasn’t a symptom for me.
3)Nausea and vomiting – As above, my rushed dinner to watch the Rugby World Cup opening was for nothing =[ This is the body’s natural reaction to the pain that occurs when the Cyst ruptures.
4)Dizziness and/or sudden weakness – As above, I do think had it not been for my pukage, then I would have blacked out. I hate the sensation and it makes me shudder just thinking of the state I was in last night, laying on the bathroom floor crying as my body couldn’t be sick yet I knew if I wasn’t I would pass out.
5)Fever – This is the body’s way to deal with the risk of infection of the fluid from the rupture.
Please know I am not a doctor, so I cannot confirm these symptoms could not be due to something else, and if you are worried please go to see your local GP or A&E or NHS Direct etc. More so, if your symptoms do not subside or you are worried definitely seek medical help people!!!
Path to Parenthood 