Copyright © 2007 • All Rights reserved
Written by Rachel Holbert
I noticed my first "symptom" when I was 14. I was rushed to the hospital with extreme pain in my lower right abdomen. At first we thought it was my appendix. After several hours in the ER and a CT scan of my stomach, it turned out I had a lemon-sized cyst on my ovary. We waited for a month for it to disappear, and when it didn't, I had surgery to remove it.
Up until that point, my periods had always been irregular. Being a young lady, the doctors told me I needed to wait a couple more years for it to regulate itself. By the time I was 23, I started to get the feeling that it just wasn't going to happen. So, when I was in for my yearly check-up, I mentioned it to my family doctor.
After a battery of tests (ultrasound and blood), it was determined that although I didn't currently have cysts on my ovaries, my FSH levels were low, and my LH levels were lower than they should be. In theory, my irregular (and sometimes non-existent) periods were due to PCOS.
My doctor explained that this meant I might have troubles with fertility. I received this phone call on my way to the airport, where I was meeting my fiance--we were going to visit his parents. All I remember was sitting in the airport bawling. My fiance didn't really understand what the big deal was.
Although I was only 23 at the time, I knew that at some point in the future, I wanted children. The thought that I might never be able to have them, or have a difficult time conceiving, broke my heart. My doctor put me on hormonal birth control (at least to regulate my periods) until we wanted to try to conceive.
I am finally going off of it in a few days. I am going to try NFP to gauge how frequently I ovulate, and see how my body handles itself naturally after being on the Pill for two years. I think one part I struggle with is my husband's lack of understanding. He's TERRIFIED that we're going to get pregnant accidentally.
I've tried to explain how unlikely this is...and how hard it will most likely be once we DO want children. (I don't mean to imply that he's cold-hearted or anything...I just don't think that men understand what it means to be possibly infertile until they are going through it themselves. Women are just in-tune with their bodies).
I think one of the problems with PCOS is the lack of information. Everyone is different, yet I don't feel like there are enough stories out there from women actually going through it. I'd like to hear about how long it took people to conceive, or what they did to help themselves along. I'm one of those weird people who doesn't have a lot of the traditional symptoms (while I struggle to maintain my weight, I'm still within the "normal" range, I don't have high testosterone levels, etc.). I think hearing more from women with it would be beneficial.
Up until that point, my periods had always been irregular. Being a young lady, the doctors told me I needed to wait a couple more years for it to regulate itself. By the time I was 23, I started to get the feeling that it just wasn't going to happen. So, when I was in for my yearly check-up, I mentioned it to my family doctor.
After a battery of tests (ultrasound and blood), it was determined that although I didn't currently have cysts on my ovaries, my FSH levels were low, and my LH levels were lower than they should be. In theory, my irregular (and sometimes non-existent) periods were due to PCOS.
My doctor explained that this meant I might have troubles with fertility. I received this phone call on my way to the airport, where I was meeting my fiance--we were going to visit his parents. All I remember was sitting in the airport bawling. My fiance didn't really understand what the big deal was.
Although I was only 23 at the time, I knew that at some point in the future, I wanted children. The thought that I might never be able to have them, or have a difficult time conceiving, broke my heart. My doctor put me on hormonal birth control (at least to regulate my periods) until we wanted to try to conceive.
I am finally going off of it in a few days. I am going to try NFP to gauge how frequently I ovulate, and see how my body handles itself naturally after being on the Pill for two years. I think one part I struggle with is my husband's lack of understanding. He's TERRIFIED that we're going to get pregnant accidentally.
I've tried to explain how unlikely this is...and how hard it will most likely be once we DO want children. (I don't mean to imply that he's cold-hearted or anything...I just don't think that men understand what it means to be possibly infertile until they are going through it themselves. Women are just in-tune with their bodies).
I think one of the problems with PCOS is the lack of information. Everyone is different, yet I don't feel like there are enough stories out there from women actually going through it. I'd like to hear about how long it took people to conceive, or what they did to help themselves along. I'm one of those weird people who doesn't have a lot of the traditional symptoms (while I struggle to maintain my weight, I'm still within the "normal" range, I don't have high testosterone levels, etc.). I think hearing more from women with it would be beneficial.
Lyndsie's Story