Warning: Before I start – today’s post is going to be all about PCOS. I’m going to explain some of the medical/technical aspects of this condition and there is one illustrated image as well. So if that’s something that you’re uncomfortable with or just plain not interested in – feel free to click away now 🙂

One of the most relieving days of my life was the day when I was diagnosed with PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. It may seem strange to think that a diagnosis that has problems would be something that would give me relief. But the truth is when you’ve had issues for a long time to finally know what the cause is for those situations can be a very freeing feeling. The strange thing is that polycystic ovarian syndrome is a fairly common problem for women across the world. However not many people know much about it. In fact 50% of women with PCOS aren’t even diagnosed with this condition because it is often misdiagnosed or the symptoms are not taken seriously. So I thought I’d take a few minutes today to explain this condition, and how it affects fertility, and the other symptoms that can arise from having it.

So first things first, polycystic ovarian syndrome isn’t solely connected to your reproductive system. PCOS is actually an endocrine condition that affects your hormones. So while it is most often diagnosed for women who have fertility issues it actually can affect many other things such as acne, hair growth, hair loss, weight gain, fatigue, etc. but let’s start with the fertility side of this condition.

PCOS & Infertility
Because this condition is a hormone based condition the first problem that most women with PCOS have is that their bodies produce too many male hormones known as androgens. Obviously this can cause problems for a woman who wants to have a child because it means her body isn’t producing the right amount of hormones to create an egg. Let’s explain this a little more.

So a normal woman’s ovaries have what are called follicles. When the right hormones are released during a woman cycle these follicles mature and then release an egg at the proper time during her cycle. While a normal woman will only have a few follicles growing during her cycle, a woman with PCOS will have at least double the amount of follicles developing during her cycle. Now this may sounds like it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but because the right hormones are not being released these follicles never mature into an egg. Instead they will grow and then burst. Not only is the bursting painful, but the swollen ovaries can be quite unpleasant too as other organs put pressure on them. For myself, I experienced this discomfort several times throughout my cycle in ranging levels of discomfort.

The imbalance of hormones also means that most women with PCOS do not have a normal cycle. For myself, before my diagnosis, my cycles would be anywhere from 24 days all the way up to 56 days. You can see how this irregularity can make it really hard for someone trying to conceive even if everything else is working properly. These imbalances and irregularities can also mean that a woman might not ovulate at all on her own which means she cannot produce an egg without the proper assistance.

Depending on the level of severity of a particular woman’s PCOS, simple lifestyle changes may be all that is required for her to get pregnant on her own. For other women medical assistance may be required whether that is through pills, injections, or other procedures.

In my case, I have been put on a pill for my under-active thyroid, as well as Metformin, which is a drug used to balance out insulin levels. Insulin resistance is another symptom of PCOS and often balancing out insulin can help balance out the androgen levels too. One of the biggest downsides to being on metformin is that it often leaves me feeling less than stellar. I frequently find myself having to be very careful about what I eat and how much water I drink. Otherwise I will find myself feeling nauseous and having to make frequent bathroom stops. As I like to tell Ryan – all the joys of morning sickness without the one perk. For me – this isn’t enough to solve the problem, but it’s part of a bigger picture to help get us where we need to be.

Other Issues Caused by PCOS

So now let’s talk about some of those other things that PCOS can affect like issues with insulin. Basically it’s insulin’s job to transport glucose (sugar) throughout your body. But PCOS causes insulin levels to get too high which results in weight gain. Weight gain in turn causes your insulin levels to increase, which in turn causes you to gain weight. And the vicious cycle continues. This same cycle exists for those who are insulin resistant because of PCOS too. In this case a person’s body doesn’t react properly to insulin so the cells won’t take the glucose where it needs to go. So the body produces more insulin which causes weight gain… and there begins the same vicious cycle.

PCOS has three main hallmark symptoms: obesity, irregular menstruation/fertility issues, and hair/skin problems. It is unusual for a woman to exhibit every symptom of PCOS; rather, most women living with PCOS have some combination of them. Here’s a list of the most common symptoms associated with PCOS:From this list I can tell you that I have struggled with or currently deal with at least 10 of the items listed above. Perhaps you can see how having spent my whole life dealing with anxiety and depression and poor body image and acne and difficulty losing weight and on and on – that those things could wear on a person physically, mentally, and emotionally. So to finally, after all these years, have a reason for why I am the way I am, has provided me with a level of peace and understanding I never knew possible. Just knowing that there is a reason I feel the way I do or struggle the way I do – is incredibly relieving.

Unfortunately there is no cure for this condition. Women who have PCOS will have it for their whole lives. But with the proper care and lifestyle changes – PCOS can often be rendered almost completely inactive. And those lifestyle changes are incredibly important to feeling your best, especially when placed on medication to combat the symptoms.

So this is a peek at just one facet of our infertility journey. I hope it’s been educational and interesting. I’m still learning different ways to manage my symptoms, and I still often find myself not feeling well and frustrated.  But that’s just part of the journey. I’m getting close to having another entry for you guys with an official update. I’m honestly just trying to find the right words and waiting for confirmed information before I share. But I’ll be posting something on that soon.