Living with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) part one

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone (androgen) levels. The ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid (follicles) and fail to regularly release eggs.     The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.Signs and symptoms of PCOS often develop around the time of the first menstrual period during puberty, signs and symptoms vary from person to person. Sometimes PCOS develops later, for example, in response to substantial weight gain.     The fall of 1981 I was in the eighth grade and had been experiencing a menstrual cycle for about a year. My cycle was never normal but this particular time I had been bleeding for about 3 months but didn’t either think to mention it to my mom or perhaps I thought it would eventually stop.  I nearly fainted in gym class which is when medical attention was no longer an option. The doctors response to my lengthy cycle was to place me on birth control pills and told my mom and me that I would likely never have children of my own. I remember leaving that appointment feeling extremely sad of the news.  My mom tried to console me by telling me that she too experienced irregular cycles and still gave birth several times, she was not successful. I stayed on birth control pills for many years to maintain a regular cycle.      It wasn’t until 1992 that I was officially diagnosed with PCOS by a young army physician at Walter Reed Army Hospital. There was very little known about this disorder at that time so I continued to take the pill, that was and still continues to be one of the foremost treatments. There have been some other medications used currently to aid in the treatment of PCOS but they remain controversial.      Through research I have learned how to control this disorder without the use of hormones. I am now post-menopausal so having a cycle is a thing of the pass but other issues still plague me, for or example, facial hair, obesity and thinning hair. Through a healthy diet and organic supplements I have lost a great deal of weight and I have reversed my type 2 diabetes which I developed from so many years of living with PCOS.      This is a very complicated and serious disorder but many women have banned together to help one another get through. 
Written by,Jeanine Dyer