I’d like to introduce a PCOS Diary entry from a lady I have been following on Instagram for a while now. She’s bright and witty, and her story might be the most relatable PCOS story I’ve read. Check her diary entry below, and follow her on Instagram as well! If you want to share your PCOS story, email me at theprettyplusonline@gmail.com. 

 

 

It’s been about 3 months since I was introduced to the crazy world of PCOS, and it’s been one heck of a ride! My name is Doreen, my interweb friends call me Lady Sweetie, I am a 37 year old mother of 2, and for the past 8 years my whole life has revolved around family and food.

 

I am currently a cake decorator, so sugar and sweets have always been what people associate with me- hence my nickname given to me by close friends. Being a baker, I would spend countless late nights staying up baking and decorating after my family was asleep and the house was quiet, and my weekend would run right back into my week days.

 

For the last three years, I’ve noticed a decline in my energy and ability to bounce back. Everyday I just felt tired and stressed and when I was stressed, I ate. Some days I would be so stressed from work and homeschooling and just everyday life that my blood pressure would go up and my anxiety would send me to the ER! I went to my doctor and had a physical. He told me I was over weight and that I should see a dietician, and sent me off to get labs and ultrasounds.

 

I was told through a letter I had some cysts and and needed to take vitamin d and that was it! No follow up, so I went on with my life and every few months I would end up in the ER due to these anxiety attacks! Once in the ER, the nurse asked me what I did for a living and I said I was a baker. She told me maybe if I didn’t eat all my cakes I wouldn’t be fat, and I need to get blood pressure medicine. At that point I started losing faith in health care because they made me feel worse about myself. I tried diets and food challenges, but they never lasted and I eventually ended up 47 pounds over a 3 year period. I just felt hungry all the time, and told myself that this was just me.

 

I’ve been a part of the plus size community for a while, and it is what has always showed me that no matter what shape or size my body was, I had amazing people who loved me and thought I was beautiful. So I decided to embark on my self-love journey, forgiving myself for being so hard on my body. With that decision of self love and preservation, I decided to look for a new doctor- one that didn’t make me feel like I was less of a human for being overweight.

 

In Nov of 2016 I found one, and I was so nervous to walk in and be looked down upon. When I arrived, I was greeted by an Amazing staff, and when my new doctor (a woman) walked into the office and just started talking with me. She asked me about my life, my family, and how my body was feeling. All the while, I can see her looking and assessing me, but her face wasn’t the normal “this is all your own fault” face . She looked at me and said, “You know I think you may have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. I’d like to start you on medicine to control your blood pressure and get your anxiety under control as well before we do anything else.”

 

She ordered my labs and asked me back in a month. So in December when I returned, I not only got my PCOS confirmation, but I was also told I was newly diabetic! No surprise to the sugar queen, but I guess it kind of was because whenever my blood sugar level was tested it was always at 80- never over 100! I had no idea at the time what an A1C was, or what insulin resistance was. I was just kind of like wow!  I went home on that day and just started reading everything I could on PCOS and for those of you familiar with the list of symptoms it’s a loooooong list!