Blog 5 in Series: PCOS If you don’t know what PCOS is, then please take the time to read the first post in this series, which can be found here. I’m going to start this one out by telling you all that I am NOT brave enough to post my own pictures as examples for this symptom of PCOS. Hirsutism is my least favorite symptom of them all! It’s a daily struggle, annoying, and embarrassing beyond belief. The Nitty Gritty: Mayo Clinic defines Hirsutism as follows: “Hirsutism (HUR-soot-iz-um) is a condition of unwanted, male-pattern hair growth in women. Hirsutism results in excessive amounts of stiff and pigmented hair on body areas…
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Blog 4 in Series: PCOS There are many, many, many underlying symptoms to PCOS. Some, you might not even realize are related…but they probably are! The Nitty Gritty: The one that really made me stop and think was the Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), or ‘Acne Inversa’. It is not something that has been studied that this is linked so often as it is a common symptom many women in the community share. Without being TOO graphic, the HS are basically abscesses anywhere that touches or rubs. Most typically, they are found in the vaginal area. They can be as small as a centimeter in diameter or as large as a baseball and are filled with…
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Blog 3 in Series: PCOS If you don’t know what PCOS is, then please take the time to read the first post in this series, which can be found here. Apple shaped? Many women with PCOS are apple shaped because of the high insulin, which creates the male hormones (called androgens.) The high levels of the androgens are the reason for the body hair growth, acne, irregular periods, and you guessed it: the weight gain in a male pattern, or around the waist. This gives you the apple shape as opposed to a pear or hourglass. The Nitty Gritty: 6 out of every 10 women with PCOS are overweight. The reason is…
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Blog 2 in Series: PCOS If you don’t know what PCOS is, then please take the time to read my last post in this series, which can be found here. The Nitty-Gritty: Many, many women find that the most devastating symptom of PCOS is infertility. Since I have not tried to conceive yet, I do not have the most insight into the TTC or “trying to conceive” process. I just know it can be a long, draining process. Many women end up using medicine and being fine, some have to go through more intensive/invasive treatments and some are not lucky enough to conceive at all. Another devastating thing about PCOS is that…
