PCOS 101

I stared at the ultrasound screen as the tech did little measurements and took notes of the little circles. I was at my OBGYN for a fertility appointment after getting blood work for my ovulation and cycle issues. I didn’t know what I was looking at, but I knew it wasn’t good. About 20 minutes, I sat in an exam room while the doctor gave me a name for the fertility issues; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). She and I looked at the ultrasound of my ovaries, and I was shocked to see the “pearls” of varying sizes that were crowding each one. The doctor pointed out that one ovary had 12+ cysts and the other 18+. I was making eggs. They just weren’t releasing during supposed ovulation. I was 34 when I was diagnosed. 

After 7 months trying to get pregnant, I decided that it was time to talk to my OBGYN about any possible issues. I made the appointment and met with the doctor. She asked for any personal and family history that could be related. I told her that I had irregular periods and struggled to lose weight, my dad’s mom had trouble getting and staying pregnant, and my then 21 year old sister had just been diagnosed with PCOS. I think the doctor knew I had PCOS before I knew I had PCOS.

What is PCOS?

The US Office of Women’s Health lists “Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, as a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be.” (Office of Women’s Health)

Symptoms of PCOS

• Irregular menstrual cycle. Women with PCOS may miss periods or have fewer periods (fewer than eight in a year). Or, their periods may come every 21 days or more often. Some women with PCOS stop having menstrual periods.
• Too much hair on the face, chin, or parts of the body where men usually have hair. This is called “hirsutism.” Hirsutism affects up to 70% of women with PCOS.3
• Acne on the face, chest, and upper back
• Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp; male-pattern baldness
• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
• Darkening of skin, particularly along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts
• Skin tags, which are small excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area

Health Risks with PCOS

According to the CDC, women with PCOS can develop serious health problems, especially if they are overweight:

• Diabetes—more than half of women with PCOS develop type 2 diabetes by age 40
• Gestational diabetes (diabetes when pregnant)—which puts the pregnancy and baby at risk and can lead to type 2 diabetes later in life for both mother and child
• Heart disease—women with PCOS are at higher risk, and risk increases with age
• High blood pressure—which can damage the heart, brain, and kidneys
• High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol—increasing the risk for heart disease
• Sleep apnea—a disorder that causes breathing to stop during sleep and raises the risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes
• Stroke—plaque (cholesterol and white blood cells) clogging blood vessels can lead to blood clots that in turn can cause a stroke
• PCOS is also linked to depression and anxiety, though the connection is not fully understood.

My PCOS symptoms included high blood sugar, weight issues, irregular cycles, fertility issues, and many ovarian cysts. With this, I had an answer, but I also knew that it was going to be an ongoing battle for the rest of my life. There were other symptoms like my depression, mood swings, and exhaustion that may be associated with PCOS, but I’ll discuss this more in the future.

Some of the reasons that doctors test women for PCOS are fertility issues, weight issues, blood sugar issues or insulin resistance, and/or family history. I had been tested in 2014, but it did not include looking at my blood sugar or family history. My OBGYN told me that, between 2014 and 2016, testing had changed. I’m glad it did, or I wouldn’t have gotten my diagnosis.

For me, most of my symptoms are invisible. On the outside, people can see my weight issues, but they don’t see the exhaustion, depression, irregularity, cysts, etc. That makes this a hard diagnosis to bear. That is why I write about it.

Since I have PCOS, there are things that I have to watch, regulate, etc. related to the symptoms and possible health issues. I have to watch my weight, take medicine, exercise, and just generally work on my health. To be honest, I haven’t been that good at this. However, that doesn’t mean I give up entirely. 

My fellow cysters (great nickname for those with PCOS) probably understand. In fact, 1 in 10 women of childbearing age have PCOS. If you are one of us, then you probably know someone who has it. If you think you have PCOS, do your research and reach out to your health professional. If you are newly diagnosed, welcome to the cysterhood. There are a lot of us and there is a wonderful community that is out there to provide support. You just have to ask.

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