Women living with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) share their stories; from struggling to lose weight, trying to have a baby, managing acne and excess hair or losing their hair.
If you are a woman with PCOS and you would like to share your story, please get in touch by emailing media@verity-pcos.org.uk
PCOS stories
"Told me I'd never have children and sent me home"
Sunday, 10th August 2008
I'm nineteen and was diagnosed with PCOS in February 2007.
From what I have been told, when I was a little from the age of three to seven, I was skinny and wearing clothes for children two years younger. I went into hospital to have my tonsils taken out, but just a week after the operation I was rushed back into hospital because I was throwing up blood. I was kept in Yorkhill Children's Hospital for three weeks and in this time I ballooned to a children’s size 14. Since then I have been a big girl.
For past three years my periods have been a living nightmare; really heavy, soaking through my pad, knickers and trousers and I’ve suffered with really bad cramps and mood swings. I went to the doctor who gave me tablets to try and help the bleeding the first few days of my period and tablets for the pain. These have helped a lot but I still had this feeling that something still wasn't right. I went back and saw a different doctor and asked to be referred to a gynaecologist. When I got my referral I was given an internal ultrasound and told that I had PCOS. The gynaecologist gave me a few leaflets and told me it would be unlikely that I would ever have children and sent me home. This really upset me as I feel I have always been maternal.
I found out one of my friends has PCOS as well and she explained a lot of things out to me, which helped me a lot. I don't have any of the symptoms that my friend has - she has excess hair and terrible mood swings.
I found Verity while browsing the net tonight and have read the other stories on here. Good luck to all of you, hope you all get what you want - a baby. I don't know if it is just my doctor or most doctors, but I feel that they don't have a lot of knowledge on PCOS. To be told at 18 years of age that I might never have children really hurt me, but I now know that I can have children it just might take a while for it to happen. I agree with the woman on the previous story - more education is needed for people to help them control their symptoms and weight before it becomes an issue.
Thanks to Verity my knowledge of PCOS is more.