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
"Something I thought I'd never see... two blue lines"
Wednesday, 4th February 2009
I think I have always had PCOS although I wasn't diagnosed until 2001. Growing up my periods were never regular and when I did get them they were often very, very heavy. I have always suffered with the dreaded extra hair growth on my body and I have always been "heavy" and struggled to lose weight.
In 2001 I had a pregnancy "scare" after coming off the pill. My (now) husband and I were actually thrilled until a home test came back negative. We then decided to actively try to conceive. After several disappointing months I went to my doctor who ran tests and diagnosed PCOS. To say we were devastated was an understatement. We had both wanted lots of children and added to this, we were basically given no information.
My doctor put me on clomid and I eventually became pregnant in April 2002. A week before our wedding, at about six weeks pregnant, I started to bleed and the hospital said they thought I was having a miscarriage and there was nothing they could do. I had to have blood tests every other day to check my hormone levels and although they were too low to indicate pregnancy they would not go right down. Two days before our wedding the consultant wanted to admit me to hospital for exploratory surgery but a lovely nurse persuaded him that I should be allowed to have my wedding on the understanding I would come straight back if I had any pain.
We had a beautiful wedding on the Thursday and on the Friday morning I was admitted to hospital as I had started bleeding again. I had the surgery on the Saturday and came out of the anaesthetic to find that it was an ectopic pregnancy and my tube had been removed. What a honeymoon!
We picked ourselves up and began trying to conceive again. I continued to take the clomid and again became pregnant in April 2003. Due to my history, I was given a scan and blood tests straight away. The scan was inconclusive and a very rude sonographer had a go at me for coming in too early. I tried to explain my history but she just made me feel like I was wasting her time! The blood test however showed low hormone levels again and I had to have the test every two days.
It was almost a year to the day that I had surgery for my second ectopic pregnancy. This time however they were able to save the tube. I was told that I had used up my lifetime allowance of clomid and that my only option would be IVF. As the NHS in our area has decided not to fund any IVF treatment we felt we had no options at all.
We were both very upset but I think that in a way the thought that we had no options probably took some stress off.
In April 2005, completely out of the blue, I began to feel terrible. I thought to myself that they seemed like pregnancy symptoms but didn't say anything to my husband as I thought it was probably just wishful thinking. I went to the supermarket at lunchtime, bought a pregnancy test and took it in the toilets of the shopping centre. I then saw something I thought I would never see... two blue lines as bright as could be. I was shaking as I walked to the car and phoned my husband. I was laughing and crying so much that he couldn't understand me at first. We had a few scares during the beginning of the pregnancy, things that most people probably wouldn't notice, but due to our history we noticed everything.
On Wednesday 4th January 2006 at 10.15am our precious Gemma Lucy was born at a very healthy 8lb 11oz. She is perfect.
That's our story so far and we hope to give Gemma a brother or sister one day.