The Diagnosis

 *Post contains discussion of my specific symptoms and problems, diagnosis, and treatment. This is only an account of my personal experience and should not be taken as medical or dietary advice. Please speak to a doctor and/or registered dietician about your unique needs.*

It started 5 1/2 years ago.

I was working an office job that I didn't particularly like and suddenly started gaining weight. Like, a lot of weight. In the course of a few months I had suddenly put on 50 pounds. And then I started feeling... bad. Bad enough to miss a lot of work.

I attributed a lot of this feeling "bad" to my mental health at the time. Like I mentioned - I had no love for my job, but this was made worse by the fact that I landed there after being let go from a job I did love. My eating habits changed some, but not drastically, so I attributed the weight gain to a shift from a more active work day to a sedentary one. My periods had become increasingly unpredictable, but this too I attributed to my mental state.

Even so, I went to my doctor to make sure everything was okay. My bloodwork showed anemia, evidence of recent mono, and a vitamin D deficiency. My doctor explained that all three of these would cause the fatigue we'd discussed, and that, yes, my irregular periods were probably just due to stress. I started taking vitamins and supplements and moved on with my life, still experiencing pretty frequent bouts of dizziness, fatigue, and a generally "unwell" feeling, but generally attributing it to stress or anemia and trying to try my best.

I started being more careful in my diet. It's shifted a lot over the years but has generally become more plant-based. I work out with varying regularity: for months on end I'll do yoga or weights several days a week, then will have a day where I don't feel well and end up taking weeks off from workouts.

And then last month, October 2020, I missed a full week of work because I was so dizzy and tired. So I found a new doctor - a necessity due to an insurance change - who ordered new bloodwork.

I was thrilled to get results showing that I am definitely not diabetic (diabetes runs in my family, so this was a very real concern), and that my thyroid is functioning normally. But my iron was... low. Really low. Low enough that my doctor described my blood as "pale" and explained that I had basically used up all the iron stores in my body and ordered me to triple my iron supplement for a few months to rebuild it.

And then she told me what she thinks is the underlying cause of all these ongoing issues: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). In short, PCOS is a combination of ovarian cysts and a hormonal imbalance that can cause a variety of symptoms in varying degrees of severity. She ordered bloodwork, ultrasounds, and prescribed a couple of hormonal medications (including birth control) in addition to upping my iron supplement. She recommended regular exercise - about 40 minutes a day - and a plant-based diet.

That was Thursday; I'm writing this on a Sunday. 

I am awaiting the results of my bloodwork and have my ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday. I hadn't had a period since August... and then it started this weekend. My periods are very heavy and the first 2-3 days are usually very painful. I haven't been able to do much.

I seem to know several people who have PCOS to varying degrees, but most of them had it diagnosed in relation to fertility issues. Which explains why so much of the information I'm finding around PCOS comes from a childbearing standpoint. But that's not a goal or concern for me - I've never wanted human kids. It's also not something I've seen talked about a lot, probably due to the sometimes very personal nature of symptoms. 

So I decided to talk about it, and not from a perspective of trying to conceive (if conception is a goal for you, great! There are a lot of other places covering that).

I'll be updating this as I learn more, get test results, and find ways to manage the symptoms I'm experiencing.

Thus far I've spent the weekend trying to catch up on schoolwork (the severity of symptoms I've been experiencing has put me pretty far behind in school, but if I survive I should finish my B.A. in History in May 2021) and looking into dietary recommendations. My doctor obviously mentioned a plant-based diet, which is not a huge shift for me. The internet also recommends limiting dairy intake due to the hormones - also not a huge shift for me; I'm lactose intolerant - and upping protein intake. It looks like a lot people have had success using the Whole30 diet to manage their PCOS, but I have no plans to try it at this time.