Let Me Explain. Pictures Included.

In an earlier post, I told you I would go over what exactly my condition is and why it is so hard for me to get/stay pregnant. So, here goes. (I’ve even included pictures!)

I have something called PCOS or Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. That long title boils down to abnormal ovulation and irregular cycles. But why? What causes that?

PCOS is much more complex than just “woman issues”. Basically, women with PCOS do not process carbohydrates properly AND are overly sensitive to insulin. By eating carbs, our bodies produce more insulin (possibly leading to diabetes) to attempt to process them correctly. The over production of insulin throws everything out of whack. Too much insulin cause our ovaries to release too much testosterone. Every woman has testosterone, we just have a little too much. Eggs that would normally be released and (hopefully) fertilized attach themselves to our ovaries and become cysts. All of that combined means irregular or no monthly cycles and no ovulation. No ovulation means no babies. PCOS is pretty common. About every 1 in 10 women have it so we are not abnormal or alone in it.

The good thing about PCOS is it is one of the easiest causes of infertility to fix. There are medications to force ovulation, diets to decrease carbohydrate intake and pills to reduce insulin levels. Does that mean we can take a pill and everything fixes itself? Nope. PCOS is manageable, but not curable. Even under a strict diet and medication, the cysts that have already formed will always remain there. Fortunately, with the right medications and weight loss (if applicable) it is possible to decrease or even halt any further damage.

“What are the symptoms of PCOS?” There’s a lot and they can make me feel pretty unattractive at times. I struggle a lot with my weight & it’s not for lack of trying, I promise. Remember that extra insulin I told you about? It stores any carbs I eat as fat instead of burning it off as energy and makes it very difficult lose. I have hair in places I don’t want it – I spend a lot of time plucking, waxing and shaving. And the hair on my head? I may lose some of it. It’s all that damn testosterone. Left untreated, it can lead to ovarian cancer. It’s imperative we take care of our bodies by watching what we eat. One of the hardest things about PCOS is that having babies might be a struggle. It’s not impossible by any means, but might take longer than we’d like.

Below, I’ve attached pictures of *my* ovaries. Go ahead, click them. See how everything looks gray with little black spots that look like holes? Those spots are my cysts. The more cysts you have, the harder it becomes to fall pregnant. And every month, there’s a possibility of more appearing.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask in the comments below. I am an open book when it comes to my infertility – I showed you my ovaries for crying out loud! I have a ton of information on PCOS but sharing it all in one post would take days.

And please, please – if you know anyone that has some of the symptoms I mentioned and can’t figure out why they aren’t getting pregnant, pass this along to them. I’m no doctor, but if I can help in anyway, I’d love to.