So what is PCOS?

Above is the difference between a polycystic ovary and a normal ovary. Beautiful, huh? It is estimated that one in ten women have PCOS, and that over half of those women don't even know they have it.

Basically, PCOS affects and is affected by several hormones. Insulin, androgen, and progesterone are three of the main things affected by the condition. My body creates too much insulin (I have insulin resistance), and my body produces too much androgen.

Here are some symptoms of PCOS (this doesn't mean you have it, but if you have several, it could be a good idea to get checked):

Not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:
- infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
- infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
-increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
-ovarian cysts
-acne, oily skin, or dandruff
-weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
-insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
-high cholesterol
-high blood pressure
-male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
-patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
-skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
-pelvic pain
-anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
-sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep


Those of you who know me know I have nearly every symptom listed above. (The list came from http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm#a).

Also, here are some of the risk factors for a woman with PCOS (also from the listed website):
- over 50% of women with PCOS will develop diabetes or pre-diabetes before they turn 40
- women with PCOS have a 4 to 7 times the chance of having a heart attack, vs. a woman without PCOS (and other cardiovascular disease)
- high blood pressure
- a chance of developing endometrial cancer

Just so everyone knows, here are the facts about PCOS:

• It is treatable, but not curable
• It is one of the leading causes of infertility in women
• It affects more than just reproduction.
• It has been around for 75 years, and doctors still do not know what causes it.
• If you are diagnosed with PCOS, it is likely that your mom or sister has it, as well.

PCOS is hard to understand, especially if you don't experience it or don't know much about it. Basically, my body is all out of whack all the time.

In order to get my body on track, I have to take Metformin (the highest dosage allowed, each day, for my insulin resistance), multi-vitamins to help my body stay healthy, plus a pill for the weird symptoms (Spirononlactone), and an anxiety pill to help with my nerves and depression.

So, hopefully you understand now why it is important that everyone knows about this condition. It is important for everyone to know what is going on and how women are affected by it.