Hi everyone,
You must be wondering what took me to long to write this post. This is a continuation of the following posts:
PCOS: Part 1 (Detection)
PCOS: Part 2 (Challenges)
Today's post is about sharing the journey I have been on since the detection phase. It is by no means a solution guide to those that are suffering from this condition. Why? Because I still don't have the answers. Read on to find out what I mean.
After I was told that I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, I read as many articles, watched as many YT videos and spoke to as many people as possible. I will try to summarize my findings to the best of my ability in the following:-
In my understanding, one can take the most obvious route which is a major lifestyle change. You have to eat foods that are low on the GI scale. This means forgetting that carbs exist (just kidding - that was too dramatic!) You have to keep insulin in control. You can take Metformin. You can take up activities to keep fit i.e. weight training, swimming, zumba etc. Regular activity + controlled eating with certain dietary restrictions + medicated insulin control can all help.
On the other hand, there were people that did not agree with medication and wanted to understand the deeply rooted causes of their endocrine disruption. One way would be to meet a nutritionist, test tolerance for certain foods such as dairy, gluten etc. Use less household products and cosmetics which tend to enter our largest organ, skin. Believe it or not, that could disrupt the endocrine system. And the obvious route would be to meet with an endocrinologist to understand other contributing factors.
And then there was Ayurveda. One way was to not take modern medicine but to embrace a more holistic way of life. Morning yoga, meditation, stress-reducing activities with the combination of some natural herbs. I was told Ashwagandha is a fantastic herb to take for low libido. Ashokarishta is good for uterus health. Baba Ramdev had some other recommendations for this condition.
I was required to meet with an Endocrinologist to further understand my symptoms. During my visit last week, I found that it cannot be concluded that I have PCOS until they rule out other things on their list. It was suspected that I may have Cushings Syndrome. They also wanted to test my adrenal glands to rule out other abnormalities of hormones. Long story short - they opened up other diseases to me which have to be ruled out. I have to do a couple of blood and urine tests for them to be sure.
The Doctor said, "PCOS remains a diagnosis of exclusion." In simple language, it means that there several other diseases that can mimic many of the same symptoms that are common to PCOS. This is why it is a frustrating process, to both patients and doctors. My friends can probably vouch for me when I say, I've been looking for an answer for years now. It has been a very long journey - from my family doctor to OBGYN, to endocrinologist and the many tests in between. What drives me crazy is the 2-3 month waiting period to get an appointment. And before you know it, a year has passed.
As you guys are now aware of the fact that I am still on this journey until further notice, I am not in a position to write a treatment post. My focus is to keep communication flow between all my medical professionals to get the help I need. I will be testing for prolactin, thyroid, adrenal glands, reproductive glands etc. I will definitely shed light on my health journey once I have all the answers myself. Until then - stay happy and healthy! :)
You must be wondering what took me to long to write this post. This is a continuation of the following posts:
PCOS: Part 1 (Detection)
PCOS: Part 2 (Challenges)
Today's post is about sharing the journey I have been on since the detection phase. It is by no means a solution guide to those that are suffering from this condition. Why? Because I still don't have the answers. Read on to find out what I mean.
After I was told that I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, I read as many articles, watched as many YT videos and spoke to as many people as possible. I will try to summarize my findings to the best of my ability in the following:-
In my understanding, one can take the most obvious route which is a major lifestyle change. You have to eat foods that are low on the GI scale. This means forgetting that carbs exist (just kidding - that was too dramatic!) You have to keep insulin in control. You can take Metformin. You can take up activities to keep fit i.e. weight training, swimming, zumba etc. Regular activity + controlled eating with certain dietary restrictions + medicated insulin control can all help.
On the other hand, there were people that did not agree with medication and wanted to understand the deeply rooted causes of their endocrine disruption. One way would be to meet a nutritionist, test tolerance for certain foods such as dairy, gluten etc. Use less household products and cosmetics which tend to enter our largest organ, skin. Believe it or not, that could disrupt the endocrine system. And the obvious route would be to meet with an endocrinologist to understand other contributing factors.
And then there was Ayurveda. One way was to not take modern medicine but to embrace a more holistic way of life. Morning yoga, meditation, stress-reducing activities with the combination of some natural herbs. I was told Ashwagandha is a fantastic herb to take for low libido. Ashokarishta is good for uterus health. Baba Ramdev had some other recommendations for this condition.
I was required to meet with an Endocrinologist to further understand my symptoms. During my visit last week, I found that it cannot be concluded that I have PCOS until they rule out other things on their list. It was suspected that I may have Cushings Syndrome. They also wanted to test my adrenal glands to rule out other abnormalities of hormones. Long story short - they opened up other diseases to me which have to be ruled out. I have to do a couple of blood and urine tests for them to be sure.
The Doctor said, "PCOS remains a diagnosis of exclusion." In simple language, it means that there several other diseases that can mimic many of the same symptoms that are common to PCOS. This is why it is a frustrating process, to both patients and doctors. My friends can probably vouch for me when I say, I've been looking for an answer for years now. It has been a very long journey - from my family doctor to OBGYN, to endocrinologist and the many tests in between. What drives me crazy is the 2-3 month waiting period to get an appointment. And before you know it, a year has passed.
As you guys are now aware of the fact that I am still on this journey until further notice, I am not in a position to write a treatment post. My focus is to keep communication flow between all my medical professionals to get the help I need. I will be testing for prolactin, thyroid, adrenal glands, reproductive glands etc. I will definitely shed light on my health journey once I have all the answers myself. Until then - stay happy and healthy! :)
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