My name is Renae Pearse and I am a Perth based Media Executive for an ad agency, amateur writer, former podcaster and as of 2013 fellow PCOS ‘cyster’.
Writing isn’t something that is foreign to me, I have actually written a few different pieces for various projects and personal things, but writing about the issues that this blog will uncover, is something completely new to me.
I intend on being 100% raw, real and open with all of those who wish to read and follow along on my journey.
Soooo here it is, my very first blog post on The Holistic Effect – and if I’m going to do this I need to start with the overarching issue – PCOS.
PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which is (very briefly and very broadly) a condition that affects a woman’s hormone levels. Women with PCOS produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones. This hormone imbalance causes their body to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant. I would like to stress that there are different forms of PCOS and different ways this can affect women. This is only my story; my struggles and how I found out I had the disorder. If you think you may have PCOS please seek the advice of your health professional, as I am not one. There are certainly different symptoms that could vary from mine. I will go into more detail in another post.
Let’s flashback to 2013 for a little bit. In many ways this was a very exciting year for me – it was the last year of my teens, I was 19 and finishing up my first year of University and as you could say ‘finding myself’. After doing the dance for the very first time I missed a period and obviously thought the absolute worst.
Talking about this to my mum, formulating a plan and heading to the doctors for tests is what came next. After various blood tests were completed, I was informed that I had PCOS. Obviously not knowing what the condition was, the doctors provided me some further information about PCOS– all I can remember distinctly from that conversation with the medical experts was “you won’t be able to get pregnant” and “you will need medical assistance to have children” and “there is no cure”.
Just imagine for a minute, being 19 and being told by a professional that you won’t be able to have children. This was earth shattering. I felt like I was not a normal woman and I couldn’t do the one thing that a woman should be able to – it was hard to navigate those emotions.
With no research done on my behalf of PCOS prior to that very appointment and no knowledge of the pill really other than it being a contraceptive, doctors informed me the best way to manage the PCOS symptoms and regulate my period is by going on the pill. So that is exactly what I did.
BIG MISTAKE!
It wasn’t until October 2019, just before my wedding, that I decided to go off of the pill. I knew it would only be a year or so before we start trying for a family and I was finally starting to learn what the pill was doing to my body.
At the time, it didn't even cross my mind that I would suffer so many side effects from coming off the pill - I thought my periods would miraculously return…boy was I wrong, and blissfully unaware of what else would follow.
After speaking to my doctor about the reasons as to why my periods would not return I was advised that the drug Metformin would help regulate my cycles, help regulate my insulin resistance and help me lose the weight needed to ovulate and in turn achieve my goal of getting pregnant.
Flash-forward a year (October 2020) and my periods had still not returned. I had gone back to my doctor multiple times, tried different things, did different tests and was just told, “ it will take time” and “don’t worry”.
Well, I WAS worrying! A year is far too long in my books to have a “missed period” it can lead to a whole range of other health issues that I, for certain, did not want. So I took matters into my own hands.
With the advice and support of my mum, my trainer and my husband, I sought the advice of a naturopath to see if going down the more ‘natural path’ will be what regulates my body. I booked an appointment, where the naturopath guided me through my concerns and what supplements to take, and… HALLEJUAH! My periods returned in December 2020.
In December 2020 my period was 14 days long, January 2021 I missed a period, February 2021 my period was 10 days long by March 2021 my period was 7 days long (considered normal), and April 2021 my period was 7 days long again. The pattern the last two months has me hoping that my periods are starting to regulate and I can focus on the next step – ovulation and TTC (trying to conceive).
It has taken years of hard work, from training to finding what works for me and seeking various different medical opinions, to finally getting to where I am at.
This is just the start of my holistic journey, and if I can help just one person with PCOS, struggling with weight-loss, TTC or even mental health issues, then I feel like I have done my part.
If you would like I will go more specifically into the supplements I am taking and provide this on another blog post.
xx Renae Pearse
Comments