Imbalance

This one has been long overdue, and I am ready to share. I finally have an explanation about why my cycle is so irregular and stressful. I have borderline PCOS. Before I continue two things. This post is for the females out there- but for my male readers I encourage you to stay to learn something new! Second, I need to point out again how important it is to do research from reputable websites (not just Web MD), go to a trusted doctor, and get blood work done. I've been having these types of symptoms for years and 6 years ago I got blood work done by my gynecologist and it came back "normal". That was just another example of where western medicine has failed me. Seeing a naturopath has changed my life. I switched over to a holistic approach, found a doctor that listens to me, she considers not just supplements but the mind and the spirit, knows what to look for in blood work and orders all the extra panels to make sure everything is being checked. That's what I needed. Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now lol.

I have higher testosterone and lower estrogen along with insulin resistance (borderline high blood sugar). Because of all this I don’t ovulate every month which makes it difficult to track ovulation and conceive. Since October I’ve been doing everything, I can to put my PCOS into remission. I'm still learning what PCOS as it is different for everyone but essentially cysts can grow on the outside of your ovaries, disrupting sex hormones, some organ functions and cause vitamin deficiencies. There is no cure for PCOS and again it isn't a one stop shop for all women. It's different for everyone.

So what can I do right? I feel helpless but my mind went to work and I started researching what can help outside of the supplements my doctor prescribed to me. A few blog posts ago I mentioned that I switched over to animal protein again. That has helped decrease my symptoms. Recently I took gluten out of my diet. It’s been about a month of that, and I can definitely feel a whole lot different. That is a huge cause of inflammation which I do have high inflammation in my body. I’ve also avoided unhealthy oils (canola, sunflower, soy) and processed foods. All to make me feel better but also to make a good living environment for Baby Walker. That’s been something I’ve struggled with for about a year now… to be honest. It goes back to me having to stay in my own lane, focus on myself and tune out the outside world. It's hard to see the rainbow where there has been endless days of rain. But now that I have answers, I'm ready yet again to make changes. However, what I have to remind myself daily is when making food changes, introducing supplements, working out differently; all this takes time. I feel very impatient most times because I just want instant results. I blame diet culture for that.

Change takes time.

January was a nightmare: my menstrual cycle was late and I thought I was pregnant which when I found out I wasn’t, it really affected my mental health so much and I tend to spiral. I get so frustrated when I feel like I’m doing everything right but still it isn’t working. I still just feel like crap. And that is what PCOS is. Some months you are going to be feeling great and some months is just starting back from square one. But looking back I realize the reason why I was so late- major stresses happened in January. Stress is honestly the biggest corporate in hormone imbalances. After doing a ton of research around why- when your body creates more stress hormones it decreases the creation of your sex hormones. Which again is why I wasn’t ovulating and experiencing so horrible PMS symptoms. My body wasn't producing sex hormones because it was being fueled by my stress hormones, again causing an imbalance.

The past month I’ve seen major improvements. I haven’t had any acne or breakouts, I ovulated on time, I haven’t had any bloating which I always have. I'm really looking forward to my appointment with my doctor this Thursday to see what my blood test results show this time around.

So what have I been doing these past few months?

• Working out according to my cycle phase

• Prioritizing yoga

• Prioritizing journaling and therapy

• Taking all supplements recommended by my doctor

• Switched to glass storage containers from plastic

• Decreased my screen time/scrolling and read more books

• Seed cycling (see previous post for that)

• No red meats (as it really affects my gallbladder)

Check out my next blog post on why I made the specific switches above.

This is what I would want someone to say to me when I first found out, so I am saying it to you. If you have been diagnosed with PCOS there is nothing wrong with you. You didn't do this to yourself, there wasn't anything you could have done to avoid this. Some months are going to be better than others. The months that are bad, it is not your fault. You are doing everything you can. You are not alone.

Until next time,

Bee