Just Diagnosed with PCOS, I'm in Total Shock

by Allyson

Hello,

I was just diagnosed with PCOS this past Friday Nov. 20th and I was in total shock when I received the news.

I went in for a regular PAP and the nurse told me I wasn't due until Feb. (last time I went in for a check up) and that if I have one now my insurance will not pay for it.

The doctor then came in and told me well, your PAP and ultrasound came out irregular so this appointment will be covered.

She sat down and told me I have PCOS.

I had no idea what this was and was confused as of why in 10 months wasn't I informed about this!?!

I was in so much shock I couldn't even ask questions and she didn't tell me much about it.

She took blood work and I get the results tomorrow.

Over the weekend I did my research and was very upset with what I read. I just can't believe I wasn't aware of this earlier.

My next step is to get the results of the blood test along with the results of the irregular PAP and ultrasound and switch doctors. But honestly I don't know what to ask or what they are looking for in the blood work? Any help/feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Allyson

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Editor's comments: It's always a shock to discover you have some chronic disease or disorder such as polycystic ovarian syndrome. In this, case there is good news.

You can do something about it.

But first the not-so-great news. Your doctor will undoubtedly prescribe birth control pills or a drug call metformin. While these pharmaceuticals will help to manage your PCOS symptoms, they do not cure PCOS. You will need to take additional steps in order to gain full control over this disorder.

Your first step is to educate yourself about what polycystic ovary syndrome is and what the alternative treatments might be.

We can recommend this pcos diet book, which will give you a good understanding of what PCOS is and how you can manage it with improved diet, increased exercise and stress management.

We have reviewed hundreds of research studies and it's clear the problems of polycystic ovary syndrome can be reduced with lifestyle modifications.

Your second step is to take action on what you've learned. You will probably need to make permanent changes to your diet and lifestyle because PCOS does not simply disappear as you get older; only the symptoms will change.

Your third step is to think about selected nutritional supplements, which have been shown to help with PCOS.

Selected nutritional supplements such as vitex or d-pinitol can be useful in helping you to normalize your hormones.

There are a number of other nutritional supplements that have been shown to be helpful for reducing symptoms related to polycystic ovary syndrome.

Your fourth step is to associate yourself with people who will be supportive as you make the necessary lifestyle changes. These people would include health professionals, exercise advisors, other women with PCOS, significant others and friends.

After the initial shock wears off, it's easy to slip into discouragement, resentment or despair. You don't need to go there! Careful attention to "best health practices" will yield rich dividends.

By the way, there is no such thing as a dumb question. So be sure to ask your doctor any question you want to. If you don't get satisfactory answers, then find a new doctor. And don't be surprised if your doctor doesn't know much about PCOS. He or she may be inclined to take the easy shortcut, which is to say you need to be on birth control pills.

Birth control pills are not the answer to PCOS. If they were, all those thousands women with PCOS who took birth control pills wouldn't have PCOS anymore. But that is not the case.