Treated myself before I knew what I had

by Caroline
(Australia)

I'm 45 married with three kids, just been diagnosed with PCOS.

All through my twenties and into my thirties I have been into healthy eating and exercise.

My periods did vary a little but not so much that I should consult a doctor.

It took me 18 months to get pregnant with my second child, with my first child I had pre-eclampsia, with my third I hemorrhaged after the birth.

I did get some acne at times, I do have very faint dark patches over my thighs.

I am slightly hairy but not that much.

I don't really know what type of PCOS I am, they picked it up on the scan and bloods after I complained of pain on the right side of my abdomen.

I don't yet know if they will put me on hormones.

I have a theory that because I put on a bit of weight over Christmas it tipped me over from being asymptomatic to symptomatic, well more so if you get my drift.

Of course I have reverted to healthy eating, but this time taking more notice of the GI and keeping my waistline trim.

I was premature myself at birth, but my mother insists she does not have it. Had to let other people in my family know just in case.

Wondering if I sub-consciously worked out that my health worsened whenever I put on weight and that's why I kept slim for so long.

Family worried about my weight I was so slim, and carbs and sweets have always been a bit of a turn off. Was a real tomboy when I was younger, so clues are there, but how ridiculous that it comes to light now.

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Editor's comments: PCOS manifests itself in different ways and at different times. There is quite a lot of variability among individuals.

A predisposition to future PCOS appears to occur while you are still an unborn fetus. Symptoms can begin to appear even before puberty. Or, as in your case, you had some symptoms as an adult and were not diagnosed until now (age 45).

Your healthy eating habits and exercise likely prevented more serious PCOS-related problems from appearing sooner.

Pharmaceutical hormones will not make your PCOS go away. They may make some of the symptoms go away, but they do not cure the disorder. In addition, synthetic hormones have their own set of side effects.

A good way to manage the situation for the long term is to eat diet consisting entirely of whole, fresh foods. Whole foods have a low glycemic index, which is highly desirable in your case. Secondly, make sure to keep up or even increase your exercise.

The proper diet plus exercise is what is required to manage your genetic predisposition for polycystic ovary syndrome.

Many women who have PCOS are very sensitive to increased carbohydrate intake. So holidays and family feasts are especially troublesome.

Whatever weight you gained, do whatever is necessary to get your weight back down.