My PCOS Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) back in the late 90s, and the doctor told me that I should go on the South Beach Diet for the rest of my life. I was in my late teens, an athlete, very muscular, and a voracious eater, and I was most definitely not going to do that. I loved my pasta and my sweets. Plus I was in no way mature enough to stick to a diet like that for a week, much less consider the prospect of doing it for a lifetime.
The doctor prescribed me a testosterone blocker (Spironilactone), which I took on and off for years, along with Metformin, which is a drug for diabetes (which I didn’t have) that made me feel absolutely terrible — didn’t take that one for long. She also tried to get me to go on birth control, which I refused for a long time but eventually conceded. Although I’ve stopped the testosterone blocker, I’ve been on BC ever since.
image sourced through Creative Commons by Ceridwen~commonswiki
What’s PCOS?
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance often detected through the occurrence of a collection of symptoms. In my case, I had terrible acne (which got far worse after this diagnosis), male patterned body hair (jaw line, chest, happy trail), and extra weight in my midsection. Other symptoms include not having a period, thinning hair, and mood problems. Admittedly, I was a teenager/early adult at this time, so the mood problems were never discussed as anything abnormal in my case. Poor gut health is also connected to PCOS, but my own bowel issues were never discusses at any point during my doctor’s visits.
A Life Sentence
Being a very young adult in the late 90s, I wasn’t quite ready to hear a doctor tell me that I was going to have to take medication for my PCOS for “the rest of my life.” I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready to hear that, and I don’t feel any differently about the prospects of having to be on birth control forever either. While I’m not ready to think about having children, I am ready to step back and examine if it’s time to consider getting off the pill (or Nuva Ring in my case).
Years ago, my naturopathic doctor (ND) who helped pave the way for my eventual decision to go gluten-free told me that she didn’t think women should be on hormonal contraception for more than 10 years. I have no idea what the scientific reasoning behind that 10 year rule is, but it stuck in my mind — and this year is my 11th year. I’ve been very seriously considering making a change.
What the Doctors Say
What the doctors have told me over the years has varied. The first doctor who diagnosed me was a fertility specialist. She said that I would need to be on meds for the rest of my life and that I might have trouble conceiving one day. The second doctor was the ND. She told me that after our work together, I was showing no blood markers of having PCOS (including insulin resistance) — but I was on the pill when we did all those tests. My current OBGYN has told me that once a woman is diagnosed with PCOS, she will always have it, and that the pill is the only reason my blood work came back normal.
She didn’t take any of the positive changes that I’ve made over the years into account when she made this statement. She didn’t seem to notice the dramatic changes in my skin or care that I went from having violent, emergent “bathroom situations” to having none at all. She didn’t consider the fact that after years of having low-level candida overgrowth, I haven’t asked for a Diflucan prescription in close to 3 years.
She said that if I ever want to get pregnant, I should stay on the pill until the very moment I decide I’m ready, and then start trying right away, because the further I get away from having “regular” periods like the ones I have on the pill, the harder it will be to conceive. So I’ve begrudgingly stayed on it into my 11th year, even though I don’t even know for sure I want to get pregnant at all.
Debunking PCOS: The Book
I have spoken to a few acupuncturists about the idea of “easing” my way off of birth control, and they’ve all told me that they could help me or knew someone who could whenever I’m ready. I’ve explored the idea on and off for about a year, and when I found this book tucked inside this year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle, I knew it would be the first one I cracked open. I read the whole thing in one sitting and regained my resolve to find a gentle way to get off BC for good.
Nat Kringoudis is a Doctor of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), and in this book, she lays out the symptoms, the causes, and the steps to cure PCOS naturally. She shares both Eastern and Western perspectives on the disease and debunks some of the myths I was told by my doctors.
Importantly for me, she also validates the parts of my journey in which I’ve successfully healed myself. She doesn’t say that once you have PCOS, it never goes away. She says that proper self-care and taking measures to heal your gut are key steps to alleviating PCOS. Nat confirms that I’ve been doing the right things to take care of myself and heal my leaky gut. For me, that’s been drinking bone broth, eliminating gluten, and eating probiotic foods. She’s also offered new ideas for supporting my liver that I’ve never done consistently (didn’t stick with it). Her book has motivated me to get consistent with these practices and find an acupuncturist to help me get off the pill.
The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle
This short and inspiring book is just one of over 90 resources in this year’s Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle. It falls into the Natural Remedies category along with 10 other resources. Three of those 10 could be relevant to someone with a PCOS diagnosis.
Heal Your Gut from Lee at Supercharged Food
Conquer Diabetes from Jose at Conquer Diabetes
Inflammation Free Zone from Amy at Bee Happy Life
Those three books alone are a $130 value, but this bundle costs just a fraction of that and comes with so much more. With categories ranging from Homesteading to Paleo, from Essential Oils to Healthy Kids, from Allergy-Free to Natural Home, this bundle is worth $1900 — and that doesn’t include the bonuses that the amazing sponsors throw in for everyone who purchases.
Bonuses from CWB
Not only have I contributed my eBook Nine Easy Steps to Delicious Gluten-Free Living to this amazing bundle offer, I’ve also decided to give my readers 2 bonus prizes! After you place your order, simply fill out this form and I’ll get your bonuses sent over to you right away! This bundle offer is now over. If you’d like to be informed of the next time an offer this good comes around, fill out this super short form and I’ll be sure to let you know! (They happen at least once a year)
What are my bonuses?
First, there’s my latest eBook, 23 Healthy Smoothie Recipes. I’ve been collecting and testing these recipes for over a year, and they’re finally ready for your blending pleasure!
Second, there’s your very own CWB bumper sticker! That’s right, I’ll mail you this sticker, my VERY FIRST EVER piece of CWB swag. It could be yours!
What’s the Catch?
The only catch is the timing. The folks at Ultimate Bundle are able to create such a steeply discounted product simply because the authors agree to a very short sale. This bundle will be available for purchase until MONDAY, 9/14/15 at 11:59pm EST. After that, you’ll have to buy all these wonderful resources separately.
Find out more about the bundle HERE, and don’t forget to fill out that form to get your CWB stuff!
This bundle offer is now over. If you’d like to be informed of the next time an offer this good comes around, fill out this super short form and I’ll be sure to let you know! (They happen at least once a year)
This bundle offer is now over. If you’d like to be informed of the next time an offer this good comes around, fill out this super short form and I’ll be sure to let you know! (They happen at least once a year)
FTC DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. All opinions are my own.
About Toni Sicola
I'm a wellness professional with a Master's in Integrative Health, passionate about spreading health, happiness and personal fulfillment to as many people as possible. I have a professional background in health and wellness, dietary supplements, and nutrition, and embark every day to live a well, balanced, happy life. In being true to myself and what I seek in life, I hope to inspire others to do the same, to cultivate wellbeing in their own lives.
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