Not nearly as much was known about this syndrome in the early 2000's as there is now and at the age of 15 I was more interested in my teenage life and friends than thinking about having a health condition. I didn't try to understand it and was mostly in denial about it for years. Only my family and very close friends knew that I even had PCOS because I felt ashamed of it and by keeping it so close and not thinking about it, over time it started to really take over my life. Looking back now, I wish that I would have taken my health a lot more seriously. I've been told by physicians that I am a classic PCOS case with virtually all the symptoms of the disorder but many of the symptoms can be controlled with regular medication and a healthy lifestyle.
Last year I opened my eyes and decided to stop living in denial about having PCOS. I did my own research online and reached out to other women with the syndrome online and in Facebook Groups. I cannot express enough how important this was for me. I didn't feel so alone and realized there are so many women out there who have PCOS and are struggling with it every single day. I gained the courage to fight back against it and take care of myself starting with a healthier diet and exercise.
In September for PCOS Awareness Month, I participated in the PCOS Foundation 5K Walk and raised $100.00 through my team, Wyo Cysters. See my blog post for the 5K here. I also started a Facebook Group for my area. I had been having horrific periods that lasted at tops 3 months and ontop of all the other symptoms I knew I needed to go to a doctor but had yet to find one that I felt really understood what my body was going through mentally and physically. My mom recommended that I see Cathy Blanchard, a nurse practitioner at Powell Valley Healthcare and I am so glad that I did. She understands PCOS and didn't hesitate to send me for a consult with an Endocrinologist in Billings, Montana. When I left my PCOS untreated for so many years it really put me at risk for cancer of my uterine lining and between the months long periods and months without periods the doctors were worried that I was showing signs of it. After a biopsy and ultrasound it was determined that I did not have any cancerous cells last December which was a huge relief to me, my family and my friends. It was a really hard time for us and I am so grateful for the support I have from them. This experience came as an even bigger wake up call for me and I have been changing my life little by little since then to become healthier.
I wanted to start a physical PCOS Support Group in my community for a long time and it finally happened this month with the help of my family and Emily Hart, a woman I met through friends at my job. Last quarter I received an award at work:
- Lacey has created a community support group for women suffering with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Their Facebook Page is called "Wyo Cysters", providing tips and education on PCOS. She established a 5k walk last fall at Homesteader Park to coincide with the national walk. She also encourages many co-workers to wear teal on "Teal Tuesdays" in September for PCOS Awareness Month. She has provided a place for women and their friends/families to come together fighting PCOS.
- Nominated by: Sina Coguill
With the help of my mom and Emily, we held our first meeting on June 9th. Not many people showed up but we are just starting to get our name out there. I feel like for the few of us who made it, we got a lot out of it and got to talk candidly about our symptoms and what we do to try and manage them. We got to know a little bit about each other and munched on yummy fruit, veggies and gluten, dairy and sugar free lemon bars. I can't wait for our next one on July 14th and every month after that! Read the full blog post and see more pictures here.