Diagnosed with PCOS—Now What?
Diagnosed with PCOS—Now What?
The (sometimes bumpy) road to a proper PCOS-diagnosis
If you’re like many women with PCOS, the journey from those first mood swings and missed periods to being properly diagnosed has been a long one.
It’s not uncommon for the road to a proper PCOS-diagnosis to include several doctors’ visits and a misdiagnosis of depression to explain your severe mood swings after your blood work comes back ‘normal’. After all, your tests look great, so the problem must be all in your head, right?
In order for you (or someone you know) to be your own best health advocate and lessen the chance for misdiagnosis (that’s sure to have you feeling depressed!), it’s essential that you
- write down all of the changes in your body you see and feel no matter how insignificant they seem at the time,
- track your period (and PMS symptoms) in order to tell how regular or irregular it is,
- track your weight, especially if you have unexplained weight gain, and
- talk to your doctor about everything. I mean everything. Nothing is too insignificant to be mentioned, and you should never feel embarrassed to talk to your doctor about anything related to your health.
Commonly, from my clients, I hear about their painful periods that include blood clotting and very heavy flow. Many women don’t talk to their health care providers about these period pains because they’re either too embarrassed to do so or think that these are just normal PMS symptoms that women must endure during their “time of the month.” Please don’t think that these symptoms are embarrassing or normal—neither is true—and you are within every right to discuss these issues with your doctor.
Diagnosed with PCOS-now what?
Once you’re diagnosed with PCOS, let out a BIG sigh of relief that you finally have an answer to all the reasons why you haven’t been feeling like yourself lately. It may sound crazy to celebrate a disease called the silent killer, but once you know that you have PCOS, you can take the right steps to feeling better.
Oh, and it’s OK to cry, too. I did. Cry as much as you need. Then, pull yourself together and follow my easy, action-oriented protocol to help find freedom from your PCOS symptoms:
- Keep health records.
Buy a folder (or create one on your computer) called MY HEALTH. This is where you’ll keep records of health care providers, blood work, and more.
- Continue tracking your menses cycle and weight just like you did pre-PCOS diagnosis. These detailed records are important for both self-monitoring the ongoing state of your health and in guiding clear, detailed, and accurate conversations with your doctor that can help result in treatment options that have you feeling better faster.
- Find a PCOS-specialized endocrinologist.
Search for an experienced endocrinologist who specializes in PCOS, provides you with resources to support your well-being, and gives you hope. When I was diagnosed with PCOS 15 years ago, my only support came in the way of a pamphlet given to me by a very nice doctor who lacked a lot of empathy. The pamphlet looked like a death sentence that left me scared and unsure about the future of my health:
- Infertility
- Diabetes
- Weight gain
- Ovarian cancer
Boy, was I anxious…I’d just been diagnosed with a disease I knew nothing about, was handed a glossy pamphlet that was full of what seemed like unavoidable negativity, and was told to come back for my “check-up” in six months.
What was I supposed to do between now and then?
Obviously, the information I received upon my diagnosis was both presumptuous and lacking. Presumptuous in the fact that my fate was already sealed and that I was headed in the direction of diabetes and ovarian cancer. Lacking because it didn’t address my current symptoms that had gotten me to this diagnosis in the first place. What about the non-stop tiredness, my bi-polar mood swings, and my facial hair?
Where was the information providing hope and support that women with PCOS are not doomed and that all PCOS symptoms—yes all!—can be controlled through a healthy diet.
- Work with a health coach to help change your diet (and provide additional support).
You know what I would have loved when I was diagnosed with PCOS at 27 and what every single woman needs now?
To have the support of and empathy from a professional who can provide a warm, nurturing environment for women who suffer from PCOS and can guide them to living a life free of these ugly symptoms.
When I first started my practice in 2003, my goal was to provide everything for women that I didn’t get myself when I was diagnosed with PCOS. Today, that includes:
- providing hope to women just like you who’ve recently been diagnosed with PCOS—because it really is possible to feel good again, take back your life, and live free of the symptoms caused by this disease
- giving expert advice as a woman who’s been there, done that, and knows exactly how you feel
- empowering women to make better food choices and nourish their bodies by committing to a PCOS-friendly diet plan (In practical terms this means learning how to read labels, plan and prep meals, and eat out at restaurants in a way that’s not over-whelming and doesn’t control your life.)
- demonstrating techniques to reduce stress
Find a meditation app on your phone to provide relaxing background noise that helps you set the mood, and then repeat (to yourself or out loud) “I am health and strong.” (If you’ve never meditated before, don’t worry—just five minutes a day is enough to start.)
Trust me, as someone who was diagnosed and immediately felt the fear that I’d never have kids (I have 2 boys now, age 8 and 6), I know how you feel, and there’s nothing better you can do for yourself than to start changing your mindset and cultivating positivity that you have the power to find freedom from PCOS—because you do.
I’d love to hear from you!
What did you do when you were first diagnosed with PCOS? What advice would you someone recently diagnosed?
If you have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and are looking for support, you can learn more here https://pcosdietplans.com/services/newly-diagnosed/ or contact me at randi@pcosdietplans.com for a complimentary consultation.
And, if you know someone with PCOS who could benefit from this post, please share it with them.