A Detailed Account Of My Battle With PCOD
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How many of you know what PCOD stands for? Well, I won’t be surprised if you have no idea, I didn’t know about it either. It’s only now that I’m diagnosed with it that I know all the details about it. I very well remember that it was as a hot, summer afternoon, 28th May 2016 was the date when I was ascertained that yes, I was a victim of PCOD. All I knew was that I was diagnosed with PCOD. I had no idea what it meant, or what it was doing to my body. All I knew was it was a ‘friendly problem’ in my body – this is what the doctor addressed it as.
The doctor even mentioned that 1 out of every 10 women face this problem and a majority of them are unaware of it. I was thankful at that moment that whatever it was, I was at least aware of my body and its problem now.
I wore a happy smile that masqueraded a tensed face.
Let Me Explain PCOD To You All
So let’s understand what it means first. PCOD stands for polycystic ovarian disease; another name for it is PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Now, this is a very common hormonal disorder in women. It can surface in the body due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors (1).
A formation of cysts on the outer edges of the ovary can lead to infertility and other problems. And if this isn’t taken care of in a proper manner, it can lead to complications. In fact, a woman suffering from PCOD may even find it difficult to conceive and the chances of miscarriage are high among such women.
Symptoms:
The symptoms are many but before reading them let’s pledge that if we (women) ever come across these symptoms we are not going to overlook them and get ourselves checked with a doctor. Okay, now let’s see what the signs are.
- Acne
- Weight gain (especially in the abdominal area)
- Infertility
- Miscarriage
- Diabetes
- Ovarian cysts
- Hirsutism (facial hair)
- Irregular periods, the absence of periods, or periods that continue till months
- Thinning of hair on the scalp
and this list can go on and on…
Among these, the problem of acne and facial hair was very evident on me. Irregular periods were an on and off thing. Even my weight would keep fluctuating, ultimately inclining towards the higher end. I’d noticed all of these a year before I decided to visit the doctor. Whenever I spoke of these problems or asked why it was happening to me, my aunts would convince both my mum and me that these are the problems women face (2). And that I need to pray and be more holistic in nature so that God will keep me away from all this. I scratched my head and gave in. Had I listened to my gut and visited the Gynecologist earlier I would have been better off for sure.
While I Battled PCOS , I Also Leant To Love Myself
Now I had answers to all those questions of mine – “Why do I have so much of facial hair?”, “Why do I have breakouts on my skin?”, “Why am I having such irregular period cycles?”
I took the cyberspace as the reserve of knowledge. I soon came across several personal stories about women who have battled PCOS. One thing that I understood was that it was the friendliest disease ever.
I made up my mind that the entire binge-eating that I often indulged in had to stop. Those red velvet cupcakes and I needed to breakup for a while. And the potato wedges with sour cream had to be a monthly visitor here on. I loved socializing and therefore, even for my workout regimes, I opted for a boot camp to help myself get familiar with this whole squats and lunges routine.
I am an emotional foodie (danger alert)! What I eat and how much I eat depends on my mood. And food cravings seemed like my favorite hobby. With great difficulty, I had to make the decision of switching from an emotional foodie to a fit foodie. Diet plays an important role in treating PCOD the right way (3). I ate colorful, healthy food, and I learned how important it was to eat all three meals a day. My dietician helped me in this. My parents were more than happy to see me transform into a healthier, fitter me.
It boosted my confidence. I was no longer ashamed of my problems. Somehow, PCOD instilled the self-love in me which I lacked before. My symptoms are slowly fading. And I’m having a better menstrual cycle too. So what if my body threw its tantrums at me? I’ve learned to love them and my body has started to listen to me. There is no cure to PCOD is what the doctors tell; but, trust me, the cure is within you. Love your body. Take care of it. Take care of yourself.
