Tiffany's PCOS Story
My journey with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) began when I was 16 years old. It was then that I stopped having a regular menstrual cycle. I would go 8-10 months without menses until my GYN would prescribe a progesterone pill to cause my cycle to start.
This went on for awhile until finally at age 18 the doctor put me on oral contraceptives. This was simply to mask the symptoms but ignore the problem. I stayed on oral contraceptives for seven years, until it was time to start planning for children.
At 25, I stopped taking the meds to see what would happen and if I would begin my cycle normally. I went 8 months without menses. I was also having terrible acne around my mouth and then began gaining weight without explanation.
I went to the GYN and there through an ultrasound they discovered what looked like polycystic ovaries. At that point, I began infertility treatments and within seven months was pregnant with my first son. After I finished nursing, I began taking oral contraceptives and the weight began to pile on.
I had always been a size 4 and I couldn’t begin to figure out why the weight wasn’t coming off. I thought I was eating the right way and I was exercising. However, I decided to begin working with an infertility specialist to try for my second child. This time was not successful.
I was taking the maximum dosage of Clomid in conjunction with massive amounts of hormone shots and my body would not even ovulate. Not to mention, I was an emotional wreck!
This was when I became determined to educate myself on PCOS and the cause of imbalanced hormone levels. I began journaling everything that was taking place in my body, as well as my diet. I submersed myself in research to help find the next steps.
It was then that I met Dr. Nancy Dunne, and my journey took a step in the right direction.
I began to change my diet and within 30 days I ovulated on my own for the first time in 14 years.
The day my menses began was one of the most exciting days. I knew then that I had control of my body and health.
Along with my diet, I began taking a series of vitamins and herbs and within 5 months I was pregnant with my second baby.
Since his birth, I have managed to lose the weight and even get back down to a size 4. I am having regular cycles for the first time in almost two decades. It is truly a journey!
There are days that are still tough. If I eat things I am not supposed to I can feel it! However, it has to become a lifestyle and a choice. There are days that I feel I cannot deprive myself, but I know that I have to resume control right away.
Even my husband and children have changed their diet. I have vowed not to fill their bodies with all the chemicals, antibiotics and processed foods that might affect their health and well-being.
Two years ago, I felt as if my health was spinning out of control. There is no telling what might have happened? I feel confident that I would have ended up overweight with diabetes as well as other health complications.
I know now that I have control over my health. The old saying, “you are what you eat”, is so true, and I thank Dr. Dunne for empowering me with the knowledge to take control of my body and my health.
- Tiffany Denson
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