Being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a lot to swallow. For me, I had this overwhelming sense of fear for my future husband’s sake (Brett, obvi, who I hadn’t met yet,) fear for my own health and well-being, and mostly, fear that my dreams of being a mother would never come to fruition. Now, fast-forward over 3 years and I’m still here- breathing and fighting PCOS. I am married and just now taking into consideration that I will want to begin a family in the next year or two.

A lot of people have the reaction of nothing. Absolutely drawing a blank, making no changes, and thinking you can’t change it so who cares anyway. If you’re anything like I was at that moment, I immediately knew I could take matters into my own hands and make things happen for myself.

So you were diagnosed with PCOS… Now what comes next?

First and foremost, do not use your diagnosis as an excuse. PCOS encompasses a lot of things all rolled into one, huge inconvenience. Just do not say “I’m not going to work out…it’s not like it will make a difference anyway.” Don’t say “I’m just not going to care about what I look like, I’m still going to be [ fat or hairy or insert other self-insult you shouldn’t be saying anyway.]” Don’t be your own excuse, because you can make a difference, you can change your situation…you just have to be patient and dedicated! You can do it!

Next you need to change the way you think about food. I am an over-eater. On any given day, I can go from my low calorie, controlled diet to 5 tacos from Taco Bell just because my mood changed. Ladies with PCOS have an insulin resistance, which is just a few small steps away from the possibility of becoming diabetic. The most sure way to reverse your symptoms and feel better are to eat a diet similar to what a diabetic would eat. I’m talking cutting unnatural sugar, monitoring natural sugar, and yes…this means carbs too. I know this is what you need to do, but I also know it’s what I should do. I don’t always stick to this! I try, but then somehow 6 months can pass by and I am sitting around with a 6 pack of donuts and a Mountain Dew. I get it, but the truth is- you need to cut those habits regularly.

Know that you have large obstacles. Again, don’t use them as excuses, but be very aware of your obstacles and calculate your moves to be mindful of yourself and your personal triggers. I’ve heard it said SO MANY TIMES… “I have PCOS, so I can’t lose the weight.” You can. I have! And I was having regular cycles after a month of eating a healthy diet, but don’t think of PCOS as your excuse, think of it as your obstacle- you can overcome an obstacle. You can be triumphant when you’ve tackled the weight of that obstacle. You cannot overcome an excuse. They sit quietly until they have mocked you enough to make you think you can never win. Figure out your obstacles, and make a pathway to get around and past them. You won’t accomplish anything if you just keep dwelling on your own issues or failures.

Find support. I do not regret immediately reaching out to my boyfriend at the time and letting him know what I was going through. He was going through something much larger at the time, but he still let me know it was okay and I could make the changes I needed to make to become healthy. You see, other people can sometimes (or a lot of the time) have more faith in you than you have in yourself. So whether you call your mom, let your significant other know, confide in your BFF, turn to an online forum or just email me…find someone. Tell them your hang-ups, be completely honest, and let them give you a pep talk. It might just be all you need!

Communicate with your physician. Whether you prefer to see a OB/GYN about your PCOS or you prefer a general practitioner, you need to make sure you are communicating all your symptoms and issues with them. If you notice you are having issues, you can Google anything and find a million answers that might not fit your need, but if you talk with your primary physician, they will do what they can to ensure you are becoming healthy. Do you think everyone on WikiAnswers went to med school and got a doctorate? Don’t psych yourself up for things that may not be valid for you. Play it safe and ask your doctor.

Stay strong and believe in yourself. The scary truth of PCOS is that it effects everyone differently. You may have no outward symptoms or you may have excess body hair galore, skin tags everywhere, and weight gain like you couldn’t imagine. No matter the outward symptoms, we are all fighting the same fight. It’s the fight for your womanhood back. It’s the fight to be a mother, to be a healthy woman, to FEEL like a woman. It’s hard, it takes work, and you probably feel like it’s a curse. Just have faith and never give up on yourself, because you are strong enough to make it through your treatments or your eternal healthy eating and exercise routine. Whatever you are fighting for, you can win.

I’m sure I needed this pep talk just as much (if not more) than anyone whose eyes will come across this post. Really and truly, if you need someone to talk to who will understand your issues and not make light of them, email me. (theprettyplusonline@gmail.com) I understand your struggles, even the little annoyances, and will be happy to let you vent to me. I even have some shade I can throw at the horrid disease as well! xo