MY PCOS Journey
My journey with PCOS, and more recently, hypothyroidism, has been anything but straightforward. It has been a rollercoaster of confusion, frustration, and loneliness—one that led me to self-discovery and better health choices.
The First Signs: Something Was Wrong
In 2021, I noticed my periods had become erratic—either arriving twice a month or skipping cycles. When it did come, it was a much heavier flow than usual. No matter how healthy I ate or exercised, the scales kept increasing. I convinced myself that my metabolism was simply slowing down with age, hence the weight gain.
Insomnia became my nightly companion, and I brushed it off as stress induced—something I believed I could fix with better sleep hygiene. With insomnia came daytime exhaustion and an inability to focus on work. All these symptoms made me very anxious, and I couldn’t help but wonder: Could this be something more serious?
The Struggle to Be Taken Seriously
As a hospital pharmacist in Malaysia, I had access to doctors. Ironically, that didn’t make my journey to diagnosis any smoother. An ultrasound revealed no issues with my ovaries—a supposed reassurance that I did not have PCOS. However, my symptoms persisted, and the doctors put it down to being stress related.
A second opinion finally revealed the truth—my androgen levels were elevated, confirming my PCOS diagnosis. All the symptoms I had been experiencing suddenly made sense. Yet, instead of guidance or support, I was simply told to lose 10kg. There was no explanation of insulin resistance, no tailored nutritional advice—just a blanket instruction that left me feeling lost.
Since it was in the early stages, I wasn’t prescribed any medications until a year ago.
A New Country, A New Challenge
Fast forward to November 2024—I was in the UK, pursuing my masters. When my symptoms worsened, I called my GP, reporting prolonged bleeding, extreme fatigue, and brain fog that made it difficult to keep up with my studies. I was experiencing so much anxiety and constantly felt down due to these symptoms.
The first time, I was dismissed. My bleeding wasn’t deemed "heavy enough" to warrant concern, and iron pills were recommended. But when my bleeding lasted over a month, I had to exaggerate my symptoms just to be taken seriously. Finally, a blood test was scheduled.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
The blood test results confirmed hypothyroidism, and I was told over the phone that: "It’s a lifelong condition. You’ll be on medication for life." While I was thankful that the NHS provided a quick diagnosis, there was no reassurance, no support.At my follow-up appointment, I brought up my PCOS again—having read about its strong link to hypothyroidism—but my concerns were brushed aside as the primary focus was to manage the hypothyroidism, leaving my PCOS unaddressed. Even now, I often find myself wondering whether my symptoms stem from PCOS or hypothyroidism.
What I’ve Learned
This journey has taught me three crucial lessons: advocacy, awareness, and action.
• Advocacy because women—especially women of color—often have to fight to be heard in healthcare settings. For example, not many talk about how South Asian women like me are at a higher risk of developing hypothyroidism from unmanaged PCOS.
• Awareness because PCOS is more than just a "weight issue"—it affects energy, mental health, fertility, hormones and overall well-being.
• Action because taking charge of my health has made a real difference. I have now taken up regular swimming, started reading up on nutrition and food that cause insulin spikes, meditating regularly and staying consistent with my medication. I am also cautious on trusting every online source when it comes to nutrition and supplements – due diligence is crucial.
My journey is ongoing, but I'm determined to thrive, and I hope you are too if you are in a similar situation.