A few years ago, we wrote a blog post about a book called Screaming to be Heard: Hormonal Connections Women Suspect, and Doctors Still Ignore by Elizabeth Vliet, MD. “It’s for those women that have repeatedly heard ‘it’s all in your head’ from their doctors,” wrote our blogger Gina, about her diagnosis with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine disorder that can cause infertility and weight gain among other symptoms.
While doctors may not ignore it a much as they used to, there’s still enough murky medical advice out there about this condition to make the title ring true. At least one in ten women struggle with PCOS, but resources and answers for them are scarce.
After her diagnosis, Gina learned that she needed to rely on herself to feel better. But where can women go to learn how to make healthy lifestyle changes and practice implementing them? We have the answer.
This fall, as part of a partnership with inCYST Programs for Women with PCOS, we’re offering our first ever PCOS support program, LIVING WELL™ Learning to Thrive with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Join us
November 8-14, 2009
November 15-21, 2009
My sister diagnosed herself (which was later confirmed by doctors) with PCOS after year after year and doctor after doctor just telling her she needed to lose weight, and insisted she was lying when she said she was only eating 1200 calories a day.
Thank goodness for the internet which allowed her to find information to take her health into her own hands. Through a diet geared specifically to her medical needs (she is also diabetic) and exercise, she lost over 100 pounds, and got pregnant for the first time, after adopting three children previously.
I hadn’t even HEARD of this before. Thanks for spreading the awareness about it!
She’s an awesome woman. After her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and she found so few resources for parents, she created her own web site and non profit org to connect families with the info and resources they need.
If you’re interested in reading more about her, here’s a link to her About page on her site:
http://www.isletsofhope.com/main/about_ioh_2.html
What a bad and good story, Michelle. Bad that your sister had to diagnose herself; Sagan isn’t the only one who doesn’t know about it, unfortunately. Lots of doctors don’t either. Good that she is managing it so well!