#How I Cured My PCOS

[truwellth]

PCOS Leads to Diabetes, Inflammation and Infertility

Know, how PCOS Leads to Diabetes, Inflammation and Infertility? How to Cure PCOS Permanently? What Causes PCOS? What Are the First Signs of PCOS? Is Bilateral Polycystic Ovaries Dangerous?... from Rajashree Gadgil… the top nutritionist in Thane, Mumbai & the founder of TruWellth Integrative Health Center… the best nutrition center in Thane

[vamptastic]

this girl in class today would not shut uuuuup about pseudoscience shit like how 'seed oils' and gluten and dairy and Unbalanced Hormones are making everyone soooo fat and gross and large and also obese and also there's an unnamed Hunger Hormone that's turned off if you drink caffeine but also caffeine makes you fat and large and obese as well. like shut up man im trying to learn about cultural relativism can you go subtweet rfk jr or smth instead of talking about your weirdass takes on nutrition science in ethics class.

[diabetes-health-corner]

10 Ways to Improve Insulin Resistance

The root cause of diabetes is insulin resistance. This basically refers to the body’s resistance to the insulin produced in its own pancreas. When this happens, the insulin in the body cannot perform its function of enabling glucose in the blood to enter the muscle cells and it thus collects in the bloodstream, leading to the most visible sign of diabetes: high blood sugar.

Here are 10 habits to help lower your insulin resistance: https://www.freedomfromdiabetes.org/blog/post/10-ways-to-improve-insulin-resistance/2788

[leeknowsnot]

WHEN YOU TELL HIM YOU HAVE PCOS (OT8 Scenarios)

Genre: established relationship, fluff

PCOS: (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

This is to all my PCOS girlies out there. This is our battle, and we'll face it together.

These aren’t all heavy — some are sweet, some are quietly supportive, and some bring their own brand of warmth and humor to it. Because PCOS can feel overwhelming, but we don’t have to face it alone. 💙

BANGCHAN

You tell him in a quiet voice — not because you’re ashamed, but because you’re still processing it. You expect him to panic or look worried.

Instead, Chan calmly pulls you into a hug and asks, “Okay. What did the doctor say? What does this mean for you, day to day?”

He listens to everything — about the hormonal imbalances, irregular cycles, and possible symptoms. Doesn’t flinch once.

“Then we figure this out together,” he says. “You’re not doing this alone.”

Later that night, you find tabs open on his laptop: “PCOS management diet,” “supportive things to say to someone with PCOS,” “how to regulate hormones naturally.”

⸻

LEE KNOW

You tell him, half-expecting him to say nothing. He’s quiet, unreadable.

Then: “Okay. Do you want space, snacks, a hug, or me to punch the air in solidarity?”

You blink. “…Snacks. And the punch, maybe.”

He nods, gets up without a word, and returns with your favorite comfort food.

While you eat, he casually says, “You know I’ve always thought you’re strong, right? This doesn’t change anything. If anything, it proves it.”

It’s low-key. But he checks in more now. Not in a dramatic way — just asks how your body feels, if your cycle’s being difficult, if you need anything. And when the cramps hit, he’s there with heat pads like a seasoned nurse.

⸻

CHANGBIN

You expected him to frown. Instead, he looks dead serious and says, “…So we’re gonna fight this thing, right?”

You blink. “Fight it?”

“Yeah. Meal plans, workouts, vitamins, good sleep. I’m on your team. I’ll eat anti-inflammatory food with you. I’ll do Pilates if I have to.”

You laugh, but your eyes burn a little.

“I mean it,” he says. “It’s your body, but it’s our battle. You’re not doing this by yourself.”

Later, he sets a calendar reminder for your appointments and labels it “Binnie & Babe vs. PCOS Boss Battle 💪🏼”

⸻

HYUNJIN

When you tell him, your voice trembles — not from fear, but frustration. You’re tired of your body feeling like it’s turning against you.

Hyunjin listens, then pulls you gently into a hug.

“Hey. Your body’s fighting. That doesn’t make it broken. It makes it strong.”

He’s the first to remind you that beauty isn’t about smooth cycles or clear skin or anything you think you’ve lost.

“You’re still you. And I love you exactly as you are.”

Later, he draws a little sketch of you — soft and quiet and powerful. He puts a crown on your head.

⸻

HAN

You tell him, expecting confusion.

Instead, he pulls out his phone, types “PCOS” into Google, and squints at the screen. “Okay, first of all, that’s a lot of medical jargon. But I’m gonna learn it.”

He sits beside you for half an hour, asking the right questions. "What does it feel like for you? What’s the hardest part? What do you wish people knew?”

Then, in classic Jisung fashion he says, "Wanna binge trashy TV and complain about hormones together? I’ll match your mood swings in real time.”

You laugh, for the first time all day.

⸻

FELIX

You sit him down, a little nervous. “I got diagnosed with PCOS.”

Felix’s eyes widen just a little — not in fear, but concern. “That’s the one with… like, hormonal stuff, right?”

You nod. “It might affect fertility. Or weight. Or skin. And there’s no cure. Just management.”

He grabs your hand. “Okay. So we manage. You’re still you — glowing, powerful, and mine.”

Later, he lights a candle, tucks you into a cozy blanket, and says softly, “I read up on it. I’m proud of you. You’re dealing with so much, and still loving everyone around you.”

He gives you the space to be tired. But never makes you feel like a burden.

⸻

SEUNGMIN

You hand him the pamphlet the doctor gave you. He reads it silently, eyebrows furrowed — not in fear, but focus.

“This sucks,” he says finally, honest as ever. “But you’re not doing it alone.”

No pity. No dramatics. Just reliable, steady presence.

When your emotions swing or your body rebels, he takes it in stride.

“If you want to cry, cry. If you want to yell at your hormones, I’ll yell with you.”

One night, he gently says, “You don’t have to be okay every day. You’re doing great — even when it feels like you’re not.”

And you believe him.

⸻

JEONGIN

You tell him over coffee. You try to play it off like it’s no big deal, but Jeongin sees through it.

He’s quiet for a long second, then softly says, “That sounds really hard. I’m sorry.”

Then, after a beat: “Does it change anything for you?”

You pause. “Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

“Then we’ll take it one day at a time,” he says. “And if some days suck, we’ll suck together.”

You giggle. “That was a terrible sentence.”

He grins. “Yeah, but you smiled. That’s what matters.”

[cannabiscomrade]

It's Gastroparesis Awareness Month

Hi! I have gastroparesis and I'm an insufferable know-it-all so let's talk about it!

Gastroparesis, or a paralyzed stomach, is a condition that causes delayed gastric emptying.

This can cause a range of symptoms and complications:

nausea

vomiting

early satiety/fullness

upper gastric pain

heartburn

malabsorption

dehydration

malnutrition

Gastroparesis can be treated by a gastroenterologist, but often needs to be managed by a motility specialist due to a lot of misconceptions about the condition. Providers, especially in the emergency department, will commonly misdiagnose gastroparesis as cannabis-hyperemesis syndome, cyclic vomiting syndrome, gastritis, food poisoning, etc.

There are several commonly known causes of gastroparesis like vagus nerve damage from diabetes, injury to the stomach, and stomach surgery like hernia repair or bariatric surgery. There are also idiopathic cases with no known cause. Other causes of gastroparesis are:

Connective tissue disorders like HSD and EDS (commonly hEDS and cEDS)

Post-viral (like COVID, viral gastritis, mononucleosis/Epstein-Barr)

Restrictive eating disorders

Autoimmune diseases like Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), Lupus, Hashimoto's

Central nervous system disorders

Gastroparesis also has common comorbidities with conditions like:

POTS and other forms of dysautonomia (POTS, EDS, and gastroparesis are a common triad of diagnoses)

MCAS

SMAS (which can also present with similar symptoms to GP)

Intestinal dysmotility and esophageal dysmotility disorders (known as global dysmotility)

PCOS with insulin resistance

Endometriosis

SIBO/SIFO

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction

Migraines

Certain medications like Ozempic and other drugs in that class act on the digestive system to delay gastric emptying, which has caused people to be diagnosed with gastroparesis. Some people report that their cases have not gone away since stopping the medication, others report feeling better after stopping. Other drugs like opiates and narcotics can cause delayed gastric and intestinal motility as well, but these are commonly known side effects of those painkiller classes.

Gastroparesis is classed based on severity and graded based on how you respond to treatment.

Severity of delay ranges from mild to very severe, and this is based on your actual stomach retention calculated at 4 hours into a gastric emptying study.

The grading scale ranges from one to three, one being mild and three being gastric failure.

There is no consistent single treatment that is proven to work for gastroparesis, and there is no cure. Treatments can consist of:

Diet changes (3 Step Gastroparesis Diet, liquid diet, oral sole source nutrition)

Prokinetic (motility stimulating) drugs

Anti-nausea medications

Proton-pump inhibitors

Gastric stimulator/gastric pacemaker

Pyloric botox and dilation

G-POEM/pyloroplasty

Post-pyloric tube feeding

Gastric venting/draining

Parenteral nutrition

IV fluids

Other surgical interventions like gastrectomy or rarely, transplant

Gastroparesis is a terrible disease and I hope that if any of these symptoms resonate with you that you can get checked out. I was misdiagnosed for a long time before getting a proper gastroparesis diagnosis, and all it took was a gastric emptying study. This is ESPECIALLY true if you're having post-COVID gastrointestinal problems that are not improving. I almost died from starvation ketoacidosis because of how serious my GP got in a short period of time post-COVID (I had GP before COVID), and now I'm tube reliant for all my nutrition and hydration.

Stay safe friends!

[eternitycongregation]

YOU. YOU'RE THE TRANSFEM INTERSEX RATIO PERSON. I LOVE YOU.

:o!! It's me indeed, hello!!!

I'm glad you like the headcanon, she's everything to me tbh. You can safely assume any time I talk about Ratio that this conception of her is in my mind.

ramblings under the cut (CW: vague mentions of intersexism and transmisogyny)

About her being intersex, I usually have two sets of headcanons: one where she has nCAH and the other hyperandrogenic PCOS. Part of why I have this headcanon is projection ofc; but it's also because I like the idea of Ratio in her goal to cure the disease of ignorance, she desires to destroy the false concept of the sex binary. It makes the goal very personal to her, being affected by intersexism, in addition to the altruism.

I think Ratio struggled a lot in her transition journey, because she felt like she had to give up a lot of the things she liked about her body and herself and had to conform to beauty standards she didn't like in her attempts to achieve the Ideal Woman status. I think she used to do extensive voice training, wear full beat makeup, and tried to avoid putting on muscle to give the thin and dainty vibe. Even though she likes her deep voice, a full face is a sensory nightmare for her, and trying to keep her body mass down was unhealthy for her...that's what she thought she needed to do. Her oddly British accent (odd for a character Greek and Roman inspired) is from imitating women she thought of as elegant and refined. She used to wear pumps in her classroom and offices even though she hated how they hurt her feet, because that's what other women wear to work.

And I imagine the Ratio we have in the present is one who is secure in her gender identity that she does not feel the need to overperform femininity. She knows that she does need to be accepted by others to know her own worth. Her body is toned and built, she speaks with a deep voice, wears clothes that are comfortable for her (cutouts for ventilation and a nice pair of sandals), puts on red eyeliner and calls it a look. And you can tell she loves it because of all those statues lmao.

[adventremnant]

Disabilities can spawn from nothing, they can even happen overnight. And disabilities can completely sabotage your body; you cannot lose weight if your metabolism is tanked by medications, you are unable to move properly, and any change in immune system (like a calorie deficit) can kill you. The ana blog is fine. Being discriminatory to people simply because their bodies or minds have failed to work properly, and they become fat, is not. You do not know the story of somebody's body by just looking at it.

Hi! I'm chronically disabled several times over! I'm also actually clinical rotations and CDR exam away from being a real life dietician!

Medications can't do anything to your metabolism. That's not how a metabolism works. If you're talking about long term steroid use, as in the case of lupus care, it's been debunked for yeeears that long term steroids affect metabolic rate.

PCOS doesn't actually affect the metabolism either (I have PCOS), and hypothyroid (my mom and aunt have this) only does by a small amount which is then corrected by medication and still doesn't make weight loss impossible even unmedicated.

What these diseases and medications can do is change various things (higher testosterone, being tired, etc) that can lead to more hunger, which is fixed through proper fiber, water, and protein intake as well as, as always, taking proper vitamins.

Long term steroids can also cause water retention, which isn't actual weight and can be mitigated with other medications or fluid intake and dietary changes.

You don't have to exercise to lose weight. In fact, exercise does very little for weight loss. It's just good for you and can build muscle, which will slowly raise bmr.

Not eating garbage won't kill you. There is no chronic illness in which eating healthier and a little bit less will kill you. Humans are not meant to be 400lbs. You don't have to be anorexic, but you sure can put the fork down and eat in a healthy deficit.

Stop letting your weird fat friends and doomer chronic illness groups convince you that this is all there is to life. Sure, you can't cure your illness, but you can make it better. I can raise my orthostatic and cardiovascular tolerance with exercise after taking my meds. I can eat healthy and lower my body fat percentage to stop excess fat producing and sequestering excess hormones which exacerbate PCOS. Take control of your life and don't blame people who know better for doing better just because it makes you feel bad about yourself. You're not the exception to physics, I promise.

[lizzy019]

what is pcos?? you make it your whole personality lol (not in a rude way, just curious)

Haha yes I kind of do lmaoo I'm glad you're curious anon :)

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance in a woman's ovaries. The ovaries produce certain hormones (estrogen) that makes a woman... a woman.

Women with PCOS typically tend to have issues with menstrual cycles, and deal with (the serious issue being) infertility. Again, this is purely because the hormones are out of whack and don't correlate to the regular hormones being produced by the pituitary gland.

Now, some women including me deal with a lot more issues. A very common issue is excessive weight, more so called visceral fat. It's typically to do with insulin resistance, and it doesn't matter how much working out you do to get rid of it.

There is also a very common symptom which is excessive hair growth. Redirecting back to the hormonal issue, hair is typically founded in testosterone. Especially excessive amounts which means excessive testosterone, which is what the hormonal imbalance is.

I struggle with three of these issues 😭 my periods are so sporadic and crazy. I also am kinda fat and hairy 0.0 body dysmorphia who??

But all in all, it's not a very well studied syndrome. There isn't a cure, and it isn't preventable, but you could take inositol (over-the-counter or prescribed) to help with insulin resistance.

HOPE THIS HELPS, ANON <333

[dancingwiththefae]

if I have to see one more video of a cis man telling me how I can ‘cure’ my pcos I’m going to start killing

[ratatoast]

Whew, I’ve really been debating whether I should make this post or not, but I’ve decided that it is my civic duty as a fellow cyster to bring awareness and maybe help others understand or even recognise the symptoms and what it means to have PCOS

I could hit you guys with all the official terms and statistics, but I will let the pictures do the talking on that

I personally just thought that I should share my story and how I got diagnosed with PCOS, and how I’ve been managing since then

So, I got my first period when I was 10. Which is quite early, but it never really bothered me. I always had a very regular menstrual cycle, from the number of days I menstruated, to the length of each phase.

Well, that all stopped when I was almost 19. My periods stopped being regular, I even went 3 whole consecutive months without even ovulating once. I was always irritated, I gained a lot of weight, my skin was horrible and I just wasn’t really on top of my game in general.

But I just kept telling myself that everything would be fine. I floated through 2 years of my life without knowing if I would be getting my period each month. I didn’t understand why I was always so hormonal and I kind of started hating myself.

So this year, in the very beginning of july, now at the big old age of 21, I decided to go to the OBGYN. I was honestly scared shitless, but I was trying to gaslight myself into thinking that it would be all fine. Except it ended up not being all fine. Because I got diagnosed with PCOS.

Now, I don’t know about other OBGYNs, but mine didn’t particularly care to explain stuff to me, just gave me my papers and told me to get a bunch of tests done to find out my root cause. My regular doctor just gave me a pamphlet for dieting with diabetes/IR and basically told me to just figure things out on my own.

I think it’s honestly disgusting how little healthcare professionals seem to care about a condition that affects so many afab people. There isn’t a cure, because nobody cares to find a cure.

Well, they should.

Everyone should.

Living with PCOS isn’t easy. I have mental breakdowns about it on the weekly. I hate having to restrict what I can eat so much.

And I hate that it is worth it. I hate that I actually feel better when I don’t eat dairy, I hate that I actually feel awful physically when I eat carbs. It’s not fair.

And I hate that my sickness affects the most important (to me) aspect of my life: my fertility.

I have never not wanted children. Becoming a mother is the biggest dream I had since I was a kid. It’s my life purpose. And I might not ever get it.

But I can’t let my PCOS rule my life. I am me, first and foremost. Chronic illness or not.

And I really hope that every woman struggling with PCOS can look into the mirror at the end of the day and find beauty in what she sees.

You are beautiful.

You are strong.

You are loved.

[oxymoronish]

Monthly Highlights: June 2025

I've started meticulously noting down lists of Media I've Consumed in my journal this year, so I thought I'd type up some thoughts publicly on this blog as well. This might turn out to be a regular thing, it might not. Ah well.

TV shows

The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (2025) The BBC/Netflix production, not to be confused with the Sky series 'Lockerbie' with Colin Firth which was fine, but I found this one a lot more compelling -- perhaps because I could relate with the investigative process and bureaucracy involved in mass fatality disasters (I'd just attended a training course at work on this exact topic last month, weirdly). Also loved the cast, particularly Connor Swindells (who isn't even Scottish, wtf? handsome, though) and Patrick J. Adams with their trans-atlantic partnership thing going on. Oh and the show's soundtrack is by Mogwai, which is very cool, I guess.

Brilliant Minds - Season 1 (2024) I went into this show absolutely wanting to hate it, LOL. Oh, so Zachary Quinto plays this Genius Neurodivergent neurologist who Doesn't Play By The Rules and will do Anything to cure his patients? i.e. Hate Crimes MD, rehashed? (he also has an enemy-to-lovers plot with a neurosurgeon, but, that's a rant for somewhere else.) The show tends to veer so much towards oversentimentality that it made me roll my eyes, and sure the medical science is wild at times (how on earth did 4 interns take half an episode to figure out heart block can be treated with a pacemaker) but somehow, SOMEHOW the characters won me over. And I find myself looking forward to Season 2. Hm.

Flight 149: Hostage of War (2025) Sky documentary on a tragedy that I knew little about. A harrowing and mad series of events, very well-told from the point of view of the victims.

Tucci in Italy (2025) Beautifully filmed. Stanley Tucci walks around Italy and eats food and is very charming. It's good. Will also watch Searching For Italy at some point.

Obituary (2023) Thought the concept was interesting. Irish series in which an obituary writer starts killing people in her town to help with her job. Weirdly gets billed as a comedy but I think it's a great crime drama, with lots of great twists.

Presumed Innocent - Season 1 (2024) Jake Gyllenhaal plays a prosecutor who makes a lot of shitty life decisions. Ruth Negga is his long-suffering wife. Stuff gets revealed in almost every episode that makes you wonder how he's managed to keep his job and family for this fucking long. I liked this mainly because of the legal drama of it all (again, because I'm obsessed with my work and everything to do with it). Characters will say shit like "Trials often come down to storytelling, best version wins" and "It's not about the truth, it's just about establishing reasonable doubt" and I'd be spitting out my crisps to go "SO TRUE BESTIE" -- the criminal justice system is troublingly imperfect and this series pushes it to extremes. Most reviews talk about the Big Reveal in the finale and I ended up bingeing the show late into my weeknight to find out wtf that was and sir, it was not worth it. Doesn't necessarily ruin the show for me, it was just 'oh, that's it?' Anyway, I also read this guardian review afterwards and it made me laugh.

Radio shows

Bleeding Hell (2025) Radio Wales show exploring various gynaecological disorders, including PMDD, PCOS, and adenomyosis - genuinely educational stuff.

What's The Story, Ashley Storrie? - Series 1 & 2 (2023-24) Autobiographical stand-up by Scottish comedian Ashley Storrie. The production and editing on this show is brilliant, I love the way the various voices from her streams of consciousness weave in and out (relatable). Pretty sure I heard Christopher Macarthur-Boyd and Rosco Mcclelland appear at some point as well. The episodes on dealing with autism and the Edinburgh Fringe (respectively) are my favourites.

Drama on 4 - Moorgate (2025) Radio drama based on the true events of the Moorgate tube crash in 1975. Made me cry a bit.

Books

A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering - Andrew Hunter Murray

The Complete Maus - Art Spiegelman

Hellaween - Moss Lawton

Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal - Robin Ince

Games

The fan-made Conclave VN. That is all.

[ashnsweet]

just found out i have pcos

and idek how to feel

mainly what upsets me is my mums reactions to everything tho cuz shes kinda immediately like u did it to urself

idk i just want her to understand thats its not all me

cuz a the pcos was always there thats out of my control and as far as diet goes id argue only recently has it been bad

i just blegh

idk feel depressed

and its silverstone i get so stressed cuz if its not lewis i'll crash out and there's one driver that absolutely doesnt deserve that win and if that happens i dont even wanna think ab it but ill acc never watch a race again

like last week was my first race this year cuz of exams and that happens dont even

fuck ass sport

-🌝

hi love i just wanted to know pcos is genetic and it fucking sucks that they refuse to research and fix something just because a woman is the one going through it while all the funds go to curing erectile dysfunction (gag)

you do not deserve this at all but we can’t control anyone’s reactions but ours so i want to let you know that im so so so proud of you for just existing and fuck anyone who makes you feel otherwise❤️‍🩹

being a sad depressed person is the fun but someone’s gotta do it😞

jokes aside, please step away from things when they feel too much. engage in things that you like and brings you comfort, i recommend reading some good feel books and watching some sitcoms (i rewatch modern family, friends and animes) (love love love reading emily henry, liz tomforde and fredrick backman)

youre so loved because you have just genuinely started living your life, so many beautiful better things await you even though i know this sounds dumb as fuck cause its easier said than done, it is the truth unfortunately

[longing-for-rain]

Genuine question but how do you have dysphoria and don’t seem like you are trans? How does that work? Isn’t trans the cure to dysphoria?

My situation is complicated, to say the least, but I guess most people's are. The short answer is no. Long answer...buckle up because I'm half dead from adrenal insufficiency and it's honesty hour. Don't read this if EDs/body image/SA stuff bothers you.

So I did have gender dysphoria along with other body image issues, and still do. However as of right now, it's hard to define exactly how I feel about my body because my hormones are so fucked. Right now I either feel like an ogre or a wisp of smoke depending on the day. Today is a wisp of smoke day.

About the gender dysphoria, I've had this most of my life, waaaay before I knew the words to describe it. I always liked "boy things" and thought "girl things" were stupid. I wished that I was a boy, and because I couldn't be a boy, I distanced myself from being "girly" as much as I could. I was basically a tomboy with an inferority complex. It got way worse with puberty because that drew even more attention to the ways I was different than boys. Especially me with my huge boobs (not bragging, I actually hate them). Over the years, I've identified as pretty much everything including "demigirl" and "nonbinary" and "transmasc." I was sexually harassed a lot and nearly assaulted as a teen. At 18 I actually was assaulted. At 18-21 I was sexually abused online, and at 22 again in person. Believe it or not, it was this very fandom I was sexually abused in. The abuser was good at hiding it; "let's talk on voice call so there's no evidence" she told me. So naturally this person (who was like 11 years older than me and wayyyy more chronically online/involved in fandom communities) manipulated the situation to make me look crazy and turn everyone against me. She had me convinced the way to be a good woman/girlfriend was to have men abuse me. Her friends would openly brag about the depraved shit their men did. I saw women talk about themselves like they were dirt. I saw a conservative christian younger than me talk about how she looooved sucking her boyfriend's unwashed dick (her words) because it made her feel like a good woman. I was made to feel crazy for thinking there might be a problem here, and for a while, I really internalized that.

Sheesh, that was a lot. All that to say: I truly hated being a woman. That was my ugly exposure to how the world views women and how they view themselves, and I wanted no part of it. During this time, I attempted suicide twice. In those moments, just before I pulled myself back, I believed I was better off dead than living as a woman. If all those disgusting, horrible things I was exposed to were what being a "good woman" meant...I would rather be dead. To be completely honest, last summer, I was fully prepared to and the main reason I applied to law school was to give myself a new goal to work towards. Without that, I probably would have gone through with suicide.

BUT don't worry, I very much do not feel that way anymore. At the end of last year, something unexpected happened. I found out I had a brain tumor. As it turns out, since about 2020, this small tumor had been pumping out excess cortisol and testosterone without me knowing. I originally was diagnosed with "severe PCOS" because of the testosterone, which I noticed when I started growing a beard. That wasn't the only body change though. This disease made me gain a ton of weight, gave me a weird fat distribution that made me feel literally like a hideous ogre, gave me acne, made my hair fall out, put me at risk for diabetes and heart issues, and made me feel constantly exhausted, anxious, depressed, irritable, and paranoid. I also couldn't sleep properly, which only made these problems worse.

Needless to say, all that shit brewing during the worst years of my life (2020-2024), was an interesting development to my dysphoria. I actually liked some of the androgen effects at first. I grew facial hair, excess body hair, and my voice deepened. Made me feel manly, and I liked that. What I didn't like was the prediabetes and mental health nightmare that came with it. The tumor made me realize something. I wanted to be a muscular hot man, not the bald fat man it was making me. That's the thing about hormones though, as I had a painful crash course in. Hormones don't just control cosmetic type characteristics; they are signaling molecules interconnected in a complex feedback system. They influence our entire bodies, and a disruption to this balance is disaster. I'm still reeling from it, and it's been going on for so long I don't remember the feeling of "normal."

But more importantly, another realization I had, the image of the "me" in my head was unrealistic, and what it really represented was my desire to by admired for my strength. Same thing with how my past desires to be thinner were a reflection of my desires to be appreciated and praised by family members who constantly degraded themselves and other women for their weight. I felt wrong in my body because the world around me made me hate it. And if you want to change your body because you hate it, you'll never be happy, because that standard you hold yourself to in your head is a fantasy. Reality never compares to fantasy, so chasing that standard didn't solve my problems.

As of right now, I'm finally in recovery. I feel drained because my body is detoxing cortisol and learning how to function again, but there is a good feeling in knowing I'm healing. I'm not saying I'm glad that I had this disease, but the experience of having it gave me a new perspective on life. It taught me a lot about myself and about the world.

So to finally answer your question, no, I don't desire to transition for the reasons I explained. I still am dysphoric and some days wish to have been born a man. But I already got a taste of excess testosterone, and I saw what it did to me. Like I said; wasn't turning into a muscular pretty boy like I wanted to, was turning into a fat balding man. Not to mention the other health problems on top of that.

What I've found works best for me to manage my dysphoria is to stop putting myself in boxes. I don't need to identify as anything or be in any kind of club. I'm just me, and that's it. My dysphoria tells me I need to be a man so I can be strong, powerful, and respected, I tell my dysphoria that I can be all of those things regardless of what I am. Not going to lie, being naturally tall helps me a lot, but I also work out to feel and look strong. I've been working on being more assertive and practicing public speaking. I'm pursuing a law degree. I'm eating a clean and healthy diet. I'm picking up old hobbies. I'm learning musical instruments. I'm learning art. I'm cleaning and organizing my space. I'm doing all of these things because I can, I love myself enough to give myself an enriched life. And now, I don't want my identity to be what I am; I want it to be who I am. Because there is only one me.

Also, I found that stopping the focus on looks so much...actually helped with looks. I've lost most of the weight I gained while I had my disease. I have buff biceps. My skin is clearer than it has been in years and my hair is growing back. All that happened because I focused on my health (and got the damn tumor out) out of self love. I still don't look like an "after picture" but I still love myself and I feel great. I'm finally starting to feel how I felt before my disease, and it makes me appreciate health more than I ever could have known I would.

Rant over! I'm going to pass out now.

[sevenrenny]

Having chronic migraine sucks, cause nobody took me seriously for years, telling me "Everyone gets headaches/I get headaches too!" meanwhile, without my medication, I'm incapacitated from the pain for four days a week on average, and everyone thinks I'm just being lazy when I physically can't get myself out of bed or even open my eyes, let alone feed myself without throwing up.

I go to work with ringing in my ears. I have to use a shower chair because the dizzy spells hit out of nowhere. I get blurry vision and sudden vision flashes. Even after the migraine episodes pass, I'm left with post-migraine where I'm physically drained and got massive brain fog.

And because of my GI issues (that's a whole separate medical issue that has landed me in the ER five times this year), I can't take oral medication because my body refuses to absorb most of it or it just decides my meds aren't on the guest list and activates the puke button.

The only medicine that seems to work is this autoinjector I take once a month... and it's the equivalent of about 600 USD per syringe. I have to jump through so many hoops to get it. It doesn't get rid of the migraines, just lessens their frequency and severity. (My current doctor has suggested I start Botox treatment but I don't feel financially ready for that.)

Even with my official diagnosis, hardly anybody believes me. "It's just a headache," "Ninety percent of people in the world get headaches!" "You need to eat vegetables more," "Try visiting my doctor. She's a gynecologist but she specializes in everything," "Have you tried meditation?" "Have you tried-"

I can assure you, whatever you're going to think of on the spot, I've already tried within the past 10+ years of my life dealing with this issue. This, and my GI issue and other chronic health issues.

I've also noticed people get uncomfortable when I explain to them what 'chronic' means. They squirm about it. They deny it's a thing, that there has to be a cure, I just haven't found it yet. They make up solutions on the spot. I kid you not, someone suggested I put a snail on my forehead for it to 'absorb' the migraine.

I have office workers telling me they know more than my medical professionals. I missed a few work days due to being in the ER from an intestinal issue, and had a coworker ask me what was I possibly doing to make myself sick, that- "You must have an unhealthy lifestyle, or you wouldn't be like this." Another coworker pitched in, stating that I must be doing something wrong. Family members insist on that assumption, too.

In other words: the chronic illnesses I was born with (the chronic migraine, gastroparesis, PCOS, chronic skin issues, other health concerns) are somehow my fault. I truly do believe this idea stems from how uncomfortable the thought of chronic illness makes them, and the belief that they can avoid becoming chronically ill themselves if they try hard enough, that you only get chronically ill if you did something to deserve it somehow.

I'm exhausted explaining myself to healthy people who believe I owe them my medical history. I outright say I don't want to discuss it. It just makes everyone prod harder. When I run out of energy and just want to rest and not speak anymore (because everything I say goes in one ear and out the other, anyway,) it's as if I've insulted them personally, scoffing that they're just trying to help.

This is not how you help. You're making me more tired than I already am. Literally, the things I do require help with (needing a ride home on occasion because I'm having aura symptoms and can't drive and there's no public transit, needing silence so the pain doesn't escalate, needing things to me repeated because the fatigue and brain fog made me miss what was said, needing time alone because I'm drained and can't go do the thing you want me to do, needing a ride to the ER) everyone refuses to do, which tells me this isn't about helping, it's about your curiosity regarding my health. It's about you needing to be right.

If you really want to help, just ask what can you do. That's it.

[rivetgoth]

One of my favorite drug stories is the time Angel and I dropped acid before the club and thus had to Lyft over so we were like in it in it by the time we get in this lady’s car, it’s like a 20ish min ride to the club, and this woman would not stop talking about every single disease-related government conspiracy theory imaginable. Like obviously it starts with masking and COVID vaccines (prompted iirc by her saying we didn’t need to wear masks in her car) which is like, pretty normal levels of gov’t conspiracy atp, but she just kept going deeper explaining like how she and her friends are being experimented on by the government, going into detail explaining the symptoms she and her friends experience from various vaccines, government secretly giving people STIs, government inducing PCOS in people and other ways of forcing women to be infertile that also causes agonizing period pains miscarriages etc, big pharma keeping people sick to make more money by selling symptom alleviation over cures, but again I cannot stress enough she would go into excruciating detail about the symptoms, talking about like, infected boils, septic organs, seizures, gangrene, YOU NAME IT. We were barely even responding, just going like “haha yeah that’s crazy…” and she’d keep going while we’re held hostage in her car. And honestly we like couldn’t even really be mad. It was just hilarious at that point. Like this woman was a bad trip simulator and we’re both out of our minds on LSD. Genuinely Fear & Loathing type shit.

[lighdramons]

Sterilization Log #1: The Consultation

I said I was going to document my journey so here we go. For reference, 29F, PCOS, PMDD, and Hasmimotto’s.

I did research over the past 2.5 weeks prior to the appointment so I understood all possible procedures, all risks, etc.

What I learned was tubal ligation is not typically done anymore since it’s not very effective and that bilateral salpingectomy is the gold standard . The former involved banding, burning, or clipping, the latter is fully removing the tubes. And I also looked into hysterectomy which is removing uterus and oophorectomy which is removing the ovaries. These are not as typical to have done as they have more serious long term consequences.

For me, I was interested in finding alternative ways of dealing with my PMDD because without hormonal birth control and anti-depressants I end up in a vicious cycle of self-harm, suicide attempts, and rage. That would require an oophorectomy which I knew would be the hardest procedure to get as you go into early menopause and would need HRT. I’m just sick of the side effects of these medications and I’m at the point where only one specific birth control works without an allergic reaction or me going straight into self-harm rage mode. Hysterectomy would be nice for some of the PCOS symptoms but is not a cure.

Anyways, I felt prepared after reading other people’s experiences, medical journals, and any other things I could get my hands on.

My actual appointment started off bad. The nurse working with my doctor tried to talk me out of it. I was too young. I really should wait till I have kids because how could I really know I wanted this if I didn’t have kids. She told me maybe I just need to exercise if I don’t like the weight gain from the medications. I had all of my answers prepared. I don’t want biological children because I don’t want them to inherit my medical issues and I personally don’t feel like it is ethical in today’s world. I decided this years ago and don’t want kids and my age doesn’t affect it. I have medical issues that sterilization could be beneficial for depending on what direction we go with. It’s my body at the end of the day. I am literally terrified that my birth control will become unavailable or stop working and I will kill myself because I am physically allergic to or have negative mental reactions to all other types. That got her to shut up.

My doctor came in shortly after saying if I want a sterilization, I get a sterilization. She had to go through the consult and go over everything. She was impressed by how much research I did beforehand. She will not do the oophorectomy or hysterectomy right now. She will do the Bisalp and at the same time she is going to biopsy me for endometriosis because it is most likely something I have but hasn’t been officially diagnosed. After this, we are going to play around with other treatments for my PMDD and we will re-evaluate any further removals.

After we made the plans, I had to sign 3 separate consent forms, one of which is a special form for PA where I have to wait 30 days before surgery.

The surgery including intubation and recovery is only about 1.5 hours and I will go home same day. And she told me most people have surgery on Tuesday and are back at work the following Monday, if not sooner. I will be getting a call later this week with dates, and most likely it will be January 7th or 14th. And I will get told more information then.

I feel good about all of this and will update next time I have more info. Oh and my doctor was very nice and needed to know where I learned a lot of my info, and I told her there’s a Reddit and I let her know she was even included on it as a safe provider and I think that made her day!