#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

[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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[hollywoodevilgossip]

Does anyone go threw PCOs (polycystic ovarian syndrome) Hormonal Imbalance, Hristim facial hair problem, diabetes, hypertension, fertility problem. If you do then I can totally feel your pain i have been battling pcos and hypertension since decades my hair problem is massive on my face that sometimes I get tired of waxing threading lasering it hurts my skin so badly that I wish there was easy way that could get rid of hair permanently. Our menstrual problem is horrible too it sometimes show up and sometimes gone we get the pain we get cramps. Sometimes is painful sometimes it can make you sick. I always wonder how we end up getting those is it the food we eat. Is it the stress we take is it our lifestyle. Is it the medication we intake theres no answer or cure for it

[edgessunflower]

Hi my darling friend 😘 How you been?

May I please request headcanons for Bruce, Dick, and Damian reacting to their girlfriend being diagnosed with PCOS after showing various symptoms?

Ofc dear! And also I don't write for Bruce anymore after this one!

Damian

He would know something was going on by you being more fatigued and tired, you complaining and crying of pelvic pain, and you losing some of your hair even just using a comb or washing it

He would be startled at first but as time would go on, he would be very scared of you having a terminal illness or cancer that was starting to show, he was terrified of you slowly dying and losing you

He would be chewing his nails when you go to the doctor to figure out what was wrong with your body and why these things were happening to you, always looking at his phone to see if you had texted or called

He would be heartbroken when you walk in the door with tears in your eyes, he was very relieved that it wasn't cancer like he feared or any severe terminal illness that would affect you for the rest of your life but still hurt after you told him what the doctor told you

After the diagnosis, he would do every and anything to help you from massaging your body until you fell asleep if you were fatigued and in pain, he would always have a heating pad ready if you had severe pelvic pain or from heavy periods, and he will always be by your side of your hair was still falling out and get you wig of it was very bad

He will never judge you if you can't have kids in the future because of it or any other symptoms shown making higher levels of testosterone in your body , always showing that he cares about you and would never leave because of something that couldn't be controlled

Bruce

He would help when he sees you having severe stomach pain and heavy bleeding whenever your period comes, helping you be calm when your period wouldn't come, and trying to ease you of the unexpected extra hair on your armpits and under your chin

He would be confused on what exactly would be causing you trouble even asking Alfred if he had an idea on what would be causing you so much pain and problems, the two would search in between keeping Gotham safe or doing things around the mansion

He would have alfred look at you and when he knew alfred couldn't help or figure it out, he made sure you went to the doctor the first chance you got planning on going with you until he had to go to a big ball for Wayne Enterprises which only stressed him out more of not being with you

He would try to keep everything together but after a while of thinking of all the worst things that you could have affecting you, he just went to the office upstairs and stared at the wall until he heard his phone ring and answered when he saw it was you calling

He felt the stress melt away at you not being very ill or somehow with something that couldn't be cured, but sad at something that would affect you the rest of your life and that you were also possibly infertile which crushed both of you and your hopes for kids in the future

He would help you with everything when you were in too much pain and always show that he would always be there to help whenever you needed it especially if you just needed one of his hugs

Dick

He paid close attention to you when he knew something was going on but he felt himself worried at how you would bleed heavily on your period and how much pain it caused you especially on your hips and pelvis, he would also notice your self consciousness on the sudden acne that came and didn't seem to go away, and how you didn't seem to have any sexual drive

He would tell alfred and Stephanie about it and they both helped as best as they could always asking how you were when he would come to the mansion or bat cave, he will always have meds and anything ready to help you with the pain if it got very unbearable

He would be a wreck when you went to the doctor together and squeeze each other's hands through the ride there and after being called into the room, you feel all your nerves go into overdrive as you are examined and asked questions before having tests done

You feel overwhelming relief of it not being any cancer or something that required surgery to be done, but you felt crushed by it being PCOS remembering that your aunt had it and you also having friends who suffered from it too and always said how it affected them

You break down after getting home, just holding on to dick who just holds and rocks you in his arms, he feels his heart shatter when you apologize to him if you can't have children together at all just holding you tighter as he calms you down

You slowly learn how to live and deal with pcos with his help from using a heating pad and different pain relief meds for heavy periods, healthy washes and lotions for your face to help the acne, and warm baths for your aching and fatigued body followed by massages by him which helped you sleep better as well

[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.

[astrogirlythings]

My PCOS journey:

Vulnerabilities and all.

The biggest problem with new age women's health issues is that even many women fail to empathize with them. How can we expect men to empathize with women's health?

When I talk about women's health I don't mean "PERIODS" or "PTSD Post pregnancy" or "MENOPAUSE".. There are so many health issues that are not being talked about enough (at least from where I'm from 😒). Starting with a few - PCOS, PCOD, Thyroid, Hormonal imbalance and other lifestyle diseases. Not to mention that they have no cure and the only solution we have is to manage it and its symptoms.

While fighting with its symptoms.. one of the biggest things that helped me overcome my PCOS and Hormonal imbalance is some much needed moral support. Of course strength training, diet, 8 hours of sleep, managing stress and having a positive mind too.. but being surrounded by those who make an effort to understand ur health is a blessing.

I suffered excessive hair loss and weight gain and as a woman I've been constantly reminded that those "Assets" (Head full of hair and a slim figure) are the only things that add value to me and my existence.. and it's messed up how even the most educated are unaware about women's health.

Truth be told, I've spent years of my life picking up my pieces and reconstructing myself emotionally, mentally and physically. The sleepless nights I had were consumed by me obsessing about my body, its image and how it was perceived by everyone around me. The world has successfully convinced me that I am nothing without this so called "Perfect body". I lost many opportunities because of my negative body image. Deep down I knew that I am smart, creative, funny, kind and I am also known to be a good friend. But people succeeded in making me feel less than what I am.

As I write this, I want to convey that you are not alone. I believe that I am not the only one feeling this way.

Being surrounded by people who truly make an effort to understand ur health and ur erratic mood swings (because of ur health) is a huge blessing.. God knows that I want that in my life. Everyone wants to feel empathised and if u don't have someone that empathises with ur health.. I hope my empathy towards women's health helped u.

I am now 27 years old and I have finally succeeded in managing my PCOS symptoms (Physical and mental symptoms) after struggling with them for the past 9 years. Yup.. I lost most of my 20s to PCOS and I am cautiously optimistic that the struggle is over now. And even if it comes back.. at least I know how to deal with 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!

[sidewalkchemistry]

Hello! Love your blog! Any advice for those trying to reduce their PCOS symptoms like weight gain/bloating, painful menstruation, etc.

hi👋🏾 thank you. My advice depends just on how much a person is willing to do to. For example, some people are willing simply to do what's necessary to reduce symptoms, not to overcome them altogether. Unfortunately, a fair number of people have difficulty in seeing the real bliss in treating their bodies well because we've been taught so many ways to hurt and damage our bodies. Also, investing in your health removes you from following the status quo.

(This is not medical advice by the way. I'm not claiming to offer any treatments or cures either. I am not a medical physician. I do holistic medicine and herbalism).

Anyway, PCOS is no different to many other issues in overcoming its systems because it comes from the cause of too much obstructions in the body. You will best support your body by cleaning up your diet (one of the major causes of obstructions in our lives, which is why so many illnesses are diet and lifestyle-related aka epigenetic), reducing stress, increasing bliss, and direct herbal intervention.

Cleaning up the diet: I would help someone with transitional menus following the guidelines of The Mucusless Diet Healing System. This will include progressively moving away from health-threatening foods at a pace which will allow mind-body-spirit alignment. So, it will allow one to really feel comfortable in making healthy choices for meals. "Cold turkey" methods are not often sustainable most times. Those with PCOS especially should make a permanent transition away from meat, dairy, eggs, regular use of oils, and regular eating of junk foods and highly processed foods. Those kinds of foods do not eliminate effectively and create a negative environment in the digestive tract (for example, this is why eliminating dairy will alleviate a lot of skin issues. The digestive tract is often a mirror for the skin). If I am able to work with someone to the point of centering their foods around fruit and vegetables (esp the leafy greens), the most amazing changes happen because the body will be supported in properly eliminating all the crud and obstruction from the lymph, tissues, and colon which are shifting the hormones out of balance. This is the difference between reducing and overcoming imbalances in the body.

Reducing stress: This one is key for PCOS because hormonal/reproductive issues are placed under strain by nervous tension. It would be good to start with a gentle & inspiring morning routine and a soothing nighttime routine to get out of the cycles of stress. A diet rich in whole plant foods will also help stress management (via the gut-brain connection/microbiome). Other actions towards stress reduction should eventually be practiced, such as singing, spending time in meaningful hobbies/flow states, inner work activities (to improve emotional intelligence), meditation & mindfulness, breathwork, sound healing, getting into nature, playing with a pet, and more laughter.

Increasing bliss: This overlaps a bit with the previous point. But this is particularly focused on nurturing self-care. Often, individuals with PCOS have trouble really focusing on investing in their health. It's best to focus on overturning self-destructive habits, which may be seemingly innocuous things, such as approaching most things in life with intensity, from one's career to exercise to even meditation. Taking an hour or two daily for doing absolutely nothing, or learning to live in a more sacred manner (if one is spiritually inclined) can bring you towards a deep friendship and respect with yourself.

Direct Herbal Intervention: The fruits and vegetables will be the most key herbs in this scenario. But additional herbs can certainly be used. I will not list any here because many of my go-tos will not suit everyone, especially if they have overlapping health issues. But I would want to support the liver, lymphatic flow, and nerves/emotional states. Flower essences (which are safe for everyone) are also great here for helping to relieve the psychological influences on the issues, such as resolving traumas and other blockages which would serve as blockages to implementing these lifestyle changes. Self-heal would be a nice choice, or whatever else one is intuitively drawn towards.

Thanks for asking! I hope I was able to help you😊🌼 signed, Lili

[thurisazsalail]

The point here is that condoms only BECAME free specifically because of the AIDS crisis.

Yes, other diseases exist. Of course they do. Yes, many are terrible. Syphilis-induced blindness is well known for literally hundreds of years on multiple continents.

AIDS activists and the hard work they did, paired with the sheer fear of the cishet white people who found out that yes, they too could catch the disease once relegated to gay POCs- AND that it had no cure and no treatment (unlike chlamydia, crabs, or syphilis)- is what drove free condoms.

No one cares about how many people suffer and even die from unwanted pregnancy. If they did, if the people who have power to make those decisions cared, HBC would be FREE. It is not. In fact, having a miscarriage is a serious charge in much of the country. (White, mostly above blue collar) people are allll up in a tizzy *now* that the GOP is overt about it, but where the fuck was anyone ten god damn years ago when women in Utah were being put on an actual fucking murder trial because someone elected to be *violently beaten* to induce a miscarriage. Where was anyone when women were jailed for miscarriages because a nasty ex boyfriend accused them, with little or no evidence, that it was intentional? If anyone cared, where the fuck were all of you protesting when fetal harm laws were passed here in Florida? Oh yeah- voting FOR the law.

I'm one of the people who female ob/gyns tried to trick and coerce into teenage pregnancy, btw. These dumb bitches tried to tell me that my PCOS would clear itself up if I just had a few kids. They wouldn't dx PCOS, just mentioned the symptoms. Vaguely. I refused. PCOS symptoms, by the way, often mimic pregnancy- which my ex was also trying to force me into. I drank poison rather than live if there was a chance of pregnancy.

No one gives a fuck about pregnancy. Especially not when it's an "undesirable" like me. You don't want the kid of an undesirable, but you don't want us to have real healthcare, either. The punishment is the point.

People only started flipping out about these new pregnancy laws when they started affecting *them.*

So cool, yeah, condoms do a lot. Yes, they do. No disagreement.

But the point here is that AIDS specifically is the reason they are free, as compared to any other thing.

I NEED people to understand that condoms aren’t free because “MEN like to FUCK lol,” they’re free because thirteen thousand people die from AIDS every year in the US alone.

Stop framing free menstrual products as more essential than free condoms. They should BOTH be free.

[nmenvs3000w25]

Blog Post 5: Nature, A Holistic way to a Better Well-Being

Nature, A Holistic way to a Better Well-Being

In today’s rapidly evolving, technology-centric world, many individuals find themselves struggling with stress, anxiety and depression, often also causing a physical toll on their body. As society has become increasingly urbanized over the years, studies have shown that a greater number of individuals spend more time indoors, causing a disconnection from the natural world.

Nature offers a wide range of beneficial properties, stemming from both its abundant resources and its visual and auditory qualities.

Nature for the Body:

Growing up I was always nutrition conscious, but it was not until I was diagnosed with PCOS that I started my research into holistic practices, as the medical world had only temporary cures for the imbalances it would cause. Insulin resistance, high androgen levels and inflammation are some of the symptoms I experience, and if not controlled can lead to more serious issues. With the help of a doctor who specialises in holistic aid, I started a regimen of taking berberine for inflammation and to balance my blood sugar levels, as well as Saw Palmetto for my high androgen levels. It is truly astonishing that after only months of this regimen I saw drastic improvements and really puts your mind into perspective of how powerful nature truly is. 

Both forms of supplementation are derived from nature and highlight the incredible healing properties found in nature. These plant-based supplements offer a natural way to restore balance, reduce inflammation, and support overall well-being. It's amazing how nature provides powerful remedies that work in harmony with the body, offering a holistic approach to health and healing.

Here is a picture of a berberine plant, known for it's holistic qualities and use in supplementation !

Who Would Have Thought!

We often may wonder how nature could possibly benefit our brain health; the very interesting thing is that nature can have drastic improvements on our brain health!

Nature for the Brain

Interpreting nature through visual arts stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving skills within the mind. When an artist translates natural elements onto canvas or paper, they engage different areas of the brain responsible for imagination and cognitive flexibility. This type of creative engagement has been found to improve memory, enhance concentration, and increase overall brain function.

One of the most well-documented benefits of spending time in nature is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Studies have found that being in the presence of green spaces often lowers stress hormones, known as cortisol. As urban and residential environments are typically noisy, crowded, and overstimulating, natural settings provide a calming atmosphere that helps individuals relax as it acts as a soothing effect on their nervous system. 

As someone who has suffered from many concussions, many studies have shown that natural environments have profound effects on reducing stress and improving brain health. Nature offers what is called “soft fascination” which is when the brain engages in something without demanding focused effort. This gentle stimulation provides a mental break that allows for the brain to rest and recover. The act of simply being in nature and engaging with it helps to "reset" the brain, improving cognitive function, attention, and mental clarity.

As someone who believes strongly in holistic healing for certain aspects of physical and mental health, nature is always something that I have drifted towards in times of need. Like Enos Mills described in the textbook, nature is a wellspring of inspiration that helps people reconnect with themselves and inner well-being (Beck, Cable & Knudson, 2019).

Some Questions for the Class!

What are some ways you feel nature has helped you in your health and well-being?

Do you believe in Natures holistic way to help improve symptoms of certain diagnosis?

Beck, L., Cable, T., & Knudson, D. (2019). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage For A Better World (1st ed.) [Textbook]. Sagamore-Venture Publishing.