At age 14 I was diagnosed with PCOS, and I had no idea what that even was. I was in the hospital and all that the doctor had told me was I had huge cysts on my ovaries; that they were the size of my fist. I had been in excruciating pain for that whole week and all of the pain relievers we had at home had not been working. I was sent home with nothing but very little knowledge of what they diagnosed me with and pain so intense I could barely walk.

When I had got home I researched PCOS and learned that it stands for Poly-Cystic Ovarian-Syndrome; which is a endocrine hormonal disorder that can result in unwanted facial hair, insulin resistance, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, weight gain, increased risks of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and much more. I found out that it affects 1 out of 10 women, and I was one of those women. At 14 years old I sat with all of this information and let it sink in; I had no idea how to take this in and process it. I knew I needed to see a doctor who specialized in this area. I was scared and in pain every day, and I felt alone.

My doctor repeatedly told me I needed to lose weight. I had known this needed to happen, but I had always been active and still was gaining weight like crazy. I had given up on losing weight because I did not know what else I needed to do and as I realized that PCOS was the reason, I began using this disease/disorder as an excuse.

Inevitably, over the next seven years I gained a lot of unwanted weight and began to develop more health issues and pain. Then one day I realized I'd had enough of this. I was unhappy, I had no self-esteem, and I was being bullied. I began reading books, listening to audios of positivity, and growing myself and my confidence. I began eating healthy foods and watching my sugar intake. I found working out to be relaxing and helpful for stabilizing my moods. I started connecting with other PCOS fighters and found some much-needed understanding in their friendship. All of this led to no longer allowing PCOS to control me, but instead taking charge of my health and feeling empowered instead of defeated.

I encourage any woman reading this, whether they have PCOS or not, to get regular checkups and do some research to gain more knowledge. And to any woman reading this who is also a PCOS fighter, this diagnosis does not mean you cannot enjoy a happy and healthy life.