It was two weeks before I was about to start my senior year of high school, and my period did not come. I tried really hard not to freak out even though I had never been late before. I played the waiting game for a week, and still nothing. Secretly, I drove to the drug store and bought a pregnancy test.
NEGATIVE.
But, I waited another few days because I had read that the pregnancy hormone, HCG, may not have had enough time to rise to levels that the pregnancy test could detect. So, I tried again.
NEGATIVE.
At this point, I was confused. I did the one thing that everyone tells you not to do…I turned to WebMD symptom checker. WebMD came up with pregnancy, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. Unsatisfied, I searched ‘late period but negative pregnancy test’ in the Google search engine. Various sites produced answers like faulty tests, stress, hormone imbalance, excessive exercise, malnutrition, thyroid issues, breastfeeding, and again ー ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition. Even though the website assured me it was rare and less than 3% of ectopic pregnancies yield a negative test result, it still worried me. Three weeks had gone by and I still had no idea what was going on with my body, so I told my mom.
My mom was devastated. Like all the websites, she thought for sure it must be pregnancy. Of course, this only added to my stress and constant mental turmoil. I spent my entire birthday crying with my friends in the afternoon and then crying with my boyfriend in the evening. What if I am pregnant? What am I going to do? I’m valedictorian of my high school. I’m supposed to go to college. Then at other times, I was more rational. You’re not pregnant. You took two tests exactly how the directions advised, and they were both negative. You’re just stressing yourself out and that’s why your period is not coming. Calm down. It was a constant back and forth.
My next step was scheduling a blood test for pregnancy and hormone levels, followed by an appointment with my OB-GYN. Again, my OB-GYN told me the pregnancy test came back negative, and that my hormone levels looked normal. She told me it was probably stress but that she wanted an internal ultrasound of my ovaries as a precaution. I got the ultrasound, and again, it looked normal to the doctor. So, I was advised to wait it out, and if my period still did not come by January to make another appointment.
So I waited, and nothing came. I made the January appointment. I repeated the blood work and the ultrasound. And again, my doctor told me it was all normal. She suggested I go on birth control to regulate my period. I declined because I didn’t think it was the right choice for me. I wanted to find out if there was actually an underlying health issue or if my body would regulate itself on its own if I gave it more time.
February came, and voilà! To my surprise, my period came back.
But unfortunately, it didn’t leave. I bled for three months. By week three, I assumed there was actually a problem. My mom helped find me a doctor in the area that specializes in fertility and reproductive issues. She had amazing success stories, but a long wait time. During the three months I waited to see the doctor, she required online fertility and reproductive health classes with a certified instructor. Every two weeks, I had to Skype this instructor to report on my progress.
I was beyond frustrated and so tired of waiting.
Finally, it was the day of my appointment with the specialist. She had me send all my blood work and ultrasounds from my OB-GYN’s office. Her nurse asked me a long list of preliminary questions which the doctor reviewed in addition to my past blood tests and ultrasounds. When she was ready she called me into her office. She told me that many doctors haven’t been trained to read the measurements of an ultrasound. She knew, just by taking one look at my ultrasound from over 7 months ago, that my right ovary was twice the size of a normal, healthy ovary. Based on my recent weight gain and my enlarged ovary she diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I remember listening to what PCOS meant for me and starting to cry in her office. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is usually hereditary (my paternal grandmother most likely had PCOS based on her miscarriages that were later prevented with progesterone hormone supplements,) and makes it harder for women to maintain a healthy weight and get pregnant. PCOS increases a woman’s chance of miscarriage, diabetes, endometrial cancer and depression. There is no cure for PCOS, only treatment.
Two years ago, while Sasha Pieterse was still on Pretty Little Liars, she took to Instagram to talk about her health issues that led to trouble maintaining her weight. PLL viewers noticed the change in Sasha, and body-shamers used social media to criticize. She has opened up recently about how the negative reaction took a huge toll on her mental health.
Recently, on Dancing With the Stars, Sasha came out about the specifics of her condition, PCOS. For years, Sasha had struggled to find the cause of her 70 lb. weight gain. Now, she’s opening up in hopes of spreading awareness about the overlooked condition. She hopes that more women who have been misdiagnosed or dismissed can receive the treatment they need. Since DWTS, she’s lost 15 lbs in just two weeks, and 37 lbs overall. Sasha reports feeling happier and more herself now that she’s received treatment and is committed to getting healthier.
My story is for the women like me who have PCOS. Sasha’s story is for the women like us.
If you share a similar story or exhibit similar symptoms, talk to your doctor about PCOS. Too many women are left undiagnosed and untreated.