My PCOS & Partial Septate Uterus...

Hey all.. So if you don't know already, one of the main reasons I started my Mama Cels Instagram page is because I have PCOS. I was diagnosed officially by doctors pretty late (around 23 years old). From what I know now I have had this since a teenager!

What is PCOS?...

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work. For further info please click on the link below;

Polycystic ovary syndrome - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

What were the first signs for me?...

So it started when I was around 14 years old. My periods were really heavy and so painful. Each time I would have a period I would have to be in bed for a few days. I could not do anything and I felt so so exhausted. At the time I thought this was normal and what every woman went through during their period. My cycle was all over the place. Sometimes I would bleed for 10 days sometimes I would get a period once every two months it was a nightmare! I did get confused when I would speak to my friends and they had a regular cycle. I started to talk more and realised it was not normal that I bled as much as I did or that my cycles were all over the place. Every period I would have to take Co-codamol. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen didn't help the pain at all! It became annoying as any time I had a period I would have to miss school. I would get in trouble for not wanting to do PE because of the heavy bleeding.

What did the Doctors do and say?.....

I remember I went to the doctors and they didn't take me seriously. They brushed it off and said it was normal what I was having. They then recommended I go on the pill, a contraceptive pill called Microgynon (it was hell). They said that the pill would regulate my cycle and my periods would be lighter. So to me this was solving both problems, well I was only a teenager at the time, who was I to question the Doctor? I will go into more details with how the pill affected me physically and mentally on another blog! As time went on I realised something wasn't quite right. The pill wasn't working for me. I got put on many different pills to try and see if any of them worked. As I got a bit older (I think I was 15/16) I still had the same problems and so I asked to see another doctor. This doctor then recommended that I saw a gynaecologist at the hospital. I was then examined internally, different tests were done including my first cervical smear (I didn't know this at the time) and my first ultrasound scan.

The outcome...

So after doing the various tests and scans at hospital, I had to wait to see my doctor to hear the results of the findings. First of all I don't think I was treated very well by the doctors. I felt like they couldn't be bothered with me. So I went to see the doctor and I remember it being a woman. She seemed very cold, I was convinced she thought I was wasting her time. She sat me down and said so you have a partial septate uterus, it is a birth defect. This is why your periods are irregular and you have really heavy bleeding. You will most likely not be able to have children naturally, if you did want to try to have children you would need to have an operation to remove the septum. The operation might not be successful as sometimes the septum can grow back. She also mentioned that I had cysts on my ovaries but said she didn't think they were harmful. I was then offered another contraceptive pill which I declined and that's when I was given Mefanamic Acid and Tranexamic Acid.

How did I feel...

Well I was a teenager and I really didn't hear or know of anyone who had a partial septate uterus. My mum didn't, she was able to have 5 children with no issues. I was confused as to why and how I got this "condition". I remember going home and googling about it as I didn't feel like the doctor bothered to even show me what it was. Being told I wasn't able to have kids naturally was something I didn't really know what to feel. I thought well I'm a teenager, I wanted to have a really good career, go on holidays, get a penthouse somewhere maybe and be this career woman. I did think no man would really want to be with me seriously if he knew I couldn't have children but it was a passing thought. I think it was more I would deal with it when it and if it came to the time... I felt a bit let down by the doctors because I had been told that my periods were of the norm.

There is so much to cover on this so its only fair I break it down into different posts but that is how it started for me... just a little bit about my medical history. You are going to need to purchase a LARGE mug for your cuppas to read my posts!! ;)