When you consider that PCOS affects 1 in 10 women, it brings into perspective that every day you walk among women who either know they have PCOS, or possibly are uneducated about why they have weight they can't lose or menstrual cycles that are never regular.
Part of the reason I started this blog was to help educate. I saw a car ribbon recently that said, "I define PCOS, PCOS does not define me." The effects of PCOS are different for every woman. Some, like myself, fall onto the more severe scale. Others, like a woman I work with, have issues with fertility, but her weight has not affected her as uncontrollable beast in her life.
It may seem odd to say I "own" my PCOS, but you can see it in a couple of ways. PCOS will always be a part of me; it's a reality I have to deal with. There is no cure. I will always fight my hormonal imbalance. However, I have made a decision to "own" it. I'm not afraid to tell people about my struggle. I'm very open about it. It is a part of me, but it's not going to continue controlling me. With the right eating plan, exercise, and medications, PCOS is manageable. I have seen women who are success stories. It doesn't mean they don't have to struggle with it every day. Managing PCOS is a lifestyle change. It's a journey I wasn't ready to undertake till recently, but now that I'm ready, everything is falling into place as it needs to. The support, chef, walking buddy, and desire all showed up at the right time. If you believe in signs, God put a very solid one in my path. I believe that God knows the desires of our hearts; even the ones we don't publicly speak or possibly even know about. He knew I was becoming very unhappy with my healthy situation and didn't know how I was going to make the change.
He started with a walking buddy just to get me moving. Not only was she willing to walk with me, she was anxious to do it as well. Our walks are not sporadic; we are pretty consistence lunch and afternoon walkers when the weather permits.
Next, God knew that once I started feeling better, it would be easier to pull the trigger on other things. So He brought a chance friend back into my life who also happened to be a chef. I am not a cook. I like to cook when I'm in the right frame of mind, but lets just say that frame of mind doesn't show up very often. As a result, I tend to eat poorly and make bad food judgement calls. I never really struggled with breakfast, so He brought me someone who was willing to cook my lunches and dinners thought the week. Not only that, she cooks to my needs for low carb/low fat, and works within my daily calorie range.
And finally, the support, which brings me back full circle to where this blog first started. God has placed a desire in my heart and even a need to reach out to people. I find I get the most motivation and support for myself, when I am doing the same for other people. I have always craved intelligent, respectful conversation. And those who know me also know I love to talk. I think it is especially important to connect with people who share your struggles.
To conclude this blog, I really just want to encourage anyone who may read it that no matter what you are going through, someone else is going through it too. They may even be a really good actor and you can't tell that something is going on in their life. Be open to just listening and maybe you will find they come to you in their own time. And believe that if God puts them in your life, He's doing it for a reason. I'm not saying the experience will always be positive. God puts people in our lives as lessons as much as He put them there as permanent friends. But maybe you helping them in return helps you too.
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