Jackie's Story

Hi everyone. It's been YEARS since I posted a story to this site, but Jackie just wrote me with this story, and I can't not share it.

My period was very early (I had just turned 10). After about six months of having them, they became very irregular and would alternate between very heavy and insignificant flows. I would have severe cramps to the point of vomiting, muscle spasms, and off the charts migraines. By the time I was 15, my periods were so heavy that I could go through a super plus tampon in less than an hour, plus a pad. I became anemic, and went on iron supplements because of it. I had to stop going to physical therapy (I fractured my patella, partially ripped my meniscus, and tore part of my ACL about 6 months prior) due to becoming dizzy and disoriented easily. My iron levels dropped so low that I couldn't concentrate, and I ended up spending days at home on bed rest (with a doctor's note, of course). Between the therapy and the anemia, I missed nearly 1/2 of my sophomore of high school.



One day, when I was in class, I randomly began bleeding. A lot. The school called 911 because they thought I was having a miscarriage, despite my adamant protests otherwise. When I was taken to the ER, they found that I had an ovarian cyst the size of a golf ball pressing against my appendix. And it had ruptured. The bleeding stopped on it's own (thankfully), and they immediately sent me to the OB floor for a full check up. I ended up being diagnosed with a severe case of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome).


(For those of you unfamiliar with PCOS, it can be rough. It's uncommon, but not rare. It's thought to be genetic. It can cause Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, lack of ovulating, acne, weight gain and retention, and (unfortunately) infertility due to not ovulating, and other disorders/diseases.)


I personally thought all was lost and I was going to lose my ovaries. However, my doctor suggested I started on the pill. I was placed on Ocella and was told to come back after 3 months. In the next ultrasound, they found that the cysts were becoming smaller and there were fewer of them!


The pill saved me from having to have a oophorectomy (ovary removal) due to all the cysts! It also inhibited their growth, and saved me from having to have regular (as in nearly monthly) surgery to have the cysts removed. It's helped me to stabilize my hormones, manage my weight, and keep my anemia under control. It also gives me a chance at actually having children! Although slim, my chances of conceiving have gone up due to the pill regulating my body and getting it used to ovulating. It'll be a few years before kids become an issue for me, but, thanks to the pill, I have some semblance of a future in naturally getting conceiving and giving birth to my own child!


Without the pill, I would have been though countless surgeries (I'm 21 now), and possibly have had my ovaries removed. I have since switched to Natazia, and am thankful that this medicine has helped me, as it has so many others. I am healthy, and have control of my life again. :)