Phase 2: The Diagnosis — And the dreaded pill
From ages 13 to 19, every gynecologist visit ended the same—telling my mom and me that irregular cycles and cystic teenage acne were just part of puberty and would regulate as I approached my twenties.
Well, I did hit my twenties… the acne faded, but the irregular cycles didn’t.
Fast forward to 2022—after 14 long years, I finally received a diagnosis. The acne returned at 27, and those same irregular cycles confirmed it: PCOS.
Honestly? I was relieved. Finally—a name, a direction, something to work with.
The gynecologist on call immediately recommended hormonal birth control… which terrified me more than the diagnosis itself. I had never heard a woman rave about her experience on the pill. So, it was a firm no from me.
I mustered the courage to advocate for myself—and I’m so glad I did. That decision led me straight to my…
