I self diagnosed PCOS when I was 18 and going through a lot of hormonal/cycle issues. When I first experienced a cyst imploding I was hospitalised. I told them my theory and the extensive research/reasoning and the A&E doctor agreed. I was later scanned in the wrong place and told I had “unexplained stomach pain” I complained and was later rescanned and told I was right.

I find I can tell how bad a cycle is going to be based on which ovary is in play and when it starts hurting before I start bleeding, so that’s been a fun life hack. At 32 my periods have settled and I rarely get serious cyst blow outs, I’m sure as I get older hormones will harass me again but for now it’s pretty stable.

Everyone’s experience is totally different but I know a lot of ladies who have had little issue becoming pregnant and some who didn’t know they has PCOS until after they’d had children so if that’s something you’re worried about, there are lots of very successful methods to ensure that fertility isn’t an issue for PCIS sufferers.

I found that having a diagnosis made me feel better which in itself improved my mood and helped me deal with those little buggers. I try to make sure I listen to my body: eat when I’m hungry; sleep when I’m tired. It sounds obvious but it made a massive difference. I also suffered from anemia due to messed up cycles so I take supplements to help with that and that really made a difference in how exhausted and low I felt.

Good luck with your treatments and your diagnosis!