Claire T.

I’m so excited to share my journey with PCOS. Growing up, my mom told me she had PCOS and mentioned there was a chance I could have it too. She explained that we’d know based on whether I had trouble getting my period and other symptoms.

When I saw a doctor, they told me that if I hadn’t gotten my period by 18, that would be a major red flag. I did get mine around 16 or 17, but instead of being absent, it was extremely irregular and came with awful symptoms—that was my first warning sign.

I was put on birth control right away to help regulate everything my body was struggling to control. Then, during my senior year of high school, I moved to South Carolina, started at a new school, joined new sports teams, and made new friends. It was a stressful time, and despite being active and working out, I started gaining weight, breaking out with acne, and experiencing uncontrollable bleeding.

It was incredibly frustrating. I kept seeing a doctor who never gave me the answers I was looking for, and at that age, all I wanted was an immediate fix. Eventually, I was diagnosed with PCOS, high cortisol levels, and slight insulin resistance. In my daily life, this shows up as constantly elevated stress levels, trouble falling asleep and waking up, low energy, sugar cravings, food noise, and so many other little things.

Now, I’ve done the blood tests, found a doctor who genuinely cares about my long-term health, and started taking the necessary steps to regulate my symptoms and feel like myself again.

Looking ahead, my goal is to truly love the person I see in the mirror, feel confident every day, and ultimately prepare my body for motherhood one day. I’m so grateful for modern medicine and the ability to take a preventative, holistic approach instead of immediately relying on medication.