What do you think of when you read, bearded lady? A Victorian freak show??
Well unfortunately Hirsutism is not something that ended in the Victorian times. I have Hirsutism.
It means I grow hair where women do not usually grow hair, my Chest, Tummy, Back and my Face!
Hirsuitism is a symptom of my underlying condition. I have PCOS, which stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. I have been diagnosed with PCOS and some of its symptoms for many years.
The outside symptoms that people can see are my weight, which I hold mainly round the middle (i declared in the week that I am shaped like a toffee apple), Hair loss on my head, and my facial hair.
The inside symptoms include, Infrequent and absent periods, Insulin resistance, Patches of dark skin, cysts on my ovaries, endometrial hyperplasia (thickening of the womb lining), cysts on my ovaries and the lack of ovulation.
Although I have had the condition for many years my symptoms became harder to deal with in the past 12 months and I have needed to have medical interventions.
Without intervention I risk;
endometrial cancer,
type 2 diabetes,
High blood pressure,
Depression,
Heart disease,
Strokes.
Nice!!!
This time last year I was struggling as my womb lining had got very thick which if not treated will lead to cancer. so they gave me an op and fitted a coil.
Following the op, i picked up a post op infection and it took 6 months for my womb to settle down and get used to having the coil.
Now that has finally settled, I can start on the next course of treatment which we hope will lesson the facial hair.
Next will be treatment to hopefully prevent me becoming a diabetic.
Currently i am going up and down to the hospital for various gynaecological and endocrine appointments. Back and forth to the gp for different blood tests and monitoring appointments.
I have had to reconcile that at 35 I will not be having children. I have 2 lovely stepchildren who I would not swap for the world and could not love them anymore. It still does hurt sometimes, when I have to make decisions that take the impossible further away.
I know, I am lucky, In the big scheme of things there are far worse things I could have. I do not about to imminently die. I am able to work, and live a normal life. I just have to take some pills each day.
So why bore you with this? Well this weekend i have had to let my beard grow as I needed to photograph it (no I am not sharing the pics) so that we can see if in 4 months time the pills are making a difference.
Also this year I am doing something a bit big. my partner and i will be cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia to raise money for Women for Women.
Women for Women raises funds, awareness and provides training for research into the causes and treatments of conditions that affect women and their babies including;
Cancer, Miscarriage, Genetic diseases, Stillbirth, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Pre-eclampsia, Infertility, Obstetric cholestasis, Brain injury
With nearly 250 babies dying every week in the UK from complications during pregnancy, our work has never been so essential for women and babies nationwide.
The difficulties I have had in the past 12 months have put training and fundraising on the back burner. However, that does not mean i am not going to do it, We just need to work very very hard in the coming months.
If you would like to make a donation let me know and I will let you know how.
Over the coming months I will let you know how I am doing with training and fundraising.
Thank you for reading, I am now going for a bath and a shave!!!
