Lifestyle Archives • Page 6 of 6 •

Posted on 7th April 2016

My Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: part two

Hello lovely people! This post is a continuation of my previous post on polycystic ovary syndrome, which you can find here. In this post I will talk about my medication, how my PCOS has effected me and how I keep control of the symptoms. I will add the same disclaimer to this post which I added on my last: please remember that every experience is different and if you have any concerns after reading this, ask your GP. I am not a doctor and I know through my own mistakes to never self-diagnose.

I finished my last post by sharing my moment of diagnosis, so I will continue where I left off and share my medication with you. When prescribing me with the contraceptive pill, the doctors had to be sure that I did not experience/ have a family history of migraines or blood clots, as this would be dangerous on the pill. It is also important to note that smoking does increase the risk of blood clots and other complications on the pill – I am silly enough to continue to do so but I plan on quitting within the next year.

As I am lucky to not have a family history of blood clots or experience regular migraines, I was placed on the 3 week contraceptive pill Rigevidon – which means that I take the pill for 3 weeks and on the fourth I don’t take the pill and I get a period. This is great because my periods have finally regulated – yaaay!!

Rigevidon 3 week contraceptive pill

Now, I know that this pill isn’t for everyone – some people gain a lot of weight, their skin breaks out, they start getting regular migraines [if this happens contact your GP]! Some people get really bad stomach cramps etc. Basically, this pill isn’t for everyone but I have been on it for roughly 3 years now and I’ve had no issues! From what I have gathered, this is the first pill which the doctors will prescribe on diagnosis.

The pill comes with this lovely discreet sleeve which makes it easier to carry around in your handbag.

So this pill has been an absolute god send. After the first few months of being on this pill I had to return to the hospital to have another ultrasound to check on the growth of my cysts – and Hurrah! They had significantly reduced in just a few months! Which was obviously a huuuuge relief!

A downside of the pill is that at first they will only release 3 months worth of pills in one appointment for the first year – and only 6 months worth following that. This means that every 6 months I have to go to the doctors to get a new bunch of pills! Although this is annoying, I think it is necessary because they take my blood pressure and my weight and let me know if I am on track and am keeping my lifestyle healthy!

One symptom which the pill hasn’t helped – for me – is the weight gain. One symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome is an increased level of testosterone hormone: which means hair growth and weight gain. Although the pill gives you oestrogen to balance this out, I have found that my weight is still quite difficult to budge – something very common for the contraceptive pill is weight gain.

When you have polycystic ovary syndrome, it is important to maintain a healthy weight [and I do mean a HEALTHY weight – not trying to get yourself as small as possible]. Due to the testosterone, that isn’t always easy [typical]. So when I gain weight, I find it near impossible to get it off! I am a pretty consistent weight at 10 stone, but I do sometimes reach 10 stone 7 and have to work my ass off to get it back down. According to my BMI [something which I don’t agree with because it doesn’t take into consideration muscle mass but that’s a rant for another day] I am only just a healthy weight…

This calculator is available on the NHS website

I try to keep on top of my weight and fitness so I don’t spiral out of control – but at the same time I don’t want to give myself eating issues by obsessing over my food or my weight so I try not to lose sleep over it. In an ideal world I would like to be 8 stone 7 or 9 stone in order to be safely within the ‘healthy’ range but it is SO HARD to work it all off I’m telling you. I’ve been 10 stone for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine it changing any time soon.

In order to stay on top of my weight I try to eat healthy fruit and vegetables as snacks and get in green tea when I can – I also avoid eating too much take away. I try to exercise as much as possible – I really enjoy the gym, yoga, dancing, and I try to enjoy running… It hasn’t been successful yet but hopefully one day!

My babies

If you would like to know more facts about PCOS please follow this link for official information from the NHS.

I hope this post has been informative and you have all learned a little something or have been able to relate to some of my experiences. Please spread the word so that others can find the medical help they need!

If you can think of any more tips and suggestions in reference to living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, let me know in the comments! I am no doctor, and knowledge is power!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts. Links are posted in the sidebar.

Jade x

Posted on 5th April 2016

My Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: part one.

Hi everyone, this post today is a little different from my usual posts about beauty and life at university as I will be discussing something which effects so many of us: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – or PCOS for short. It sounds very scary and clinical but it honestly isn’t that daunting.

Now you may be asking yourself: why is she writing about something so personal? or why should I read a post like this? Well, you may be shocked to know that it is thought to affect at least one in five women in the UK – so the chances are that at least one member of your family or friends have it. So I think it is important to spread the word about PCOS so that people are aware of the symptoms; and also to break the taboo revolving around female illness and their bodies. The following image sums up how I would like this subject to be approached and how open I try to be about my own body:

Artwork by Liberty Antonia Sadler

So with that long introduction aside: In this post I will be discussing my own personal experience with PCOS – my initial symptoms, why I felt the need to go to the doctors and the diagnosis experience. Due to the length of this topic I have chopped the post into two – so in my next post I will discuss my life with PCOS and how it has been effected since the day of diagnosis. Please remember that every experience is different and if you have any concerns after reading this, ask your GP. I am not a doctor and I know through my own mistakes to never self-diagnose.

My PCOS journey began at age 16: all my friends had long started having periods and I was feeling left out and a little worried about why I was so late. I was very athletic – I danced for a minimum of 17 hours a week; 9 of which were on a Saturday and when my Mum was younger she was athletic and didn’t start her period until the age of 17 – so I chalked up my late start up to that.

One day we were doing stretching exercises before our ballet class [I was wearing the signature pale pink tights with a leotard in the box splits…. Nice and exposed. *winces at the traumatic memory* when all of a sudden I felt a warm sensation at my crotch, as though I was weeing myself. Having had many informative conversations with my friends I knew that the day had finally come. I excused myself from class and took a friend with me, and she coached me through the bathroom door the complicated procedure of attaching a sanitary towel to my pants.

After my first period, I waited with anticipation for my next…. I waited and waited and waited. Four months went by until it came again. I was embarrassed and didn’t tell anyone about this and told myself that my periods must just be irregular. I was noticing quite a bit of weight gain and skin breakouts – not helped by the fact that I was no longer dancing thanks to Sixth form and my new part time job – so once again, I chalked my weight gain and bad skin up to a lack of exercise.

My gaps between periods were becoming larger and larger each time – at one point I went half a year without one. When I was due I was having excruciating pain, but no blood. There were times when I would make the hour journey to sixth form, to have to turn back in agony. On one of these occasions my mum sternly told me that I need to book an emergency doctors appointment because something was clearly wrong for me to be in so much pain and so lethargic at the end of the day, at this point I was 18. So I dragged my sorry self to the doctors surgery, my stomach knotted with cramps, sweat covering my entire body. The doctor poked my tender abdomen [OUCH] and diagnosed me with indigestion and prescribed me with Gaviscon… GREAAAT.

I was too timid to say anything so I took the gaviscon and shuffled home. My mum, for obvious reasons, wasn’t content with that diagnosis and booked me an appointment with a female doctor who came recommended for issues like mine. I obviously didn’t hold out much hope, having been pretty much dismissed as a hypochondriac but I went anyway, and was told that from the sounds of my symptoms: weight gain, very painful and irregular periods and excess hair growth, she thought I had polycystic ovary syndrome and booked an ultrasound for me at the hospital.

At this point I was TERRIFIED. I’ve always been very healthy and have never been diagnosed with anything so permanent in all my life. The ultrasound experience was interesting. Apparently my bladder wasn’t full enough so I had to have an internal examination [at this point I once again hadn’t had a period in several months], and during the process I felt a bursting sensation and I came on my period, covering her “wand” as she called it in blood.

The consultant was really understanding and let me go ahead and clean up. When I returned she informed me that the wand and actually burst one of the cysts on my left ovary which she managed to measure before it happened – and it was the size of a golf ball! EEK! No wonder I was in so much pain! So I finally had my answer: I had polycystic ovary syndrome and my left ovary is the issue. Following my ultrasound I had to have a blood test to be 100% sure before they prescribed me with medication.

In my next post I will be discussing the medication which I am on, the lifestyle I lead and how I try to deal with the symptoms of PCOS.

If you would like to know more facts about PCOS please follow this link for official information from the NHS.

Thank you so much for reading this everyone – I hope you have a giggle at my cringy period experiences and find this post informative! Please spread the word so that others can find the medical help they need!

Do you suffer from PCOS? Do you know anyone who does? Have you found any tips to deal with the symptoms? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts. Links are posted in the sidebar. And stay tuned for my next post on PCOS.

Jade x

Posted on 25th March 2016

Seven Things I Have Gained Through University

Handing in the all-important dissertation!

University has always been a goal for me, ever since I was little. This was partially due to hearing my Mum’s University lifestyle stories, but also due to my burning passion to learn.

However, on completely my A Levels, I had zero motivation to start looking for prospective Universities or to even consider picking up a novel, and I was in no place to rush such a huge decision. I chose to procrastinate and took a gap year, one of the best decisions I have ever made, because let’s face it – University is SUCH a big decision nowadays – we have extortionate tuition fees to thank for that! But I’d better move on before I get too heated on that subject…

In that year, I worked two jobs and spent lots of money on a holiday with my friends and many nights out enjoying my freedom as many 18-year-olds desire to do! I made some wonderful memories in that year. I spent quality time with my friends and family, and importantly it was also in my gap year that I first started to get close with my boyfriend, Dan <3

Here are a few photos of the great experiences I created with my friends in my gap year:

My very first holiday away from my family!

A lot of crazy drama happened on this holiday, but I wouldn’t change it for the world

My very first holiday away from my family!

Reading music Festival!

We saw EMINEM live and I cried with joy… literally

We saw our friends play on the main stage – which was a totally unforgettable experience!

My bestest & oldest friend came on a Brit caravan holiday with my family

We took SO many photos for just one week, but I love looking back at how different we once were!

As you can see, no part of me regrets taking my gap year to sort my head out and to enjoy a little part of my early adulthood!

I am now in my third and final year at University of Lincoln, my dissertation is behind me, and there are just a few assignments and one exam between me and that graduation cap!

With the last few years of experience behind me, I thought now would be the perfect time to share with you why I am so glad to have taken the leap and to have gone to University.

So here are my 7 things I have gained through going to University

1. Life skills

This one seems pretty vague – but I shall elaborate. I never really thought about the details when I eventually did decide to go to University. I only thought of my education, the friends I was hoping to make and finding a place to work. But one VERY important thing I have learned is how to live independently and more importantly, how to take care of myself. Two years on and I am a fairly confident cook, and actually enjoy planning and preparing my evening meals. I look forward to laundry day, I separate my washes by colour, I can iron efficiently and have created a cleaning rota for my house mates… [I rule with an iron fist]. I’m actually kinda dreading going back home and having to work as a team to get these daily activities done.

2. A new-found respect for money

Wow… They weren’t kidding me when they talked and laughed about the poverty of students today. I’m in that rubbish middle bracket according to Student Finance, and therefore receive… well, not enough to cover rent. My family are unable to subsidise me through University [regardless of what Student Finance have concluded], which meant that I have had to work two jobs. I work at Tesco full time, transferring from my store at University to my store back home in the holidays. My second job is doing administration work in an office in Cambridge in the holidays. The lack of free time sucks, but it has got to be done in order to survive unfortunately. One good outcome however: I am SO much better with money than my three years younger self.

Ohhh… I wish Kimmy K </3

3. SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE

Although this seems like a given, I cannot believe how much I have learned over the past two years when I think about it. There are so many theories, theorists and novelists which have changed my life, and I may have never even encountered them were it not for this degree! An example? FEMINISM! I honestly did not know what feminism was before I came to University, though I have always believed in gender equality. It feels so great now to be able to say “I’m a feminist” and to share my beliefs and to have the knowledge and confidence to talk about big issues within society!

4. The love of my life

Coming to University forced Dan to make a decision as to where our relationship was going, and he drove the 90 miles to see me on my first weekend, which really proved to me his commitment. What can I say? We have been best friends for three years, dating for two. Long distance relationships can be hard, but we make it work. He is absolutely amaaazing. We squeeze in short phone calls throughout the week and he drives up to visit me each and every weekend [I’d hate to think what I owe him in petrol money]. Dan truly is my rock, I’d be totally lost without him.

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5. Time management skills

I cannot stress this one enough! Before I came to University I was a very ‘last minute’ type of person. I skipped breakfast, I snoozed my alarm and I was always arriving to work two seconds before my shift started. Having four novels to read in a week, alongside socialising, 12+ hours at work and making time for friends and my boyfriend have taught me that I can no longer be that kind of person! Now I set an alarm thirty minutes before I actually have to get up [whether I actually wake up to it is another issue entirely].

6. The most amazing friends I could ask for

I have met some of the most amazing people at University, and have made friends for life in my house mates. In particular, Katie [my best friend], Tom and Dan. These guys are so incredible and I know that we will continue to meet up afer graduation. The thought of not living with them next year literally brings me to tears. In them I have found a real support system, and I will cherish their friendship forever!

7. The unforgettable memories

If there’s one thing I’ll definitely be taking with be after the last two years, it’s a wonderful set of invaluable memories which can never be replaced!

I hope you have enjoyed this post! Are you a student at University? Do you have any burning questions which are slowing your decision? Please comment below with your experiences of University!

Thank you so much for reading! Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts! Links are posted in the sidebar!

Jade x

Posted on 23rd March 2016

Winging it…

I am finally doing it; I have created the Blog which for months and months I have been wanting to make.

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There’s one thing you should know about me… I am really… really… REALLY good at putting off things which I long to do, I shall give you a few examples:

Dying my hair white/silver – Being a natural blonde, this really shouldn’t have taken me THREE YEARS to do. I browsed Pinterest for what now seems like days on end, making boards of my favourite styles, reading reviews online of the best dyes and the do’s and don’ts for dying at home; yet I still put it off.
Going to University – I love education. I love learning, I love reading, I love the classroom environment, I love what potential there is through education. Yet I still took a gap year, working two jobs with X amount of excuses as to why I shouldn’t go “right now”.
Driving – I am twenty one years old, and I am only now contemplating taking my first driving lesson. My sister (who is five years younger than me) will probably be behind the wheel and on the road to independence long before me.
Confronting my now-boyfriend about my feelings – It took me an entire year to finally come clean to my boyfriend that I had feelings for him, which meant that we only started dating when I moved to University, 80 miles from him. Although not the longest distance, it is almost laughable that back home we live less than a mile apart.

Phew… After writing all that down, I’m thinking: “It’s a miracle it only took me a year to make a Blog”.

But this issue of procrastination is one which I am trying to tackle, hence my name; “Wing it with Jade” (which also refers to my borderline addiction to winged eye liner). I’m trying to stop over-thinking things to the absolute extreme, when really I should be grabbing life by the horns and accepting all opportunities which are so readily available to me!!! In other words, I should be more like Monica at a party…

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Through this Blog I’ll discuss hair, make up and fashion; how I wear it, reviews and do’s and don’ts. I’ll also discuss fitness as I am slowly learning to enjoy a healthy lifestyle – with the occasional binge of course. Anything else lifestyle related which interests me will be posted on here, be it book reviews, personal life changing events, or advice based on my own experience. If there’s anything you guys would like to see from me, please comment or get in touch!! I’d love to hear your ideas!!

Thank you so much for reading! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

Jade x

Newer Entries

Lifestyle

My Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: part two

My Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: part one.

Seven Things I Have Gained Through University

Winging it…

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