THE SYSTEM
FAILED ME.

In April 2025 I was diagnosed with PCOS — or what is now being understood as PMOS: Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome. I had always had irregular periods, so I was stuck on the pill. No investigation was ever done - just a 'take this and that'll help'. In November '24 I went to my Doctor with spotting. Completely harmless, quite common for those on the combined pill, Cervical Ectropion she called it. She told me to come off the pill, and when I explained I couldn't due to painful and irregular periods, she referred me for an ultrasound. What showed up? Cysts on my left ovary.

Fast-forward another 4 weeks for me to get my results (turns out my Doctor had gone on maternity in that time so I was back to a male Doctor…) and I was informed I had a polycystic left ovary and that I would need some bloods done. These were to test my androgen levels and what I thought was my insulin levels… it wasn't - it was my HbA1c. Another couple weeks pass (you get the pattern here don't you?) And I am told due to my elevated androgens I likely do have PCOS, along with my irregular periods and polycystic ovary, as per the Rotterdam Criteria. The one thing that baffled my doctors was what was causing it - I had a normal, healthy HbA1c level and I'm of a normal BMI so there was no insulin resistance. Or at least that's what they thought.

After doing extensive research and trying everything - or what I thought was everything based on the fact I was categorically told I did not have insulin resistance - nothing worked, and my cycles were all over the place. After almost three months with no period, I went back to the Doctor, to try and get them to prescribe me something to induce my period. I was told there was nothing to be done until I had seen a specialist - so then began the wait for the referral.

The referral came around quickly, and I had never had more riding on an appointment in my life. I was sick and tired of waiting for my period and the constant disappointment when it didn't come. As soon as I sat down he asked me one question — 'Are you trying to conceive?'. When I explained not right now, he handed me a prescription I could use to induce a bleed if I ever needed it. I then tried to ask about my hormone levels, how I could help get them stable, listed off everything I had been doing, asked if there was anything more I could try — and all he did was hold his hand up and go 'I don't know — because I'm not an endocrinologist. You'll need to get another referral.'

That was the moment I realised I was on my own with this. The first thing I did? Paid for private blood work. The doctors had let me down the whole way through — why was I going to rely on anything they had said? So I got the bloods done. Tests specifically tailored for women with PCOS. And what did I find? Insulin Resistance. DHEAS. Cortisol. I had everything I needed to get started and so I did. I started researching. Obsessively. And then I started putting the work in — consistently and without compromise. I figured it out so you don't have to.

MY CYCLE
JOURNEY.

Real data logged directly from my period tracker. This is the reality of living with PCOS. But just look what happens when you do the work…

The red dotted line marks December 2025 — the turning point when I committed fully to the protocol.