Reclaiming myself in 2014

At the beginning of 2013, I was freshly diagnosed with PCOS, stumbling along trying to eat lower GI, cramping badly from a recently-fitted Mirena coil and wondering if I'd ever have another period. I was expecting hair to start to melt away and skin to clear and happiness to sprout out of nowhere but I wasn't sure how I was going to get there. I didn't quite know what I was up against and it was daunting.

A year later and I'm in love with my Mirena, my skin's miles better and I've started to get the hang of which grains when with what (and why is wheat such an enigma?) I'm still steadily growing hairier and it's knocked my confidence a bit further but I'm taking steps to reclaim myself from this condition - steps which began in August when I said hello to hairy pits and realised that hair is just hair. In contrast, 2013 was also the year I was prescribed Vaniqa cream for hirsutism - and the year I said "Sod that," and stopped using it. I began to arm myself with more facts, went to my first Verity conference and started looking forward with a scrap of hope, rather than dread.

In 2014, I'm going to start talking in more depth about some of the things I've just mentioned, and I'm going to keep loving myself and turning every sweetie recipe into a low GI reality. 2014 is about self-care and agave nectar!

This new year, join me in my resolution to be my very best with PCOS and not in spite of it! XXX

Transvaginal ultrasound: what to expect

A couple of weeks ago, I had my fourth transvaginal ultrasound: it had been a year since I last had one and in order to get a specialist referral a full picture of the current clinical situation is usually needed (in my experience this is usually a combination of ultrasound and full STI screening). I barely bat an eyelid at them nowadays, but I remember how anxious I was before my first one, so I thought I'd write a post on what to expect.

An ultrasound scan (sonogram) uses high frequency sound waves to see what's going on inside the body. In a transvaginal scan, a transducer probe is placed in the vagina and moved around to visualise the uterus, ovaries and other reproductive organs. It may sound a bit scary at first, but it's a pretty quick procedure and if you let the person carrying out the scan know if you're nervous, they'll usually talk you through it as it's happening.

A quick video looking at the ovary during a transvaginal ultrasound scan.

The scan

• For a transvaginal scan, you aren't required to have a full bladder. If you are having an abdominal scan in the same session, you'll have been given instructions in your referral letter and you'll usually have this scan first.
• In the NHS, you'll usually be asked to undress from the waist down whilst the sonographer or assisting nurse leaves the room or draws a curtain. You'll be asked to lie back on the bed and given a big sheet of tissue to cover yourself with. Private hospitals may have varying procedures (my first scan was in a private hospital, where they gave me a fluffy dressing gown and told me to completely undress and pop my knickers in the pocket between scans. I was worried I'd leave them behind by mistake!)
• A transducer probe that has been specially designed for vaginal scans is used. It's fairly narrow at the end (probably not much wider than a super tampon, if at all) and the sonographer will put a condom on it and then a LOT of lube. You'll probably be finding it on you for the rest of the day.
• You bend your knees and spread them, similarly to any pelvic exam. The sonographer will gently insert the probe and look at different parts of your reproductive organs. If you don't usually get any pain with penetration, it shouldn't hurt. If that doesn't sound like you, let them know beforehand so they are aware it might be scarier for you. There might be some uncomfortable pressure when they move the probe to the sides slightly to get a better view of your ovaries. Of course, if you do feel any pain at any point, let them know!
• They'll take snapshots whilst they're performing the scan and then you're done! Sadly, you don't get a printout of this like you might in a pregnancy scan (that would've been great for this blog post). You'll be left to get dressed (after wiping yourself off - I told you there was a lot of lube) and the images will be analysed by a doctor, who'll send the report to your GP, usually within a week to 10 days. Make sure you know your GP's policy on test results - mine do not contact you at all, but previous surgeries have operated a "no news is good news" result policy.
• The sonographer might tell you what they've found if it's something they feel able to comment on. If it's your first scan for diagnosis, this might be that yes, your ovaries appear polycystic. If you've had a Mirena coil fitted (I have one as part of my management of PCOS), they might also reassure you it's still in the right place. At follow-up scans you might be told whether or not your ovaries have remained polycystic or if that side of things has resolved (mine haven't changed a bit, apparently). But try not to focus on this too much - wait for the report as your GP will be able to talk to you about options if a diagnosis is being made.

Above all, don't worry too much about it! It's a minimally invasive procedure and a really useful tool in diagnosing and managing PCOS. I hope this helps anyone fretting about their first scan.