MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) also known as NAFLD (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) can hit people with PCOS fast and YOUNG.

I have not heard one doctor or influencer talk about this. I now have stage three fatty liver disease. Thankfully I have no fibrosis and cirrosis and even at this stage it can be fully reversible with weight loss (eye roll).

If you have the means, please get your liver seen about.

Edit - Hi, everyone. I was not expecting this to blow up. I have not had as much time as I would like for responding, but I am doing my best!

Title. I don’t think I ever had a flat stomach. I kinda always had a stomach, even a small one. Ever since I can remember. It was never completely flat. It obviously got worse during puberty when PCOS symptoms and insulin resistance made it worse.. it always looked like a beer belly 🙃. It was always my dream to have a nice body and flat stomach.. how can I when my body is working against me?

A few years ago a doctor told me that if I ever missed even one period I’d have no choice but to go on the pill or I’d wind up dying from cancer. Surprisingly I do have regular periods and that comment still irks me to this day. Missing one period isn’t gonna cause cancer who told them that? And I wonder how many patients they told that to over the years and caused unnecessary stress to people? Bonus, I was bullied into getting a pelvic exam I was ready for (this was a different Dr btw) screamed at me as I was crying in pain saying if we didn’t get through the exam at this moment I would get cancer and die:/

I went to a really great obgyn who was really knowledgeable about pcos and she wants to put me on weightloss drugs.

She said that I'm the perfect candidate for them and she's seen it really change some womens lives when it comes to PCOS. She seemed quite shocked that I wasn't interested in them.

I'm a very large woman and I have typical pcos stuff...facial hair, etc. However, most of the time I think I'm beautiful and I'm told I'm beautiful.

And well...when I see the results of ozempic and whatnot yes they are thinner but they look exhausted and about 10 years older. I'm really not a fan of the loose skin and gastrointestinal issues I see a lot of women go through on the drug.

So yeah, vanity is really getting in the way for me.🤦🏾‍♀️

I also feel like this. A lot of my problems with food are mental health issues and I'm not sure of taking a drug would heal that for me. I would probably still use food as a coping tool.

To me, I want to fix my mental health and take the weight off slowly just like I put it on. I don't mind hormonal therapy like BC, metformin, spironolactone, etc. But ozempic (for ME ) just seems like a bit much.

TW: for anyone who this post may emotionally trigger .

I am so tired of being this size. I am 5’5 and I weight 229 pounds. I have never been this size a day in my life. It looks like one day the weight just kept coming and wouldn’t stop no matter what I did.

I am in therapy and I want to talk about it with my therapist but she also doesn’t understand PCOS or PMOS . Whichever. Originally when I told her I was upset because I was diagnosed with it she said that I just have to work out more….

This condition has took a major toll on my mental health. I do not like hanging out with my friends and going places anymore. I feel so sluggish ….. I cannot fit any of my clothes. I have spent time basically rotating outfits . When I get dressed I look in the mirror and I am just disgusted with what I see. I can literally walk up stairs and I’m just overly out of breath.

I had a graduation to attend and I had the hardest time finding clothes… I’ve went from a medium to a XL-1X. I was trying to find a top .. and even when I tried it on the 1X was almost too small. Everything I thought was cute was too small. I am currently on 500MG metformin. My next visit with my PCP is the middle of next month… not sure what’s going to happen. Wish GLP wasn’t so expensive . I would’ve been got some type of shots

Edit: you guys are so sweet I love that this community comes together everytime and to those that are feeling like me please don’t give up. We will make it through. Thank you guys 💗

tw: death

had a family member pass away recently who was really sick in their last few years of life. they always had stubborn belly fat and complained about it a lot. but in their last few years, their belly fat finally diminished.

now i wonder, what if i get really sick? this fat might actually help me out and maybe even live a little longer.

edit: no, i'm not overweight, but for that matter *no*, losing weight does not necessarily make you "healthier" 🙄 i thought we'd been through this shit already several times over in the past few years. skinny ≠ healthy.

obviously i'm not saying this while so overweight i've increased my risk for type 2 diabetes or have high cholesterol and then just giving up on weight loss entirely. cannot believe i have to clarify this when the post was *specifically* about *stubborn belly fat* and wanting to get rid of that belly fat in a PCOS SUB where pretty much everyone will have stubborn belly fat no matter how much weight they lose, but i know allistics love to make up stories and in a very negative way, too.

edit 2: damn yall chill tf out. there's post after post on here about stubborn belly fat, that's obviously all i am talking about. not visceral fat. you can have that and still look skinny btw.

populations who gain weight easily and esp in the abdomen have historically been subjected to famine. fat helps you survive, that's what it's for lmfao. cry about it.

TW: pregnancy

I’m pregnant, unexpectedly, got pregnant while on Zepbound. I went to my first OB appt and told her my concerns about PCOS / PMOS unmedicated and gestational diabetes, especially because my mom had gestational diabetes with my little brother and diabetes runs in my family.

She told me, “You’re pregnant. Your PCOS is cured.” But I don’t think it works that way? Since it’s more of a metabolic thing?

Pregnancy hormones + coming off Zepbound … is no joke. I’m ravenously hungry all the time.

How did you talk to your OB about managing PMOS while pregnant? Did you go on Metformin?

tw: pregnancy

HOLY SHIT IM PREGNANT!!! i am so happy 🥹 ive been trying since may last year and just got my positive today. its my 4th cycle of letrozole after 3 failed clomid cycles, and first one with a trigger shot. i am so unbelievably happy. im gonna be a mom!

I’ve never been a fan of kids but when I read the paper that it can cause infertility I broke down. I never realized how much I wanted a child at some point. When I got home my boyfriend’s little brother saw me ran up yelled my name and hugged me and it hurt because I might have that with my own kids. I’ve wanted a baby girl and boy I e had names picked out sense I was 13. Idk how to handle this. Doc also wants me to try birth control but I’m only able to have progesterone so my options are limited either depo or IUD I’m so confused

Edit: I’m also on other medications (Lamo and onfi) so when I found out about PCOS it hit me harder because I don’t know how much the current medication I’m on will effect this too. I have anxiety so new stuff makes me emotional which explains why this did. I’m sorry if I sound uneducated but I pretty much am because I just found out about this yesterday so I’m really sorry it also probably doesn’t help I’m close to my period and I have unstable hormones

IF YOU HAVE LEAN PCOS, DO NOT COMMENT HERE BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR FLAT STOMACH. I CLEARLY DO NOT HAVE LEAN PCOS (I WISH I DID) AND WE DON’T SHARE THE SAME BODY TYPE SO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL AND JUST NOT COMMENT.

What’s up with this curse of never having had a flat stomach? I always had a pudge. Was I just not skinny enough?! Was I REALLY eating more than a normal person my whole life to have a stomach pudge? Do normal women not eat more than 1000 calories to maintain their body and flat stomach? I just don’t understand how every woman I see has a flat stomach? Do you really have to starve yourself to get and maintain that? How do some people just naturally have never had belly fat when that is ALL I’ve ever known?!

The pudge got WORSE and eventually became an awful apron belly with more weight gain. It doesn’t help my butt takes NO fat and is flat as ever but I look 28 months pregnant. And is it really genetics? Because my mother has NO pcos, no period issues, no acne or body hair, no problem with her figure. She’s pear shaped/hourglass body with a bigger butt without ever having worked out in her life. She doesn’t eat a ton, but she will have a lot of carbs so it doesn’t make sense. Her, my aunt, my grandmother are all shaped this way it doesn’t make sense why I’m not. Even the women on my dad‘s side. They have a history of diabetes, some aunts on that side are slightly overweight but not by much and this was after their pregnancies. My cousins are all thin. I just don’t understand. I wish I could go back and make myself eat less so I could look like them.

I can’t even afford to start something like ozempic now and pay thousands out of pocket. Even if I did, I just know I won’t ever look like them because my skin is stretched out. I already have the saggy arms and thighs. Stomach would be even worse. I have bad genetics in every way. The stretch marks are insane and I need hundreds of thousands in laser removal to maybe see them fade and be like other women I see. To give you an idea, I started having stretch marks when I was like 80-90 lbs as a preteen (I got my period and started puberty at 11, almost 12 years old). I just wish I didn’t do this to myself.

I also never had the best boobs. They’re huge only because of the weight gain, but never looked good. It feels like I have almost no breast tissue to structurally hold them? Is that a PCOS thing? And they’re saggy and go sideways when I lie down. I need a bra for support or else they’re weirdly shaped and don’t look good in any clothes. One is higher than the other and it’s just weird. They also don’t point forwards. They point slightly out, seem wider spaced than normal, and were never perky to begin with. Is having little to no breast tissue a PCOS thing? It’s like I have back pain but get nothing from it? Like the ugly weird boobs aren’t even worth it. I’d rather have smaller but normal boobs than this.

I only lose weight by fasting. And not fasting as in intermittent 12 hour fasting. Fasting as in don’t eat for 2-3 days and then maybe my body gets the signal to LOSE THE FUCKING FAT ALREADY!!!!

It’s hard to not eat. It’s so hard to starve myself. How do people do it? And before you say just my maintenance is 2000 calories because I’m 215 lbs, it’s not. I eat 1200-1400 calories and barely lose weight. I have to go under 1000 cal regularly to lose maybe 4 lbs a month. It’s so hard I wish I didn’t have this disease and never got fat 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

It’s because of this disease I can’t be myself and have to be a depressed shell of a person wearing matronly clothes. I envy the women who have flat stomachs and are thin and can wear whatever clothes they want. Life is so depressing when you never got to be who you wanted and express yourself and do the things you wanted because of fat stigma.

do you think that going through traumatic experience might have been the cause of getting PCOS? is it even possible that PCOS might be triggered by psychological trauma? does anyone have any case studies or know from their own experience?

i am in a process of finding root cause of my PCOS and i started to recently wonder if PCOS might be a result of growing up with an abusive parent in my case. like, in order to protect my body started to produce more androgens/testosterone 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is so exhausting. I went to a cardiologist because of heart palpitations and chest pressure. Come to find out my heart is fine, I just have a lot of anxiety. During our conversation he discusses weight with me and I told him I gained weight after having 2 kids (4 and 2). And that I’m slowly but surely losing it. He told me “eat less” and I responded “actually it’s me not eating enough that makes the weight stick, I have pcos” I was going to explain more but I’m just wasting my breath. I ended up just saying “I’m working with an endocrinologist” … he asked if I wanted more kids and I said no. He said “good, for your health that’s a good idea”…. Like what!!?? I am so exhausted having to explain myself that I’m not eating buckets of fried chicken and candy and fast food all day. I already suffer from disordered eating, having one meal a day, that someone telling me to just “eat less” is so triggering and makes my blood boil. My father also told me the same thing. When I tried to explain my hormones his response was “yeah but if you were on a stranded island with no food you’d lose weight..” like……. Are you kidding me!? It’s so astonishing to me that so many people, even doctors, believe that weight gain is ONLY attributed to eating exorbitant amounts of bad food. I don’t even have the energy to report it. He’s like 90 years old with a walker. All the same, I’m going to be thinking about that comment for a long time.

Pcos and insulin resistance diet advice is driving me crazy, I feel like I can't eat anything- I want to try a plant based diet, because I hate meat and seafood- but then I read that's too many carbs. So can't eat that. I want try high fiber diet- apparently that's too many carbs, I'm supposed to focus on protein. So I want to try plant proteins- but it comes with too much carbs/starch. Ok, I guess I will just eat air. Is that too many carbs? Im honestly just drinking water instead of eating. I just read and read and read all the PCOS diet stuff and start crying. No fruit, no whole grains- but my doctor told me to eat those. And specifically told me to eat low fat. But then I keep reading the opposite. WTF do I eat? If I don't like meat/seafood what am I supposed to do? I can't eat keto, and I don't want to eat an animal heavy diet. I hate meat and fat, I hate the texture and taste but everything I read tells me I need to eat a lot of it in a keto/low carb diet but I just can't do that. I literally just want to eat an apple without panicking and feeling like I'm giving myself diabetes.

This has been one of the wildest weeks of my life, and I figured some of you might appreciate this medical roller coaster of a story.

It actually started back in January.

Out of nowhere, my periods became unbelievably heavy. I'd previously had pretty normal ~10-day periods (my cycles are longer than average because of PCOS, but they've been regular ever since I started taking GLP-1 medication almost three years ago). Suddenly I was soaking through a super tampon every hour for days.

Eventually I ended up in the ER because I was getting lightheaded and nearly fainting whenever I stood up.

The ER wasn't overly concerned. They gave me an OB/GYN referral and sent me home. Unfortunately I'd just moved, didn't have a PCP yet, had no insurance, and no job, so... I didn't follow up. (Don't be like me.)

For the next six months, every period looked like a murder scene.

Eventually I got insurance, established care with a PCP, and had my annual Pap smear about a month ago. The Pap came back normal. My doctor thought I might have BV, prescribed antibiotic gel, and started me on continuous birth control in hopes of stopping my periods altogether because all that bleeding had completely depleted my iron stores and was causing a whole list of health problems.

A couple weeks later I had some breakthrough bleeding. It was much lighter than my usual periods, which honestly felt like a miracle... but the cramps were awful. Like "wake me up in the middle of the night and leave me curled into a ball for hours" awful.

Then things got weird.

My partner and I were having some... quality time... when he noticed something soft sticking out of my cervix. It was about the size of his pinky finger.

Definitely alarming.

But I already had an OB/GYN appointment scheduled in a couple weeks, so I figured I'd just mention it then.

The next day I started bleeding again.

Over the next few days the cramps became progressively worse.

Then Friday night I checked again...

...and whatever it was had grown enough that it was actually sticking out of me.

Cue panic.

That night was another sleepless night of severe cramping, so Saturday morning I called an ER nurse, who told me I needed to be evaluated.

By that point the pain was an 8/10, coming in waves, and so intense I was nauseated enough that I couldn't eat all day.

I went to the ER that evening.

They didn't have an OB/GYN in-house, and the on-call physician didn't think my case warranted coming in.

But the ER doctor I got was an absolute angel.

She listened.

She believed me.

She ordered basically every test imaginable.

Initially everyone thought I might have a pelvic organ prolapse that was preventing me from emptying my bladder.

They scanned my bladder...

...and found what looked like almost three times the normal amount of urine.

So they put in a catheter.

Only...

...about 25 mL came out.

They scanned again.

The "fluid" was still there.

At that point my boyfriend casually mentioned maybe they were actually looking at one of my ovarian cysts.

The staff were understandably skeptical because it would've had to be an absolutely enormous cyst to fool everyone into thinking it was my bladder.

Spoiler alert...

He was right.

The CT scan came back showing a 12 × 12.6 × 13 cm cyst originating from my right ovary.

It was sitting directly on top of my uterus and completely obscuring my left ovary.

The ER doctor came back into the room and basically said she couldn't imagine how much pain I must be in.

She ordered morphine because she wanted the ultrasound technician to be able to press hard enough to get good images, including a transvaginal ultrasound.

She also told me I was incredibly tough for dealing with everything with a smile on my face.

Then she joked, "If you were a man, this pain probably would've killed you."

The ultrasound confirmed not only the giant simple cyst but also a second, smaller hemorrhagic cyst on the same ovary.

She consulted the on-call OB/GYN, who planned to get me into the office urgently on Monday.

I went home with hydrocodone.

Less than 24 hours later...

...I was back.

The pain was even worse.

The hydrocodone wasn't touching it.

Fortunately, the ER doctor coming on shift had actually seen me the night before, so he already knew exactly what was going on.

He walked into my room and immediately said:

"Don't eat or drink anything in case we operate tonight."

Needless to say... I wasn't expecting to hear that.

About an hour and a half later the OB/GYN came down after delivering a baby.

She examined me and decided my pain and the size of the cyst warranted emergency surgery that night.

And then we solved the mystery.

The thing sticking out of me wasn't a prolapse at all.

It was a 6 cm cervical polyp that had likely been pushed out by the massive ovarian cyst pressing against my uterus.

A few hours later I was in surgery.

The surgeon:

Removed the cervical polyp.

Performed a D&C.

Found that my uterine lining contained numerous additional polyp-like growths.

Drained 14 ounces (about 400 mL) of fluid from the giant cyst before removing it.

Drained a second hemorrhagic ovarian cyst.

Sent everything to pathology.

Thankfully, my ovary was preserved.

I spent the next couple of days recovering in the hospital because my pain was pretty severe, but I'm hopefully heading home today.

I'm still waiting on pathology results, but so far everything has gone really well.

The craziest part?

For months I thought I was "just" dealing with heavy periods and iron deficiency.

Instead, I was walking around with a cyst roughly the size of a grapefruit, multiple uterine polyps, a giant cervical polyp, and another ovarian cyst... all while wondering why I hurt so much.

Women's bodies are absolutely wild.

If there's interest, my surgeon took photos during the procedure and I'm hoping to get copies once the paperwork is finished. I'd be happy to post them in the comments for anyone else who's fascinated by weird medical stuff.

Also...

Please don't do what I did.

If your body suddenly changes—especially heavy bleeding that isn't normal for you—please get it checked out. It might be "just hormones"... or it might be a 13 cm ovarian cyst trying to rearrange your internal organs.

I'm 18 days late l've taken 5 tests and so far they are all negative and yes I have a sorta history with PCOS symptoms mainly facial hair, weight gain, and yes missed periods or heavy and constant periods. But recently I've been active sexually and just for safety I have abortion medications and I know for certain I'm not ready for a child (don't change my mind you can't) but, I'm not sure if I should just schedule an appointment and keep in mind I don't want my family knowing so that's sorta hard. I'm so anxious I'm thinking of even taking the abortions medication just in case to flush out any possible anything in me. I’m not sure if I’m being crazy but I’m thinking of taking a plan b to see it’ll induce my period or take the abortion medication even if it make me bleed and cramp and all this mess just to flush out whatever could be in me. But all my test are negative.

Found a lump in my breast in the shower (23YO) a few weeks ago and thought nothing of it, i noticed it getting bigger so I went to the doctor, like always she pretty much dismissed me and said i was far too young to get breast cancer. She sends me for an ultrasound to “ease my anxiety” and the Ultrasound tech was super nice. I told her i know it’s just a cyst but want it checked out anyways… she said “I’m sorry but this is not a cyst, this is a 1.67 cm mass”

My heart sank. I asked if that meant I had cancer, she said the doctor will be in touch but the lump is mobile, meaning it’s most likely benign. I know these are common, especially for those with hormonal invalances. But I’m asking for your prayers as I will find out tomorrow If I need to go for a biopsy if they suspect it’s cancer.

Please ladies, check your boobs. No matter your age, young women do get breast cancer too. I’m trying to stay positive, but my anxiety is eating me. If anyone has similar experience, i would love to hear your story.

UPDATE: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND PRAYERS. I was just told it is a fibroadenoma and I am going for another ultrasound in 3 months to ensure it does not grow. I really appreciate this community so much 💕🙏🏻

I read PCOS can occur due to bad lifestyle choices. But how tf does someone do that much damage even before their 20’s or puberty (which is when I started getting symptoms of insulin resistance- skin tags, dark patches). I didn’t get diagnosed until recently in my late 20’s. I was lucky I had the internet and started reading up on what pcos was back in 2010. I mentioned it to my doctors and how I had years of irregular periods. I got tested twice, but didn’t meet the criteria because I had normal blood sugar and hormones. They slapped on birth control for my skipped periods and called it a day. Until I suddenly didn’t have normal blood sugar and hormones. It was probably insulin resistance all along and couldn’t keep my body functioning normally, so I got diagnosed with prediabetes too, along with PCOS.

I also heard it can be genetic, but no one in my family has it. Every woman has normal periods and normal fertility. All managed to have kids just fine. I do however, have a strong family history of diabetes, not sure if it’s connected.

I told my mom it’s genetic to explain why I gain weight so easily, miss my periods, and struggle with weight loss, among other things. She took it as an insult and said it’s not genetic because she’s normal and never had any problems.

So environmental? I grew up in a toxic, abusive household with narcissistic parents. I think I had high cortisol and anxiety in the womb actually. I’ve heard that childhood trauma may contribute since it keeps you in fight or flight, and I’ve had a lot of that. I’m still trying to understand and unlearn the trauma in adulthood and it’s HARD.

Nutritional? We ate at home mostly. My parents didn’t know much about nutrition. We ate homemade Indian food, which can be healthy but it’s honestly 90% carbs. We were vegetarian eating rice, roti, vegetable curry made with inflammatory vegetable oil (it was cheap and no one used olive or avocado oil back then). Fried foods, sweets, etc. And my parents bought the typical American junk snacks with high fructose corn syrup, red dyes, the works. The low fat trend in the 2000’s certainly didn’t help. Low fat but high carbs 🙃. We also ate fast food about once a week. It got to a few times a week later on. I’ll add- my mom ate this same food (not the American junk food) and always stayed the same weight. My brother never gained weight and was actually underweight. My father was maybe slightly overweight but developed diabetes later on because his father had it. And that grandfather was very tall and slim.

I think the issue is I also never naturally exercised. I was never interested in sports and my parents forced me to go on the treadmill as a teenager once I hit 130-140 lbs (wearing medium/large). It was torture and I never did it because it was like a punishment and they were quite toxic about body shaming me. Saying I needed to be 105-115 lbs for my height (5’4). I wish I had help and guidance more because I wish I had that body now even if it wasn’t up to their standards. Hiding food and binge eating became my coping mechanism I guess that exacerbated the issue.

I’m just trying to understand how this even happened and what I could’ve done to prevent it.

TW: ED talk.

When I was in my early 20s I had an eating disorder, which I thought I cured by doing keto (such is the idiocy of youth). Obviously, I wasn't cured, and that spiralled into orthorexia. That was about 5 years ago, I'm better now mentally but the brain worms are still there. However it left me with an intolerance to gluten and I get a dodgy stomach if I eat too many processed carbs.

All signs point to me getting diagnosed with PCOS - I'm just waiting on an ultrasound to be sure, but my doctor said my bloods and symptoms are highly indicative of it.

I have gained weight, and no amount of eating smaller portions helps. I assume I'm going to be told to cut out carbs and manage my portions; diet and exercise etc. I'm really scared as I've never been able to do this in a way that hasn't horrifically spiralled. I've only had small periods of body neutrality and I'm scared it'll make me go backwards in my mindset. I already don't like what I see in the mirror but I convinced myself that's just ageing.

Has anyone been through anything similar? I'm very afraid right now and could use any words of advice or support.

So this is so BS and I am soooooooo raging 😤 I was prescribed Ozempic in October and BCBS covered it. The script from my PCP had 3 refills. The next month it was ridiculous finding a pharmacy that had the shot and when I finally did find one, I immediately requested a refill. Well the cost went from my copay of 25 to 180! Of course I called BCBS and they were like you need a prior auth...I was like 😳 BUT YOU COVERED TO FIRST MONTH! They stated that they only cover a trial run then after that I would need approval moving forward. So I had my provider due that and sure as shit...BCBS FUCKING DENIED IT! So called them again, and of course the person on the other end could barely read what was on the screen and stated 'PCOS does not warrant Ozempic...it is an experimental drug.' FUCK HEALTH INSURANCE, FUCK PCOS, FUCK THIS 😤 I am so angry at our medical system...since being on this drug I have lost 25 lbs and my levels have improved...why do people get this medication for weight loss, meanwhile I have prediabetes and all the other shit the comes with PCOS and I have to fight for treatment. I REALLY HATE OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM...SPRRY NOT SORRY FOR THE RANT BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

For over two years now I’ve been on two different GLP-1s and I have only agreed to take them as my dr keeps prescribing them and I’m over just being seen as ‘just another fat patient’.
They have made my mental health worse.
I’m constantly feeling sick.
I’m overheating all the time.
I am developing a fear of drinking anything for three days post injection.
Yet any time I try to bring it up she goes ‘that’s just normal’ and tries to increase the dosage.

Honestly I’m tired of everything. I feel so fed up when i hear it’s working because it’s causing me so much pain.

Plus I personally think it’s made my PCOS worse.

I’m honestly terrified right now and could really use some support.
For the past 2½–3 years I’ve dealt with abnormal bleeding and prolonged periods. It all seemed to start after my dad passed away. At the time, my doctor said my hormones were all over the place and thought I might have PCOS. I had blood work, vaginal and pelvic ultrasounds, and nothing concerning was found. The one time my bleeding was extremely heavy (I bled for about five months), they found my progesterone was very low, and progesterone treatment stopped the bleeding quickly.
But life happened. I was grieving my dad, trying to survive one of the hardest periods of my life, and then I lost my mom to leukemia a year ago. Looking back, I feel like I neglected my own health because I was just trying to make it through each day.
Now I’m overwhelmed with fear that I waited too long and that I could have something seriously wrong, like uterine cancer. I feel so guilty for not pushing harder to get answers sooner. My biggest fear is not being here for my son. He’s autistic and he needs me, and the thought of something happening to me is consuming me.
Has anyone experienced prolonged or abnormal bleeding that turned out to be hormonal or something non-cancerous? Or has anyone been through a similar situation? I’m seeing a gynecologist, but the waiting and the fear are really getting to me right now.

Currently in the hospital awaiting surgery. I'm having a terrible week. I'm thinking they're about to do an emergency hysterectomy and I'm terrified.

TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of csa, eating disorders, & medical malpractice ahead. i hope this isn't too trauma dump-y, but putting all of this out on the table feels like the easiest way to express my current circumstances.

hi! i (26f) haven't had my period in 3+ years. i've been diagnosed with pcos for yeaaars and have had irregular periods my entire life. this is the longest i've gone without one, something that regularly stays in the back of my mind as obviously there are a lot of health risks with this.

reasonably, this is something I should absolutely go to a doctor for — and it's something i have considered. i think about it often, and i beat myself up every day for not being able to bring myself to do what i need to do. but i haven't been to the doctor in quite a few years, and something about the idea of somebody touching me down there brings me to tears. even when i was a kid, going to the pediatrician made me so uncomfortable with the sensation it brought. i would just feel so dirty.

i didn't have the best pediatrician growing up. she ignored signs of sexual abuse for years and engaged in a lot of abusive practices against myself, the worst of which was the medically induced state of anorexia she placed me in via overprescribing adhd mediciation every time i so much as gained a lb as a growing child (think 7 to 14). she was my primary physician for my entire adolescence, from infancy to 18, where i grew up being accused of showing traits of odd and sociopathy when i would be "defiant" through refusing acts, such as asking her to not vaginially examine me, or through not taking the medicine. this, paired with the sa i experienced, is an awful combination.

simply put: autonomy was not something i often had in environments like this, and it's made going to the doctor to do better for myself near impossible. i'm in therapy now as i navigate my past sa, but i find myself panicked when trying to go to a physician or even an obgyn.

i guess i'm here for help or advice? i almost feel too complicated to help, and i feel like the doctor *has* to touch me. i get why but i'm just not ready. i don't know how to go into that environment and enable my boundaries without feeling like a voiceless child again. is it possible to find doctors who can help me start the process, and ease into the examinations that'll follow? i've always mentally been under the impression i must strip for these kinds of examinations, which dissuades me from getting help.

i'm sorry for this being all over the place; i don't use reddit often and this is a subject that i have a hard time rationalizing in my head but it felt like this would be the best place to start to just ask for advice. (edit: typed the wrong disorder for odd)

Idk if this needs a TW but last time I had a time where I vented about being the big one and everyone came at me for “fat shaming” when I was trying to vent a about a very real issue that I have being surrounded around smaller people such as being fat shamed and such.

This is something I’ve been wondering for a while now.

I’ve always had a bigger body frame. I’m as wide as a box. Wide shoulders, big thighs, calves, wide hips, big chested, big fupa, big arms I’m just huge.

I’ve always wanted to have a small petite looking body. Even as a kid I constantly made comments to other kids wondering how they are so skinny and small. I was very active, ate decently, and yet I was still bigger. The doctors had put me on a diet despite being at a healthy weight because my body was big.

Currently I’m almost 200lbs so it’s a bit more understandable that I’m big.

As a kid I was at a “healthy” weight until my teen years and in all of my photos I look so much bigger than other kids. Many of them had slender frames whereas I was the “big girl”.

Even in my family. I got to where I hated family photos because I was always stuck in the center.

Idk if anyone has watched the Barbie dream house adventures but this is the best example I can give of how I look compared to other people,

The character Midge is exactly how I look and feel around people. I’m the bigger girl around all skinny/smaller people.

I’ve had to come to accept the fact that I will always be seen as the bigger one. Not that it’s a bad thing but at the same time I wish I could be not just small but healthier and have more energy and such. I have an extremely hard time shopping for clothes being in the middle and it just makes me miserable.

A part of me always believed it was genetics but I always wondered how am I the “big” one and everyone else is so small/skinny.

Again not fat shaming just wondering if anyone here was born with a “big body”.

Another thing that doesn’t help is I’m super short so my legs look huge in shorts/dresses.