Rachel P’s story

I suffered with heavy, irregular and painful periods from the age of 12 and, from the age of 19, was referred to Gynaecology. Despite multiple tests and investigations, I never got any answers.

Finally, aged 27, I was diagnosed with PCOS after struggling with fertility issues and not being able to conceive. I had never received any treatment and, after years of suffering the hormone-specific complications that accompany PCOS, it had impacted my ability to have children.

In 2017 following an unsuccessful procedure called ‘Ovarian Drilling’ and trialling some medication to manage my PCOS, I was referred to Liverpool Women’s Hospital where I commenced treatment for my PCOS-related fertility issues. I started to display signs of ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can be more common if you have PCOS.

I underwent an egg retrieval procedure which eventually led to 8 embryos. Due to risk factors associated with OHSS, my fertility treatment was probably more complex than is typical but I eventually had my first embryo transfer and we welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world in 2018.

Unfortunately, my health issues became a lot worse after her birth, eventually leading to a hysterectomy and early menopause.

It has been a long journey and something I am still working on. Symptoms are at times difficult to manage alongside being a parent to a young child and working full time.

Getting to a point of diagnosis back in 2016 was the most challenging, exhausting experience to go through. I was seen by numerous consultants, had every test possible, and everything came back ‘normal’.

There needs to be better support for individuals suffering with issues like PCOS, as these are often complex, debilitating and have a huge impact on day to day life.  For me the turning point was finding the right consultant, somebody that finally understood how I felt and didn’t dismiss the symptoms as normal.

It is crucial that treatment is right to ensure that your body is getting what it needs, to prevent other health conditions occurring and to help you to continue to live your life without being overcome with the symptoms.

I volunteer for FTWW because, like me, they believe that support services need to be developed and expanded across Wales so that they’re more accessible to those who need them and within a reasonable timeframe.