ItsRipley

Howdy!

My name is Dominique, most people call me Ripley and I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16. I am 20 years old and I'm from Long Island, New York -- soon to be Charlotte, North Carolina. Two years ago, I was also diagnosed with Pseudo Tumor Cerebri and Pappiladema -- both of which are most likely results of being overweight.

Until recently, I had given up on everything related to my PCOS. I was simply shaving my chin/sides of my face, ignoring the fact that I wasn't getting my period, ignoring the fact that I've gained more than 60 lbs in less than a year, using ProActiv on my acne when it clearly isn't working, blaming my family for my depression, scrubbing the dark patches of skin between my breasts, on the back of my neck, etc. just hoping that maybe, somehow, I was okay and that this PCOS was nothing to be concerned about.

When I was diagnosed I was just told that I was "insulin resistant" and was tagged by my pediatrician as a teenager with a "metabolic disorder." I was told "Lose weight. You'll get better. It will go away." No one discussed anything about what was going on with me, or explained why it was happening. I rather enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to deal with a monthly "problem," but now that I'm getting older, I'm in a serious relationship and thinking someday that I might get married and want children... and this is all so frightening.

I don't have medical insurance until I go back to school, my father just passed away in May leaving my mother and I completely without a source of income (my mother was his caretaker for almost 15 years, he had MS) and I have no way to see a doctor of any sort to get on Metformin or Birth Control.

But I discovered this community today and I feel like I have some hope. There ARE people out there that have what I have, who are dealing with what I'm dealing with, who are doing just fine.

So it's with all of this that I'd like to say hello, and thank you.