My PCOS Diagnosis Took 5 Years. Why the New Name Change to PMOS Gives Me Hope

My road to a PCOS diagnosis was long and challenging, but here’s why the recent name change to PMOS gives me hope for the future. It took five years for me to be diagnosed with PMOS. Now I have hope for a future of earlier diagnosis and personalized treatment. Image Credit: Andrew French I was 18 the first time I heard the term “polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).” My aunt had recently been diagnosed and was told the condition could run in female members of her family. After hearing the symptoms that led to her diagnosis – weight gain, acne, and irregular periods – I contacted my primary physician. The doctor did all the typical blood tests and ordered an ultrasound. I was convinced I had the condition because so many of the symptoms that were known at the time matched what I was experiencing. Imagine my surprise when she told me there was no way I had PCOS. Instead, I heard the same advice I had received so many times before: if I changed my diet, exercised more, and lost weight, my other health issues would go away. It would be another five years before I received the diagnosis that would change my life. Finding a doctor who finally listened By the time I was 23, I was fed up and …

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