Ep. 07: Noa's story & living with PCOS while being told to "just exercise and eat better"

In this episode, Amy is joined by Noa, a 23-year-old college student from Chicago living with PCOS. At 13, she and her identical twin sister gained 50 pounds overnight with no change to diet or exercise. After a year and a half of being dismissed by general practitioners—told to just exercise and eat better—a gynecologist finally put the pieces together. It turns out PCOS runs in her family. Her twin, older sister, and mom all have it too. Now at 23, Noa is an expert in her own treatment, piecing together knowledge from TikTok, Mayo Clinic and years of trial-and-error with medications, and laser hair removal. She describes navigating her PCOS alongside depression, ADHD, and shares a story about a burst ovarian cyst that happened while traveling abroad.Key ComponentsHow four women in one family all have PCOS and didn't know it: The moment Noa realized that the overnight weight gain, hair loss, and irregular periods weren't just about her.When doctors dismiss you for a year and a half — the frustration of being told to diet and exercise when something medical is actually breaking down in your body.A burst cyst in Barcelona that taught her more than any doctor did, and how she didn't find out what actually happened to her until months later when she read about it in a romance novel.How Noa built her own treatment plan from the internet. She used male Rogaine, a laser device, birth control pills, and self-education to keep herself functioning because doctors didn't have answers for her."First, figure out what your biggest problems are with PCOS. Book an appointment with a gynecologist who specializes in women's health. Don't take the answer of 'just work out and diet'. It's a lot more than that." 👉 Click here to join the movement at downthereaware.org🩲 Subscribe, like, and share to show us you care!🤘 Podcast produced by Binge-Worthy StudioFor informational and entertainment purposes only — not medical advice. We're here to get loud, not to play doctor.