Taking Control Of PCOS

‘I wanted to cure my PCOS so I never lost a baby again’

- Trudie McConnochie

RATES OF POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME ARE RISING AROUND THE WORLD, BUT ONE WOMAN HAS COME UP WITH A WAY TO HELP PEOPLE MANAGE THE CONDITION

Professionally, Melissa Christie is a singing teacher, but personally, she’s teaching women to use their voice in a very different way. The 32-year-old mum has self-published a journal to empower women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to better work with health professionals on controlling the condition – and her motivation is highly personal. Melissa has a two-year-old son now, but it wasn’t so long ago that she was adrift in a sea of grief after a miscarriage, a devastating event which she believes PCOS contributed to.

“I wanted to cure my PCOS so I never lost another baby again,” says Melissa. “And I wanted more control and clarity around my treatments and symptoms.

“I’ve tried things that are working wonders for other women and did nothing for me. And I’ve tried things that have done incredible things for me but don’t do things for other people. It’s about finding what’s triggering it in your body and reversing that, and finding the medicine for you.”

Melissa’s journey

After going off the pill to give her body a break, Melissa, then aged 25, missed a period. Figuring she was “either pregnant or there was something wrong”, she went to see her GP. A pregnancy test was negative, but because she had acne, weight around her middle and up-and-down moods, Melissa was tested for PCOS, a hormonal disorder that is the leading cause of infertility. Although she hadn’t heard of the condition before, being diagnosed was a step forward.