New Year's Firm Decision

The New Year is always one of my favorite times of year. Out with the old and in with the new. A time for change. A new beginning. And as a super goal oriented person, I start crafting my perfect list of New Year's Resolutions the day after Christmas. A resolution is defined as "a firm decision to do or not to do something." But when is our resolutions ever actually truly firm decisions? There are years that just the act of writing down my resolution with out actually doing it once was enough to appease my inner perfectionist, but then there was that one glorious year that I gave up drinking diet coke and all other sugary sodas for a whole 365 days and then some. What makes it stick?

The truth is that I have written about this (and given advice on it!) before and the answer is... I have no fucking clue. If I knew how to make resolutions stick, I would be skinny, a marathon runner, a 10 times better artist, a piano player, I would have a fat savings account and this exact blog would have maybe 40 more articles posted on it. The funny thing is that I have heard the answer many times before from doctors, health coaches, trainers, nutritionist, and so on... they have all said the same thing. Take it slow and make it manageable. Basically don't try and change everything at once and introduce a small amount of new things each day, week, and month, and eventually all your dreams will come true!

So why the fuck am I not a skinny millionaire yet!?! Well, probably because my resolutions have not really been firm decisions, they have been thoughts, wishes, and parts of really ambitious lists and schedules. There have only been a few significant things in my life that I have considered firm decisions. To go to and graduate college, to move to California, to work in animation, to adopt my dog, to move in and create a household with Sam, and to start an art & writing career. I can count those firm decisions on both of my hands, or just one hand if I had six fingers per hand. I know I have made at least 25 New Year Resolutions before and the majority of them I can't even remember. Well actually I'm sure at least 15 of those were to loose weight so that covers the most of them, and since I am like 8 pounds away from my heaviest weight ever, those firm decisions were obviously not firm enough. Just like my thighs.

So this year instead of making a New Year's Resolution, I am going to make a New Year's Firm Decision. Yes, it is the same exact thing as a resolution by definition, but my success ratings with resolutions is not that great and my firm decisions in life have been successful so far with hard work and dedication. A resolution seems to be fad to bettering yourself, but a firm decision is a life choice that you will achieve at no cost and that will continue for years to come.

I will be sharing updates on my 2019 firm decision through out the year once I thoughtfully plan it out. Please share what your New Year's Firm Decision is in the comments!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and humorous 2019!!!

💗    Jennifer

New article on PCOSAA.org!

There is a brand new blog post that I wrote up at PCOSAA. org!!! Click HERE to read some advice I have on dealing with unsolicited medical advice. 

Thanks for reading!!!

💗 Jennifer

http://pcosaa.org

A Big Pain in the Boob

I am sure you have heard the term from a man, "I am a boob guy"... meaning that boobs are his favorite. Men love boobs, but to us women they are tools for when you have children and need to feed them... or when you need to get out of a speeding ticket. Boobs make "boob guys" pretty happy, but sometimes boobs are just a huge fucking pain. Literally.

Boobs can hurt for all sorts of reasons, one being muscle soreness from carrying those heavy things around, or from side affects from medication, but cyclic breast pain is the pain in your boobs that is related to your hormones and menstrual cycle.

If you have boob pain, check in with your doctor to make sure there is nothing serious going on. According to the American Cancer Society, there was estimated over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2017. I have watched someone live through and survive the horrible disease, and it is not fun for anyone, so get checked early if you notice any changes in your boobs. There could also be some other funky things going on, remember your boobs are filled with milk ducts, so make sure all parts of the boob are a-okay.

I am not saying that boob pain means cancer or something serious, I am just saying keep an eye on your boobs. In most cases boob pain is just that... pain. I was super worried about my boobs when they hurt so freaking bad all the time. So I told my doctor and yes, you guessed it... it is all because of my hormones. I suffer from cyclic breast pain for approx. 20 days out of every month. The only way I can describe the feeling is that it is similar to the pain you have a day or two after a very strenuous work out.

I know many many women with PCOS can relate, and maybe women without PCOS too! So I am going to give you my top 2 things I do to combat boob pain.

#1: As much as possible, go without a bra. My boobs hurt the worse after stuffing them into a bra all day. The exception to this when you are exercising, then you should invest in a nice sturdy sports bra. Bouncing is bad for boobs! IT HURTS! Sorry boys!

 #2: Massage. It does wonders for the pain. You're welcome boys!

Pain is something that women with PCOS deal with every day, and knowing where the pain is coming from and why you are having it is super important. Get your proper check-ups and keep a journal if you suspect hormones to be the issue, that will help your doctor pin point the pain. As I learn more about my boobs and their pain, I will share any important information I find and any more remedies I have!

Don't forget to let your boobs free and show them some love!

💗 Jennifer

OH! And here is a great link to the Mayo Clinic's information regarding different types of boob pain. 

More About Me and Upcoming Posts!

Happy Sunday cysters! I am so happy to be writing today and share with you some more things about me and what I plan to do to help women with PCOS.

I started this blog at the beginning of the year to give myself a platform for my PCOS writing other than my personal Facebook newsfeed. I knew there are millions of women with PCOS around the world, and I wanted to be able to reach them without them also having to sift through pictures of my dog and updates from the Chicago Cubs game, which is primarily what you will see on my Facebook page. But then after doing some more research on blogging, I realized that people might actually want to know more about me and my everyday life. Yes I have fun educational stories, strong opinions, and  thought out research on PCOS, but things like my job, my relationship, my personal feelings, I have not really dug deep into on my public online platforms. Don't worry Sam, I won't be sharing all our business, but I am working on a structured blog post release schedule that will include more personal things about me in addition to the educational hoo-haa. That will give me the opportunity to reach woman on a regular basis with information on PCOS and my personal stories will hopefully help them relate a little more and remind them they are not alone.

So let's get this ish started! I am 34 years old, I live in Sherman Oaks, CA with my boyfriend, Sam, and our Chiweenie dog, Layla.  I studied liberal arts and fine arts in school, and then focused my education primarily on animation. I have been working in the animation industry for 10 years, and I am currently the design department Production Supervisor on the Emmy Winning television series "Bob's Burgers".

I feel like every creative person has a side hustle, and every once in a while I will get a freelance art work gig, but I have recently made writing/blogging a higher priority.  I mean, I guess you can say it is not really a "hustle" if I am making $0.00 from it, but you never know! Really I just love doing it and I feel like I have something important to say, so that is why I write. Check out some more of my work at PCOSAA.org.

PCOS has held me back my entire life, but somehow I have been able to get past my darkest days and build a life for myself that I am truly happy, successful, and comfortable in. A life where even though PCOS affects me physically, emotionally, and mentally every single day, I still love myself and feel so blessed every single day to have what I have in my home, relationship, family, friends, and job. My hope is that every woman can have that feeling.

So that's all you get! For now anyway. I am excited to share more posts on a more regular basis. Please check back weekly (or even better, SUBSCRIBE!) for more content, including another appearance from Marion O'Varion coming soon!

One last thing... Happy Father's Day to my Dad, Mike. You are still the coolest Dad out there!

Love you all and thanks for reading!

<3 Jennifer

My Vision Board - Facebook Post - Sept. 9th, 2016

Did you know that if you tell yourself something over and over again, eventually you will believe it? Chances are if you have used my bathroom, you have seen my vision board and have told me about your favorite image or saying on it. I love when people point something out about my vision board that they like, because that means that they looked at it and held on to a little piece of it. It’s like using my bathroom comes with a little motivational pep talk. The reason it is displayed in my bathroom is because that is where I get ready in the morning. When I look at myself in the mirror and think, damn, if I didn’t have PCOS maybe my hair would be thicker… then I turn my head to my vision board and it reminds me that I love PCOS because PCOS is a part of me, and I love me. Here is a picture of a section of my vision board. The words “LOVE PCOS” is now at the very top center of the board so it is not hidden. I encourage everyone who needs a reminder that they are awesome to make a vision board and put it somewhere in your house where you will see it every single day. You can make it anything you want… pictures, sayings, quotes, inspirational people… anything that makes you feel good. Continue to add to it as your goals in life evolve. It could even be fun to have a vision board party with your girlfriends where everyone brings a couple magazines to share with everyone to cut up. I know all this sounds corny, but it works because it is so important to take time for yourself to put your vision for your life on paper… or a board. It helps you visualize your goals… that’s probably why it is called a vision board. 

Dream big because you have the ability to visualize anything that is not even there yet.
💗 Jennifer

Be a Badass - Facebook Post - Sept, 8th 2016

Running a little late with my post today because bad ass bitches take care of shit by day and go movies with cute boys by night. I enjoy being able to go out and live my life, and sometimes it is hard to do if you are not feeling good about yourself. So I wanted to share some inspiration/reading material with everyone. The book “You are a Badass” By Jen Sincero is an awesome book that made me look at situations in my life a lot differently. Once I started changing my attitude and opening my mind to different ideas and experiences, I finally felt like I was living the life I wanted to live. She is also the one who inspired me to write little tag lines at the end of my posts. She also swears a lot, which I really enjoy since we share that in common. Here is a link to buy it on amazon, because everyone should read it.

https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Badass-Doubting-Greatness/dp/0762447699

Keep your eyes open so you can see every opportunity in front of you.

💗 Jennifer

The Sunshine Vitamin - Facebook Post - Sept. 7th, 2016

It is very common for women with PCOS to become vitamin deficient. I am deficient in D & B12. Vitamins make me very nauseous, so it was awesome to find out that there are options. My Dr. changed me to a weekly dosage of D, and a dissolve-able tablet for B12 and it is now much more manageable. Being vitamin D efficient feels super awesome, so here is a link to a little article about the benefits of vitamin D to urge everyone to take their vitamins!

The Benefits of Vitamin D

Soak up the sunshine… or at least the sunshine vitamin! (Please note real sun is preferred) 

💗 Jennifer

SO Tired - Facebook Post - Sept. 5th, 2016

I have had a pretty big, fun, exciting week in both work and play, so I thought it only appropriate to talk about fatigue today, because I am freaking tired! The hormone cortisol is produced by the adrenal gland and it controls homeostasis of your body, basically keeping things in balance. If you’re hot, you sweat to cool. If you’re cold, you shiver to warm. It’s an essential part of keeping your body alive. It’s called the stress hormone because it releases when the body is under stress in hopes that it will regulate. Sometimes it works too much, because remember my adrenal gland does what it wants, and sometimes it never really goes back to normal so you always feel in a constant state of stress. This makes your body work and work to try and make you de-stress and then you end up exhausting your adrenal gland and it’s like “Sorry, no more cortisol for you… you sleep NOW.” Any time of day, you give me a pillow, chances are I could sleep. But it is not just that I am tired, it’s fatigue. It also comes with brain fog, so co-workers, you now know why I become 10% less useful between the hours of 3-4. That’s the worst time of day for me... I believe they call it “nap time” in pre-school. The best way for me to fight this is to make sure I keep regular sleeping habits and I get at least 8 hours of sleep a day. I like using my mind and I want to be rested so that I can use it at the best of my ability. Thankfully today is a holiday and a movie day, so it will be very relaxing… and I might even take a nap this afternoon too. 

Wishing you and your body a good night’s rest tonight. 
💗 Jennifer 

This week's featured story: UP IN DA UTERUS CLUB

The female reproductive system is pretty fantastic. We fucking create life. Think about that. Inside of our bodies, things happen all in sync to create another actual human being. Pretty cool right? Here’s what happens if we don’t create life that month. See, the ovaries are like home base, the egg is at home and she gets a call from her girl like “Hey lady, you need a man! Let’s go to the club!” Men, if you think we take a long time to get ready, that little egg works on her make-up and hair and outfit aaallllll month just to look good for you.

They are all ready to go and she travels down the Bentley Fallopian Tube to the Uterus Club in hopes that the spermy men will be there waiting for her, wiggling around fighting each other for the one special egg to fertilize and begin the process of creating life together. Typical men all fighting for one girl, but we love it when you fight for us.

The egg arrives and there are a lot of nice tissue men there, but it’s not the spermy ones she likes. The tissue is like “Hey girl! I know you’re here for your spermy men, but come hang in the VIP section for a while, we made it special just for you. It’s nice and cozy here, we’ll buy you a drink while you wait, and when they get here you can snuggle up together in our fluffiness!” But after a few drinks she thinks to herself, “You know, I don’t have time for this, this place is really nice but there are no sperm anywhere!!!” So she’s like, “Bye Felicia!” Now the uterus, oh the uterus. Not only is the uterus the actual club, but it also acts as the over protective, pissed off, club bouncer. When the spermy men don’t show for the egg, it’s like “Dudes, this VIP egg traveled all the way over here to this awesome venue filled with nice fluffy tissue that I invited to keep her company, and these sperms are a no show? Fuck this! Everyone out! I worked all month on this place and it’s all for nothing. Every tissue in here, Get. The. Fuck. Out. And if you don’t I am going to shove your asses out.” All the tissue is like, “Nah, she is gonna be back, chill dude, the sperms are gonna show, let’s just drink more champagne and text Derek to come on by too.” So Derek comes by and brings like 10 of his friends, and the uterus is like “I told your asses to GET OUT!!!!! RRRROOOOOOAAARRRR!!!!!! Then it starts convulsing and all the tissue is like “Oh damn, this is some real shit, let’s roll out”. And that, men, is how a period happens.

Mine happens a little differently. My uterus still kicks all of the tissue out once a month but it’s for different reasons. Instead of getting mad, it kinda gets sad. It works and works and works to make a viable venue for my VIP to sit relax and meet some men. Then it waits and waits and waits for the VIP egg to show up. But she never shows. So my uterus is like “let’s keep inviting nicer and fluffier tissue and maybe she will show up.” But she never does. Even if sperm were to show too, they would not find the VIP. Eventually the uterus has so much fluffiness inside that it can’t contain itself, comes to the realization that she is not coming to the club, and gives up. It completely trashes the place and clears everyone out in an emotional outburst, “Nothing I do is ever good enough for her!!!” But once that is over and the place is empty, it stops, takes a few deep breaths and realizes it is too young to give up. It starts over fresh, making a nicer, fluffier venue in hopes that the VIP will show up next time around. Where are the eggs you ask? Instead of turning into a VIP egg and going to the Uterus Club in the Bentley Fallopian Tube, she stayed at home in the ovary and turned into a sad sack cyst month after month. But my ovaries don’t give up either! Every month they still try to make a VIP, it’s just that most months she never shows up to the club. Woman with PCOS may not ovulate but can still menstruate. FML right? The key is to get that VIP out to the club, so I am hoping that one day my hard work will give my VIP enough confidence to show up. I never gave up on anything before, so why start now right?
💗 Jennifer 

What is Wrong with me? - Facebook Post - Sept. 2nd 2016

Today I share a fact from the PCOS Nutrition Center. The fact that PCOS receives so little funding to study the syndrome makes it hard to understand, therefore it is commonly misdiagnosed. Before finding my doctor (who knew what it was right away), I went through so many tests because previous doctors did not connect the dots to all my symptoms. I was thought to have a hernia once, then it was celiac, then probably endometriosis. Cat-scans didn't show anything. Then I kept feeling like it was all my fault. It must be my shampoo that is causing my hair to fall out, so I bought something better. It must be the face cream I am using that is causing my acne, so I bought something different. I must not be exercising hard enough, so I would run an extra mile. All this pain is because I didn't stretch, so I took an extra yoga class. I am just emotional… ugh, whatever. It was exhausting. Then one day I experienced a doctor not believing the symptoms I was reporting. I felt so alone because no one knew what I was going through, even me. When I finally sat down with Dr. Lina Shammas, D.O., (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) after meeting her only once before, she pulled out 14 pages of blood work and said “I wanted you to come in because I want to tell you exactly is going on.” She drew pictures and went over numbers and explained to me how everything connected… everything. Then I started crying and she took my hand and said “You are not broken, you can do this.” She is so special to me because not only does she have the answers, she believes in me. 
We are fighting against low funds, so put in the effort to find someone who has the knowledge of the disease you are fighting. They are one in a million, but it is worth it.

Don’t forget to love yourself, because you too, are not broken.

💗Jennifer

Marion O'Varion