A Cyst, A Story, A Season: My PCOS Story

Where it started

It took a cyst the size of an orange for me to understand what PCOS was doing to my body.

I was 14 when I found out I had PCOS. Even the doctor wasn't very informative about what was going on, and what I came away with was a prescription for oral contraceptives and not much else. I took them for about two cycles and then I gave up. The whole experience felt unpleasant and overwhelming, and after that I refused to go back to the doctor at all.

I didn't stop going because I stopped caring about my body. I stopped going because nobody had explained anything to me, and the one thing I was given made me feel worse.

It would be ten years before I went back.

The years I thought I had fixed it

Over time I tried many different diets, and some of them genuinely worked for me.

At one point I weighed 90kg. I cut down on deep-fried food, avoided rice, ate smaller portions and started exercising, and I managed to bring my weight down to 65kg. It didn't happen overnight. It took about six months of consistent effort, and then I continued that lifestyle for around four years.

But despite all the changes, my irregular periods continued.

I had done the thing everyone tells you to do. I lost the weight, I kept it off for years, and my cycles never corrected themselves. So if losing weight didn't fix everything for you either, it isn't because you didn't try hard enough.

When things got worse

After a while I drifted away from my diet and began eating three full meals a day without much restriction. During this time I started suffering from acid reflux, severe constipation, indigestion and bloating. My weight began creeping up again. No matter how much I exercised, I didn't see results this time.

By then I had spent ten years assuming this was simply how my body was.

The size of an orange

I was 24 when I finally went back to a gynaecologist. That was in Sri Lanka. He told me I had a cyst near my ovary, the size of an orange.

This caught me completely by surprise. All the bloating and symptoms I had been experiencing were warning signs, but I never felt any pain, so I never thought it was something this serious.

He explained that a cyst this large was caused by irregular periods, which is one of the common symptoms of PCOS.

The part nobody wrote about

Like so many others, I had read countless Instagram posts, watched YouTube videos and saved Pinterest articles, trying to educate myself about reversing PCOS symptoms. But one thing I rarely came across was information about developing a large cyst as part of PCOS.

That made me feel lost and alone. It is part of why I am writing this.

The treatment I didn't want

I started treatment in Dubai, with the gynaecologist I still see for my regular check-ups. It meant countless blood tests, scans, and my first MRI, which was far from pleasant.

I did not want to go back on oral contraceptives. I am personally against them. So I asked if I could treat my symptoms naturally instead.

Her answer was no.

She explained that the cyst was a physical growth, so natural treatment would not work. The plan was oral contraceptives for a few continuous cycles to see if it would shrink, and surgery if it didn't. She warned me that a torsion would mean emergency surgery.

So I followed her advice for about eight months, alongside a gluten-free, dairy-free, anti-inflammatory diet. I wasn't too strict with it.

My cyst only got bigger anyway. It went from 5.8cm when I first found out to close to 6cm.

The consent form

That meant surgery. Months before it, they found what looked like a blockage. It was a hydrosalpinx, which is where a fallopian tube becomes blocked and fills with fluid. I was given antibiotics for it. Nothing changed.

So I was told I would need the removal of the cyst and a possible unilateral salpingectomy, which is the removal of one fallopian tube.

After hearing that, I was not okay. My mind went blank. All I could think was there has to be some other way to heal this instead of removing it. I felt helpless.

But my doctor was very kind. She explained the risks, and how dangerous it could be if we didn't take action, and she assured me that pregnancy would still be possible. She also said it was a 50/50 chance. Looking at the scan she couldn't tell exactly. With this kind of procedure, the only way to know whether the tube is really blocked is during the surgery itself.

So on the consent paper she put: "+/- Salpingectomy."

I told her, "Doctor, it is absurd. How can I give consent to something that even you're not sure about?"

Funny, right? As the patient you have every right to ask questions, and that is exactly what I did. But I didn't know better. The situation was confusing and the journey leading to that point was exhausting. It took a lot out of me mentally. Of course I had doubts. Of course I couldn't trust the process.

In the end I signed, because I wanted the cyst gone.

Too big for me to hold

When I came back home I started doing my own research and watched multiple videos. I found out that when it comes to a hydrosalpinx there is no alternative method in the medical world. The only safe option is removal.

Deep in my heart I believed God would not let this happen.

There was so much worrying, so much praying, and days of crying. All my family members stayed positive and prayed for me. I couldn't. When you are the one who has to go through something bigger than you, it is difficult to be positive. The enemy's lies were loud in my ears.

But I prayed. I said:

God, if this is your will, let it happen. This is too big for me, God. Lift this weight from me. Strengthen me and give me the courage to go through this.

I can only speak for my own life, but that was the first time I ever reached the end of my own strength and had to completely surrender my problem into God's hands.

After surrendering it, I felt so light. I felt free, and I trusted God.

Even if the tube had to be removed, and whatever I would have to face afterwards, I could accept it if God allowed it. My faith was bigger than my problem.

3 November 2025

I will remember that day as the day I got a little bit stronger and a little bit braver. It was my first experience of surgery, and my first time making a decision I couldn't undo.

I was calm at the hospital. Nervous, still a little scared, but calm. Right up until they put the cannula in, and I had a panic attack. I didn't know what was happening to my body, because I had never had one before.

The surgery was laparoscopic, under anaesthesia. And it was a success. All glory and praise to God almighty.

I did not have to do the salpingectomy. What had looked like fluid on the scan turned out to be another small cyst that had formed behind the tube. The tube itself was fine.

Recovery

Once I woke up I started feeling all the pain.

I couldn't eat solid food for a while. I was constipated and had to take medicine for it. I couldn't walk properly for weeks, and it was very painful when I did. I couldn't sneeze or laugh. I got very bad cramps as well.

The entire recovery took about a month and a half. It was a period where you have to be kind to yourself.

I was happy and relieved, though. I had gone in with so much fear and uncertainty, and through God's grace I was able to endure it.

Where I am now

I am on a journey to reverse my PCOS symptoms and help my body get back to its natural rhythm, through real food and a low-carb, keto way of eating. Being on a low-carb diet has helped me immensely.

But my story doesn't have a neat ending, because living with PCOS isn't something with a clear finish line.

It can be emotional and exhausting. For me it means focusing on eating organic, healthy meals, healing my gut, and reducing inflammation. It is a continuous journey that requires careful attention to what I eat and how I live.

What I'd tell you

What we eat really matters. It took me a long time to understand that, and I learned it through my own research, not from anyone sitting me down and explaining it.

If you want to reverse your symptoms, what you eat and the environment you live in both matter. You cannot look at PCOS as a separate thing on its own. It is a hormonal imbalance, and that means looking at the whole picture: healing your gut, working on insulin resistance, and balancing your hormones together, instead of chasing one symptom at a time.

So if you are going through a similar journey, this is what I want you to take from my story:

• Eat the right food for your body. Not the right food for someone else's.
• Listen carefully when your body rejects what you eat. It is telling you something.
• Keep moving your body.
• Nourish yourself with healthy meals.
• Do the things that bring you joy and peace. They are not optional extras.

I am scared of blood tests and needles. Every check-up has been difficult for me. But through it all, I prayed for healing. And God's word to me has been clear. Sometimes He allows us to go through the struggle, because it is shaping us.

This experience has made me stronger. I trust and believe that God can heal me. But I also trust that His will for my life is greater than what I can see now. Sometimes His blessings are obvious. Sometimes they are hidden, like a light at the end of a tunnel I just can't see yet.

Until then, I will continue to walk in faith, care for my body, and trust Him with my story.

I write about this as someone living it, not as a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice. Please talk to a professional who knows your history before changing anything about your treatment.