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For many people living with chronic illness, weight fluctuations are a common but frustrating side effect. Certain conditions or medications can cause people to take or lose weight, and managing these changes is often not easy. Although a weight fluctuation is not always the sign of a health problem, it is always offensive in both cases when others judge you or make badumptions.
Actress Lauren Ash, who plays in the NBC sitcom "Superstore," is no stranger to the damaging stigmas that exist about weight. The actress spoke on Twitter last year after hearing "suggest that people" choose "to be fat".
As a person to whom several doctors have talked about my #PCOS and weight loss "I'm sorry you're basically just baded up" I'm really rebadured about this.
– Lauren Ash (@lauren_ash) July 23, 2018
"The dramatic tweetstorm that followed was the reason I went out as a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)," Ash said in an article in Women's Health magazine on Friday. "And it was one of the best things I've ever done."
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common health problem in women born that is caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. This creates problems in the ovaries and can lead to cysts (small bags filled with fluid) or infertility. Other common symptoms of PCOS include an irregular menstrual cycle, excessive hair growth on the face or chin (hirsutism), acne, thinning hair and weight gain. PCOS can also make it very difficult to lose weight.
Ash explained that in 2015, she was at the peak of her career with the creation of "Superstore"; However, she was also struggling with a number of difficult symptoms that had brought her health to a new low.
In addition to pain, skin problems, irregular periods and severe PMS, Ms. Ash added that she had also gained weight without changing her diet or exercise habits. It was this weight gain that finally made her realize that something was going on, so she made an appointment with her doctor.
However, the advice that Ash received from her doctor may seem frustrating to many people who have had health problems resolved because of their weight. She wrote:
"Well, at age 32, you're getting older now," he began. 'So your metabolism slows down considerably. Try to eat less and exercise more. His solution to all my medical problems was to consider me old at age 32 and give me such generic advice that I could find them on any random website.
Ash tried to follow her doctor's advice, engaging in an extreme diet and exercise routine, but after a month, she found that she had gained more weight.
"I was so ashamed and embarrbaded," she said. "I felt that there had to be something that was wrong with me. If not, why did not this brilliant medical council work? "
Ash finally diagnosed PCOS on a suggestion from his dermatologist, who noticed his acne. In 2016, the actress underwent surgery to remove some of the larger cysts from her ovaries because they caused her immense pain.
During the operation, the surgeon discovered that there were more cysts than previously thought, scar tissue twisting everything. "You must have hurt so much," she told Ash.
Ash was both validated and upset. "I've been telling doctors for years that I have a lot of pain and it's only now, after opening me and seeing the damage, that they believe me," she said. "Is it too much to ask women to believe when we say we are in pain? We should not be forced to exercise pain to be taken seriously. "
Her experience, unfortunately, is not uncommon, as many women still struggle with gender stereotypes in health care and struggle to be taken seriously and believe in their pain and symptoms.
Weight fluctuations can add an extra layer of difficulty to proper care and treatment. Since thinness is generally advocated in today's culture, weight loss tends to be considered "good," while weight gain is often considered "bad," regardless of the circumstances.
In her essay titled "How Body Stress Harms Women with Chronic Disease," Ama Wei, a powerful contributor, explains how societal perceptions about weight loss and taking affect her treatment:
My weight has gone up and down in the last few years, and I have not lost sight of the fact that when I go to my doctor at the top of my range, it's always a relevant question. I am aware of the risk of gaining weight with my medications and my level of physical activity is often dissected. However, when I have a lower weight after a terrible thrust of gastrointestinal inflammation, it seems that my pain and fatigue are taken more seriously.
After finally being diagnosed, Ash stated that she had spent several years experimenting and making mistakes to find a combination of medications and treatments that suited her. She feels much more stable these days, but she still has scars.
"And no, I'm not just talking about those of my poor right ovary broken," Ash explained, adding:
The fact of not being heard and being neglected by the doctors and other important people of my life has left me so isolated and scared. I felt that I could not trust my own body or my own experiences. And I knew that I did not want other women to feel like that! So when this fateful tweet gave me the opportunity to share my story, I jumped on the occasion.
Since then, Ash has created the PCOS Sisterhood Instagram account to share her experiences and connect with other women who are going through the same difficulties. She has also partnered with PCOS Challenge, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and increasing funding for disease research.
"Every woman with PCOS is different, and there are not two identical trips, but we all have a common goal," Ash said. "We have a voice, we are not afraid to use it, and it's time for people to start listening."
Main image via the official Facebook page of the Superstore
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