Pandemic Motherhood Diary, Entry 29: PCOS and COVID Fears
It was bedtime for my sons, and I was nursing another set of cold symptoms from my pre-K attendee. To add insult to injury, he was also recovering from his second pink eye, while my two-year-old was recovering from his second ear infection. I sat on the edge of the bed, monitoring coughs until I was ambushed with one of my own. I began to cough until I had to leave the room out of fear that I would disturb my sleeping kids. As someone with a compromised immune system thanks to PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), being vulnerable to cold symptoms isn’t necessarily something new. However, discovering just how vulnerable the illness makes me to the COVID-19 virus is news to me.
As I took time in the bathroom to recover from my nonstop coughing, my husband came to check on me. Every time I recover from being sick, my husband always says to me, “Thankfully, it wasn’t COVID.” By now, he knows that each time I feel the slightest inconvenience, I assume it’s possibly COVID-19. My fear has only increased since learning that having PCOS means I have a 51% higher chance of catching the virus. If you ask me, that percentage is too high. Of course, this has made me even more concerned than before.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, in summary, is a hormonal disorder that can cause numerous small cysts to develop on enlarged ovaries. It also comes with a long list of risks and health challenges. Some of those include insulin resistance or diabetes, mood disorders, irregular periods, infertility issues, obesity, and much more. This long list of symptoms can vary per individual. I was diagnosed in 2017. Unfortunately, I dealt with infertility challenges, acne, mood disorders, and insulin resistance. The initial discovery was painful, but learning how to manage my symptoms was crucial for moving forward. That was until I realized that PCOS has made me more vulnerable to the virus. As if being pregnant hadn’t been enough in the last four years. As if being frequently forced into spaces that exposes me to the possibilities wasn’t enough. As if catching every cold my son brings home from school isn’t enough. Now, I am forced to weigh the concerns of my chronic condition as if I’m being diagnosed all over again.
Navigating this new normal of heightened paranoia has obviously been difficult. However, the paranoia has come with an additional layer of frustration. It has been tough for me to manage my symptoms since having two kids, especially with my oldest being in school. When they are both ill, I always end up ill as well, which interferes with my daily routine. There are certain things that I need to manage my PCOS. I need to properly hydrate, rest, eat throughout the day to manage my sugar levels, and exercise. As a parent, it is almost impossible to recover properly and get the rest I need to feel rejuvenated. I simply cannot. The idea of being vulnerable to a virus that can cause further health complications is genuinely scary.
Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
This is the most recent in a series of essays about raising young children in the COVID era. Read entry 28 here.
