How Joanna found direction in her PCOS journey

Joanna struggled with PCOS symptoms like irregular periods, weight gain, and fatigue for as long as she can remember. She saw multiple doctors, tried countless PCOS “hacks”, and adjusted her routines again and again – but she still didn’t feel relief in her symptoms.  

It wasn’t until she started with Allara that she finally found solutions that worked for her body.  “My experience with Allara has been nothing short of life changing,” she said. Read Joanna’s PCOS journey, and how she’s feeling after two years as an Allara patient below.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Joanna, I work in the fintech industry and I’m based in Florida. I’m Filipino American, so cooking, eating, and sharing food is one of my love languages. I love to travel and experience new cultures. I love long walks, reading, and crafting.

What has your PCOS journey been like?

I suspect I’ve had PCOS, or at least some level of hormonal imbalance, as early as my late teens. I remember having irregular periods, and my doctor put me on birth control pills and told me to lose 5 pounds. No actual advice was given, so I took that to mean going on a strict diet and spending hours at the gym.

By the time I made it to my mid-late twenties, I was still on birth control, but now had fatigue, hair loss, stubborn weight, and was having a period every 2 weeks! My fatigue got so bad that I would fall asleep in the car after pulling into the parking lot at the gym or in the driveway at work. At this point, I was an avid runner, took kickboxing classes, and never skipped a day in the gym, yet I still could not lose any weight. When I talked to my trainer or my doctors about it, they all thought I wasn't being truthful about how much I ate or how often I exercised.

I was just about to turn 30 when my symptoms got even more severe—I had stubborn cystic acne and gained 30 lbs in just a few months. My self-esteem took a nosedive. I no longer recognized who I was in pictures. I finally got a PCOS diagnosis, and my doctor was as supportive as she could be. She switched my birth control pill, added spironolactone, and told me to cut carbs and lose weight. This kept my symptoms from escalating but still didn’t turn things around. I was still overweight, tired, and now depressed.

In 2023 I started looking for answers on my own. I felt like I had no enjoyment in life, like my world was just shades of black and white. I fell into a PCOS-social media rabbit hole and found myself trying every 'hack' I could. I heard about Allara and figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a try, and immediately contacted them.

What has your experience with Allara been like?

My experience with Allara has been nothing short of life changing. I committed to myself to give the Allara team a year and see what kind of impact this would make in my health. I've now been with Allara for 2 years!

I have had more positive changes since day one with Allara than I have in all my life. My testosterone is at a normal level for the first time possibly ever, my skin has cleared up, my A1C has backed down, and I am at the lowest weight I have been in 5 years. I feel like I still have a ways to go but I finally have a plan that is working for me!

My Allara doctor has been amazing. She listened to all my concerns, validated my experience, and most importantly, she deferred to my preference to not go back to birth control. I really appreciate how often I meet with my Allara providers. Having more frequent labs means that we can make adjustments to my treatment practically in real time, where my previous experience with doctors meant only seeing them annually and having to wait a year to make adjustments to my care. I also love that Allara cares about nutrition and mental health, both of which were largely ignored in my previous treatment.

Is there any advice you would give to someone struggling with PCOS and body image?
There are days where I feel like PCOS has taken away the physical things I used to love about myself. On those days where I struggle, I look in the mirror and point out the things that I do love about myself, like my smile, or my eyebrows, or how strong my legs look. I’ve also signed up for dance classes as a way to intentionally learn how to be confident in my body again. Moving my body in a way that isn’t just for the sole purpose of exercise or losing weight helped me to reconnect with myself, appreciate what it can do, and has also made me feel like me again.

What is the most helpful advice you’ve received about hormone health?

Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes more than just medicine to make things better when you have hormonal dysfunction—a lot of smaller lifestyle changes can add up to make a bigger impact. Nutrition, movement, and mental health all factor into our hormone health, so make a small change in each and you’ll be surprised!