A North Dakota woman shares her story of living with undiagnosed PCOS for years.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KYD) – Simply put, polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a hormonal imbalance that affects a woman’s menstrual cycle and can cause ovarian cysts. Although approximately one in every 10 women worldwide is affected by the condition, diagnosis or treatment can be difficult.

For Ariane Knudsen, going to a coffee shop wasn’t always so easy. She has had an irregular menstrual cycle since she was 14 years old. Doctors told her everything was fine.

“Being on birth control at 14 years old is crazy to me, especially now that I’m 28 and thinking back on it, I’ve been on birth control for almost 10 years,” Knudsen said.

She said she had tried almost every form of birth control. At first, the new medication helped regulate her cycle, but over time, she started having super short cycles or double periods again.

She had been on birth control for six years before undergoing the ultrasound.

Years later, while surgeons were removing Knudsen’s gallbladder, they discovered a massive cyst on her right ovary.

Ultimately, they recommended surgery to remove the cyst. However, things went even deeper during my senior year of high school. Two hours before her scheduled surgery, Knudsen went to the emergency room due to severe pain.

“They were going to come in and try to just remove the cyst and save the ovary if possible, but it started from the inside and completely killed my right ovary. So it was impossible to save the situation,” Knudsen said.

She was 17 years old. At 28, she is still feeling the effects of her condition. She received more than 12 iron infusions – all of her irregular cycles resulted in anemia. Doctors even thought she might have a brain tumor due to elevated prolactin levels. An MRI showed that this was not the case. Knudsen began seeing Dr. Tara Harding at Simply You Wellness, who specializes in women’s health.

“There was a lack of diagnosis, or perhaps patients were told, ‘It looks like PCOS,’ or ‘It could be PCOS,’ and they received very conflicting information,” Knudsen said.

Knudsen said other women going through similar experiences shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for themselves and trust their instincts.

“You’re worth more than just giving up on yourself, because I was at that point, to be honest. (…) Trust your body. You know yourself better than anyone else,” Knudsen said.

She said that when she was 17 years old, she knew that after the operation it would be difficult for her to start a family. However, after receiving help for her PCOS, she and her husband are looking forward to their first dose of joy.

Dr. Harding said PCOS symptoms can include more than just irregular or inconsistent periods, acne, unexplained weight changes and more.