Happy September! Along with cooler weather, shorter days and falling leaves (and a cup of mulled cider!) September is also PCOS Awareness Month. What is PCOS you ask?

PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormone disorder. It manifests itself differently in different women. If I’m not on the pill, I have terrible acne, weight gain, inability to lose weight, constant hunger, infrequent periods (2-3 a year), and my periods last for about 2 weeks with heavy bleeding and cramping. Basically it’s hell.

Birth control helps those symptoms, but they don’t disappear altogether. I’m lucky that I don’t have cysts on my ovaries, but the rest of the disorder sucks. I wouldn’t mind having this disorder, except that no matter how much I work out or diet, I struggle to lose 5 pounds (it takes me about 8 months, and I’m lucky if I can keep it off) and am constantly hungry. It gets really hard to stay motivated to eat right and go to the gym.

I’m also a little scared about being able to get pregnant someday and the higher rate of miscarriages. It’ll likely cost a lot of money and emotional strength that I hope my future husband will support me through it all. I guess I’ll let God handle that for now.

So

I wear Teal for Me!

Autumn

Autumn is coming! It’s already not quite so hot and I know that changing leaves aren’t too far away. I’ve started to like fall colors only in the last 10 years or so. When we lived in the Bay Area, there wasn’t any fall colors (or a REAL autumn) to speak of. Now that I’ve lived in Canada and now N. California I get to experience all the vibrant splendors of this unique season.

I’m not a person that really enjoys orange, yellow or related hues. But as autumn rolls around? I can’t seem to get enough of them, along with the rich reds and deep burgundy’s that abound.

Autumn always seems to instill a restless spirit in me. I don’t know whether it’s the changing colors, windier days, or just the associations of going to college, but I get excited when it comes. I want to change, organize, and cozy up in my room with a good book and a cup of cider.