What Cramps Couldn't Explain

One morning, I woke up and thought I was just dealing with a really bad case of period cramps. I had no idea that this situation would completely change how I understand my body, health, and future. What started as something that seemed ordinary quickly turned into a medical emergency, which led to a diagnosis I had never even heard of before: PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This is the story of how everything unfolded.

My name is Isabella Massaro, and I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 13 years old. The beginning of my journey to diagnosis was prompted when I woke up one day with abysmal pain (what I assumed were period cramps), so no one really thought much of it until it got to the point where I had no choice but to hunch over, only being able to stand and walk still uncomfortably.

Once my mom saw this, she thought I was constipated and that walking would help, so I ran errands with her. However, as we were on our way back home, we got a call from one of my mom’s cousins saying she wasn’t feeling well and needed someone to pick her kids up from summer camp; my mom accepted the duty and we drove over.

Once we got to her house, I puked. My mom immediately thought I had COVID. She rushed me to urgent care where I tested negative. However, the doctor told us to go straight to the hospital in case it was appendicitis.

When we got to the hospital, it took forever to get a bed, but once they got me in I was rushed to the MRI machine. The doctors found a cyst on my ovary, and they knew I needed emergency surgery to remove it, but didn’t have a pediatric gynecologist on call. I was then rushed via ambulance to a different hospital, where they promised they would try to save my ovary, but it was most likely dead. They were right.

After the surgery, doctors told my parents that due to the size of the cyst, which was similar to a softball, it flipped and suffocated my ovary which caused the pain. After the surgery, my gynecologist diagnosed me with PCOS and diabetes. I later learned that my chances of having a biological family would be limited, and that I might need to rely on the seventeen eggs I froze.

Looking back, it is surreal how quickly everything happened: from a normal morning, to emergency surgery, to life-changing diagnoses. At such a young age, I was forced to process things most people don’t think about until much later, such as fertility, chronic illness, and long-term health. Losing an ovary and learning about my limited chances of having a biological family was incredibly difficult, but it also gave me a new perspective on resilience and awareness.

Living with PCOS and diabetes isn’t something I chose, but it’s something I’ve learned to navigate. My story isn’t just about what happened to me, but about learning to advocate for myself, understanding my body, and sharing my experience so others don’t feel alone. If anything, this experience has shown me that even at my lowest, I was stronger than I had ever imagined.