Life Uncut podcast acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
This episode is recorded on Gaddigal Land of the Aurora Nation.
Hey guys, and welcome back to another episode of Life Uncut.
I'm Brittany and I'm Laura, and I just want to say I hope that you guys are going into the week with the confidence that Rihanna goes into her fashion choices now that she's pregnant.
Isn't she just killing it? She just doesn't care. She's living her best sexy life and I'm here for it.
I mean, I was just looking the reason why because I was I wasn't ready for that.
Everyone, let's talk about Rihanna.
I was literally just looking at a photo of her just then, and I think that she has completely redefined what it means, like what fashion means when you're pregnant. So many women when they're pregnant, like we've been told that like pregnancy is not sexy, Like pregnancy is this thing that like, when you're pregnant, you're like this beautiful beacon of life that's bringing life into the world. It's a body that's meant to be cherished, but it's not really a body that we look at in the way
of sexuality. We kind of think like, as soon as a woman is pregnant, they're no longer this sexual being. And I just love that she has completely turned that on its head.
Do you know I was just thinking about this because I was just thinking if I was in Rihanna's position too, I would have that confidence. She's she's ridiculously attractive, she's so smart. But did you know that she is the second richest female entertainer ever. She's worth one point seven billion dollars? Did you know she's a billionaire?
Literally zero idea, but also like part of his not surprised. Like I said, you know this idea that you're supposed to behave a certain way or look a certain way when you're pregnant.
You're like, oh, I better put my belly away now that I'm growing a child, Like why yeah?
And I remember when I was pregnant, there's this real feeling of oh, nothing fits me, nothing feels good on me. I don't feel attractive. And don't get me wrong, I know a lot of women think and feel really beautiful when they're pregnant and really embrace being pregnant. Like there were definitely times I was like, Wow, I feel like this and womanly being, but I guess in my body, I didn't have the same. I didn't feel like clothes
fit me very well. I didn't feel like I could get out there and have a middrift on put it that way. But then I also realized, looking back, it's because I was trying to dress for the standards of
what my body normally looks like. Like I was trying to dress the way that society goes, Oh, a middriff is supposed to be for people who have no bumps and curves or anything else, you know, like there's a very specific way that society tells us isn't isn't okay to dress, and I was trying to conform to that.
Well, that's what you So you probably weren't dressing because you didn't feel confident you were dressing because you know, you were not looking at anyone else pregnant that was dressing in this way because before Rhianna, I don't think we've really had anyone in the public eye that we've been able to look up to that has just actually owned their pregnancy body.
And I think on that as well. Like this photo I'm looking at right now, she is only I think she's only a few weeks away from having a baby, and she's wearing like thigh high boots, tiny little leather shorts, a crop top, and then she's got this sequency thing over the top.
She's so odd.
I see these photos and I think it's such an incredible celebration of like one her views on fashion, but to her changing body and embracing it for what it is and not changing her personality or changing the way that she views clothes, just because she's moved into this new phase of motherhood, which I think happens to so many of us.
And at your next pregnancy, I want to see you in Lacey Bras thigh hivity. I want to see you out there. Let's tell you what the episode is about before we get any further. What a rogue little intro that was. When I love it when you just bring them on me too. She never tells me what she's gonna say, she just throws it at me.
I really do hope that you spend this week with the confidence that she has. That's exactly what I want you to bring to this world.
Every single person listening. So today's episode, we are talking about something that affects so many women, but in the same sentence, so many women don't know about it or don't know the specifics about it. And to be honest, I knew about it from the outskirts and I've seen it a lot in the medical industry, but I didn't know specific details about it until I started to speak to my friends that suffered from it. That is right.
We are doing an episode for you guys on PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Yes, and we also have the very freaking awesome Angie Kent, who we wanted to attack this episode with having somebody who has a lived experience of PCOS, and also doctor Ezzy Smith who is a entrocnologist and she looks at and talks about PCs from more like the technical side in terms of treatment, in terms of diagnosis, but we wanted to really give you an episode that kind of covered both what it is to have the lived experience and what it is to actually go down the more
formal treatment side. Now, the thing that I've found so interesting about this and I would hate for somebody who doesn't have PCOS to go, oh, Okay, this episode doesn't relate to.
Me, it is.
It's for you two, it relates to everyone. I think We've been brought up in a society that believes that periods are supposed to be painful, that like women's problems, like women are supposed to be uncomfortable once a month.
Yeah, you just deal with it.
And so many people who have PCOS for that very
reason go undiagnosed for so long. But not only do those people go undiagnosed like other women, I e. Myself don't have the understanding around what that means, and so like you, when you learn about these things as we have, and to be able to have these conversations, it means that if you have friends and family in your life who are suffering from endometriosis who've done an awesome episode on that, or who are suffering from PCOS, it gives you more understanding to be able to have that empathy,
to be able to talk to them about it and to be able to relate to what it is to be a woman and have these issues.
But the other thing is the reason that it could be for you even if you don't have it now is unford things like pcos it's not something that you're like, oh, I was born with this, this is what I have. Yes, this can happen to anyone from any age after puberty. So I know people that were diagnosed in their late twenties.
It never had it late twenties, thirties, early twenties. This is why it could be for you as well, because maybe something's going on in your body right now that you don't know about, and you have this might not have even crossed your mind. So I'm hoping that this resonates with a lot of people or gets a lot of people ticking over in their brain thinking, oh, I have had a few of those symptoms. Maybe I'll go and get checked.
It's actually so interesting that you said that, Britte, because I think that that is for me. That was like one of the biggest take home messages. And also just recently produced Akisha, like produce Akisha. She's in her late twenties, she's just in the last couple of weeks, which is also one of the reasons why we were so excited to do this episode.
She's just been diagnosed with PCOS.
Now that doesn't mean that she's going to have it for life, but she started having these symptoms, like getting acne out of nowhere, having really irregular periods.
She's like, I felt like I was a bit hairy. She was like us getting laser and I was like, I was a bit hairer. But for her, she was like, this makes so much sense now totally.
And I think like the so many people, because if you don't know the symptoms, if you don't know the things to look out for, then if you start to experience these like irregularities, it can kind of be trumped up to just like, oh, that's what all women go through at different points, but it really isn't. And like we need to have more and like clearer understanding about what our body does and what a period is and how our periods behave so that way, if something does change,
you can advocate for your own health. You can go and find a healthcare specialist that really fucking understands women's business and can give you the correct treatment and you are misdiagnosed.
Yeah, and in addition to that, this is heavily around PCOS. But we touched on the pill as well. Doctor Izzy Smith talks about misconceptions around the pill. So there really is something in this for everyone. Now, because we're doing this episode on PCOS, we have a sponsor, Vush. Now you might know Vush as well, the sexual we're the secure relable on a vibrator. Do I do too?
Remember I had sex with the packaging by accidents.
Actually, I just remember. That's probably one of my second favorite moments.
I don't even know if Bush are aware of this, but they were like, hey, we want to sponsor an episode. I was like, cool, remember that time that I tried to use your packaging as a vibrator.
That's a fun story. Quickly, if you guys don't know that, Laura, the Bush packaging for the vibrator is really like deliciously soft, and it also.
Looks like a big, massive penis because it's a big cylinder.
That's what I thought. The whole packaging was the dildo.
Anyway, I got on the podcast and I was like, I don't understand how this is the vibrator because it's so big and then I found out that actually the vibrator was inside the packaging.
She sent me a photo. I nearly died of laughter, Like I nearly killed over anyway. No, so Bush has actually launched into the wellness space. And we want to tell you about a specific product, which is the tens machine. Now, a tens machine Laura is actually going to talk about because she's used it. But a TENS machine is used to help relieve extreme period pain or things that might pain that might be associated with things like endometriosis. It's like a little machine that you stick on. This Bush
machine is called the Aura. It doesn't have any wires or cords or anything. It's just these little sticky pads. So it's this really small, cute looking machine that just sticks on and does its thing. I used a.
Tens machine when I was in labor, and what it does is it interrupts the pain signal that your brain is sending to your body. And so I was in a lot of pay ladies and gentlemen like turn that
bad boy up. Yeah. So, like as you are having contractions, what you can do is there's different settings for the tens machine, the one that I was using, and you can amp it up, and then as the contractions get more and more intense, you can amp up the tens machine and it sunds almost like this like electric pulse vibration almost, which isn't painful, but it's a weird or different sensation, and that different sensation is kind of gives you something else to focus on.
And I guess in the.
Same way way if you are somebody who has pain from endometriosis, so you have pain from difficult periods, it works in exactly the same way. And I mean, if you really just want a fund Saturday night, you can stick it to your boyfriend and like ram it all the way off.
And see how he reacts. Okay, but did it actually? I mean, that is a great idea, But did it work for you? So when you were trying to redirect these electual signals, did it take the pain away and help you get through it?
I mean it didn't take the pain of child birth away and.
Still have a small child of ripping your vagina. O.
Yes, look, I mean, but it definitely helped. It took the edge off. And I think like, obviously we can't really compare childbirth to period pain. There they're very very different types of pain in terms of like severity, but for those like and especially for like pre labor, like the early labor stages, where the pain is very similar to period pain and is very similar to like that like low thumping, heavy pain that you get, Yeah, massively,
it helps. It also just it gives you something to focus on that's outside of your own body that you have control over as well. Now that is all coming up on today's episode. We love Angie Kent. She's an absolute dream boat. So you guys, I'm sure so many of you know who she is. She's enjoying it and she has such an interesting story because she has had literally so many different types of health issues in terms of her reproductive system, in terms of her ovaries and her uterus and streets five.
She has more than we actually even knew. She rated off five different things that she's got going on.
And for somebody who has faced so many challenges when it comes to her own health, I think that she just has an incredibly positive outlook on it and she's a breath of fresh air to listen to. But something I wanted to talk about before we get into that. Now, this is an interesting one because this is something Britain and I were talking about over the weekend and party. We were discussing whether or not we should talk about on the podcast, and we were.
Discussing it just in general as friends discussing an article, and then we thought should this be something we bring to you guys.
And also and we'll get into the reason why behind that, but it was because we thought, do we want to bring more light to this? But basically what has happened and the article that we're referring to. Now, you guys might be familiar with a really famous actress. She was from Pack to the Rafters. Her name is Jessica Murray.
She's a brilliant actress.
She is a fourteen times LOGI nominee. She's a seven times Logi winner with in Australia. Now, back in twenty eighteen, she walked away from her career in acting. She decided that it wasn't for her. She was also needing to focus on her own health and it was widely reported on at the time that she was focusing on her
own mental health. And now recently there have been a whole spat of articles and at first it was just daily mail and that's why we were liked, you know what, We're not going to talk about it because we don't want to draw more attention to the stuff that Daily Mail report on.
More than we already do, guys.
But then it was also on news dot com and there have been many other huge media publications that have picked up the article. Jessica has she no longer works in acting. She has removed herself from acting and is now working at a waitress at a local cafe in
the Eastern suburbs. Now, the reason why we wanted to talk about this is because when we saw the article, we were so fucking mad, both of us, and that was the conversation that we had had surrounding this, because the idea that somebody who has removed themselves from the public light, who has removed themselves from public speculation, public gaze, they're no longer choosing to be an actress, is still being put through the same public scrutiny that somebody who's
in that situation is. But also the judgment, the judgment that the articles are laced with in terms of what she's now doing for a profession, is just so fucked up.
There were three articles in the one week about the same thing if it was the headline as well. The Kickstarter order up logo winning actress Jessica Murray cleans tables and serves drinks while waitressing at a Sydney cafe. I don't think any of that information is a relevant b. Like you just said, Laura, the thing that really ticks me off is just because somebody once upon a time
was in the public eye. And we know now right, we know that if you want to be in the pub the guy we say it, we're like, well, yes, you do open yourself up to articles too, people wanting to photograph you, to all of those things. Do you necessarily want it? No? Do you sometimes have to accept a level of that? Yes, Jess in particular, and there are a lot of we're speaking about jests just because this is what the articles are about at the moment,
But this goes for anybody. She is so far removed you could not remove yourself any further than Jess has. She has literally years ago. She's pulled out of everything she's done and she's like, I have decided which you are allowed to do, mind you that I don't want to live this life anymore. She's got a child, she just wants to be living a normal life. She wants
to work a normal job. For her to have that's taken away from her, for her to have people come up to her work where she can't escape, sit on the street, photograph you to then put an article up saying that you're cleaning tables is such a level of invasion and disrespect because now she's not asking for this. In fact, she's every part of her has said, please let me live my life, leave me alone, and that's been taken away from her.
Actually, quite a few different parts of this to unpack, and the reason why we wanted to talk about this is because it doesn't just have to do with Jessica. Actually, recently James Matheson was photographed. And James Matheson used to
be a presenter on Idol. He was like inequivalent to say Osha Gunsberg back in the day in terms of his prolificness within Australian media, and he was recently photographed with his new career he works in Amazon, and he made an active choice to walk away from the spotlight because it didn't serve him and it didn't align with his core values in the same way that it doesn't align with the core values that Jess has. It's not like she was at the bottom of her career and couldn't get another job.
She was at the height of her career.
They were re signing another season of Packed to the Rafters when she chose to leave.
She chose to leave. Actually it wasn't even just that she ended up saying no to three or four huge productions. So this is well and truly her choice.
And I guess the question is here. And like you said, Britt, you know we have spoken on the podcast before about how celebrities opened themselves up to a level of criticism. However, surely when those celebrities choose to walk away from the spotlight, they're allowed and entitled to privacy. And I think the issue is as well, is that when a paparazzi, like normally, if a paparazzi is taking photos of you down at Bondi Beach, you can get in your car and you
can drive away. But there is just this huge and gross invasion that happens when a paparazzi is standing across from someone at their work taking photos of them when they can't say, oh, I'm not going to go outside and serve those tables, because then that impacts their career. I'm not going to go and deliver those things at Amazon. They're almost in a hostage situation where they have to
walk outside. They're going to have these photos taken of them, and then those photos are going to be repurposed in countless articles that are they're written in a positive way, like if you read the actual language around it, it's written with positive overtones, but the undertones of the article are so shameful and it's saying that like look at this fall from Grace, and I just think when we see media like this, when we consume media like this, I hope that other people are as angry as what
we are when we see this. And I know that so many of you listeners would be that more so, I think questioning what is the intention of that?
What is the purpose of that article? What do they get.
Out of celebrating essentially what they are classifying a for from Grace?
And off the back of Jess's article came another article, This was just a couple of days ago, about every AUSSI star that has left acting or left the spotlight to go and have a normal job and then it goes through and it lists what everyone's done, and then it lists their personal struggles. And I just think that the word and this is what got me a lot too about Jess, the word personal struggles. Like the first
word of that is personal. This is not for the world, Like these personal struggles shouldn't be listed in an article as to why somebody may or may not be doing a certain job. So that really just I'm getting a bit angry, but that really pissed me off, Like I just think that that should be no one else's business and it shouldn't have anything to do with what we're talking about.
Well, I think as well, like you've hit the nail on the head with that, because in terms of when you say that, the over tones of the article, like the what they've written, they're like, oh, she seems so happy, and like it's written in a positive way. But then when you at the bottom of an article write someone's personal struggles, what you're actually trying to do is say, look at how they failed, that's what that is.
Look at how they got here.
Look at how they ended up where they are. And I think that there is a bigger question that we needs to come into play here and a bigger point, and that is why do we deem some industries successful and some industries as not successful, Like no job is better than another job, No job implies success over another job,
you know. I think, like, yes, sure, we might look at the acting world, or we might look at having fame as being a mark of success, But if that fame comes at the cost of your own mental health, if you're not able to thrive in that environment, then that isn't a mark of success. That is like an
incredibly awful environment to put yourself into. But if you can find happiness, fulfillment, and value and purpose in doing a job that is like say, in quotations what they've described as a normal jobs, so much more power and value that comes in that. And I hate that we're looking at it or the media looks at it through a negative lens when they have the media has so much impact in swaying people's perceptions.
I also think there's a big misconception around and this is not for everyone. Obviously, there are the big Hollywood stars that make them millions and millions of dollars per movie, but for a lot of actors and actresses in the industry, people think that that is directly associated with extreme wealth, but it's not a lot of actors that are in Australia, especially a lot of actors that you see on your TV. A lot of them are normal salaries. But I think we sit back as the public and we think, oh,
they're loaded. When that season ends or when that movie is finished, and there might be a year before another movie. That literally means that person is not getting an income for that time. So people do need to go and find money. COVID has happened for two years that affected everybody in the world. So I don't know. I just think it's something to remember when we are looking at these people that a lot of them are normal people, maybe not in an everyday job.
While we're talking about the media, we're talking about the perception around how celebrities are framed, especially when it comes to paparazzi photos. There was something that happened recently that I thought tied into this so perfectly, and so many of you, I'm sure have seen it, but for those of you who haven't, there were photos of Lisa Wilkinson that was taken. She was in Melbourne, she was sitting at a restaurant, and she was sitting near the window
of the restaurant by herself on her laptop, drinking a margarita. Now, yes, woman, I have your best life, living your best and fucking life, doing a bit of work, having a Margie and having dinner on her own. Now, there was outside that window, and you've got to imagine this was dark because it
was nighttime. So you know, when it's dark and you're sitting inside a well lit room, you can't necessarily see who's outside, like of a restaurant, you know, you know, it's usually darker on the street than what it is inside. Lisa said she could see that there was a photographer out there taking photos of her, and she was like,
fucking paparazzis, can't get a minute's break. But the article that came out was like, Lisa Wilkinson places the napkin on her lap, then she takes a bite of her broccoli, then she tucks her hair behind her ear. It was this grossly detailed version of what she had done that night. So the photographer had been there for an extended period
of time watching her. That in itself has so many issues, because I mean, you guys might not know, but like literally every single paparazzi I have ever seen is a man. Second to that, though, is that the article was framed to make Lisa Wilkinson look pathetic. Here is a woman on her own, eating dinner and having a margarita. How sad that is the article that was put out there
in the world. And I think there is so much damage that can be done by the media in the way that they can frame a story and then how that impacts public perception of that person. Lisa Wilkinson put out a really great post on Instagram and if you want to see it's a pictriv Leonardo DiCaprio, and it says, once you hit a certain age, you become permanently unimpressed by a lot of shit. And this is what she
has to say in her caption. Here's to women everywhere being able to happily and safely take themselves out for dinner after a long day, to do some work, to plow through a few dozen emails, to text some friends, to have a cheeky cocktail, to eat broccoli because hey greens, catch up on some reading wear clothes, tuck their hair behind their ear and place the white napkin on their lap in piece without worrying about being shamed or judged or disrespected or made to feel totally violated by some
old creepy guye secretly taking pictures designed to make you look sad and lonely when actually you're having a great night doing exactly what you want to be doing with exactly the person you want to be doing it with.
Well played, Lisa Wilkinson. I'm looking at the photos now, but this article and these photos were everywhere, So if you didn't see them, just do a little Google search, so you're not we're talking about and you'll just think, God, you're living your best life, Lisa. But it was the opening line for this. Lisa Wilkinson cuts a lonely figure while she dined out. Now, the one thing that I want to add to this is lonely and alone don't have to be interchangeable totally. It doesn't mean that you've
got no one to hang out with. It doesn't mean that you are super lonely and pathetic. It just means that you are comfortable with yourself. Maybe you don't feel it's like socializing with anyone else that night, But Lisa Wilkinson here, she's got her laptop out in front of us. She's literally away on a work trip. She's not like she's just at home. She's away on a work trip.
She's doing work. And the fact that the whole article is made to look her look pathetic and lonely is what really grinds my gears.
We need to challenge ourselves when we read articles that have been put together, especially based on paparazzi photos. The story has been completely fabricated based on that moment in time. Paparazzi photos are not indicative of what that person is going through or indicative of the space of life that
they're in. And just as you said that being alone and being lonely are not interchangeable things, I think it also kind of circles back to this conversation around Jess Murray, where it's like success is not defined by the occupation
that you have. If Jess was struggling with her mental health by being in the limelight, but now is in a much happier and more peaceful place that is far more successful and something that we should be celebrating rather than the career options that she's chosen for herself.
What I do love to see though, is that, like you just said, Laura, the media have always skewed our opinions on things without like subconsciously we're led to believe
things because we're reading them all the time. What I do love to see is on both of these articles that we're talking about, the articles talking about Jess and the celebrities that are now working the quotation normal job, and the article about Lisa Wilkinson, when you read the comments, and I love to see it because a lot of the time the comments are bad, but the comments are really in both of these articles are really supportive, and it's nice to see society is pushing back against media.
People are like, one of the comments is what kind of loser things this is suitable for a news article? At Leasta, You're such an incredible woman, She's so smart. You guys are simpletons. A lot of people are pushing back now and we're not being so led down the garden trail by media.
And I think that that is partly the reason why we wanted to talk about this, is because we were so angry by it, and we know that so many of you guys, if you have seen the same articles, would have had those same feelings. And if you didn't have those feelings and you just read it at face value, it's probably because you hadn't unpacked the nuance of what that means and what that situation is from the being stalked by a fucking paparazzi who's a man.
I reckon, it's time for accidentally, I'm filtered.
Let's get into it, all right. I have quite a quick but also very funny one this morning. I've never been more embarrassed in my entire life. I was in the middle of a home waxing when I heard someone knock at the door. It was then I realized that I had completely forgotten about the electrician that was due to come that day. So I raced to the front door in my daggy ninety and I apologized to the
man and explained it totally slipped my mind. I walked him through the bathroom where he had to do the work and said, oh, I'm so sorry about the wax strips. I just finished waxing my legs in quotation marks. She was generally waxing her lady parts. I went and pretended to be busy at the back in the kitchen, and I walked him out when he was finished. It was only on my way back to the bathroom that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I still had a wax strip stuck to my fucking ass crack,
with my nineties stuck to the strip full exposure. I was so caught up bad because I forgot that he was coming. I forgot I had a wax strip on my asshole. There is no way that he would not have seen it as he was walking directly behind me.
So the ninety was stuck up in the butt. So she knew the wax strip that was in her butt crack, that was in her ass craft. You cannot write that.
Also, how do you not feel a wax strip in your butt crack?
Well, she probably could feel it in there, but she probably didn't know the ninety was stuck to it.
She would have just.
Thought that was still in there ready to pull off.
Yeah, you reckon. She was just like prepared for as soon as he left.
But no, I was like, you don't need to pay me for today, lassie.
The ninety was just sitting perfectly perched on top of the of the wax strip, which meant her entire butt crack and the wax strip were out on display.
That reminds me of that time in the early day season one, when we started this podcast and we hired a studio and we used to go, like Laura and I used to go into this little studio to record. I remember the day you got out of your car and your dress was tacked up into your undies. Remember you walked down the main street Sydney with the dress up.
I did suppressed this memory, guys. Not only did I walk with it tucked in, it was a skirt and it was completely tucked into my underwear from behind. And I walked the length the length of South Dowling Road, like I'm talking like three hundred meters, and I had a couple.
Of beefs and one guy call out the.
Window and I was like, okay, MoMA's got it. Today, I was really feeling myself. I'd only just had Marley.
Everyone was treating me and I was like, I was feeling.
Like I was getting back in shape. And it was only when this man walked up to me and I was like, fuck, I'm really I'm on fire today that he said, I'm so sorry to embarrass you, but your entire underwear is out at the back, and it was inside the top.
Of my G string and my whole, my everything. It wasn't even like there weren't even Bridget Jones that had coverage. It was a G banger. It was a G banger, Blood God. Anyway you suppressed that?
Okay, all right, give me your accdentally unfiltered Brittany.
All right, well, I am just going to give you an innocent one today. I'm just really trying to wind back the mate. I'm not here for the PG shit. Oh well, I've got two that I've been trying to side between ones. Okay, Actually, Laura, maybe you'll relate to this in some capacity. I haven't been to too many mum at school dinner dates, but I decided I should really try and make an effort and meet some mother mums.
There were twenty moms going out to dinner on a Wednesday night from my son's class, and I knew maybe two of them, so I was excited to meet some new people. I got there early, about ten minutes. I looked around the restaurant and I saw a really large table inside full of mums. I went and sat down, started to chat for about fifteen minutes. Everyone seemed really lovely, and so I turned around and saw the moms that
I actually knew outside at a different table. I looked around and I said, are you guys at a school dinner? And they said no. I said, why if you let me talk to you for ten minutes? This woman just went and crashes. These women were just sitting there having like a catch up, and this woman came and just sat down and started to talk about her kid and stuff, and they all just left.
That's actually really cute, and they just laughed.
She was like, why did you let me speak for fifteen minutes? And they're like, well, you just seem friendly.
I actually think that's adorable.
It's so cute because you imagine how embarrassed you are, like because you get nervous. That's like a date, Like when you're going into a mom date. You don't know twenty people, You're nervous, you get there early, you want to impressed, you want to make friends. Imagine just going up. But then I tried to put myself in this position. If I was sitting down at a table and a girl camp and sat down and started talking, I would probably just talk to her too. I'd probably just like, oh, she's out.
For a chat, would.
Just mon't be a few marks deep.
But imagine a moment where she has to get up and then walk and go and sit at the other table. She's like, oh, sorry, there's my actual friends.
You guys are better. Maybe she'll come back at the end of the night.
But anyway, guys, that is it for the intro chat. Let's get into talking to Angie Kent and doctor Izzy Smith. We are so excited to have someone who I know you're all going to be very familiar with. She was once upon a time our bachelorette. She has her own radio show and her own podcast. She was in the Jungle Man. This girl has done that. Literally every got.
A book, Like, what have they not annoying her?
How accomplished she is, Angie, Welcome to Life on Card.
Thanks ladies. I'm so excited to be here.
Do you know what's crazy is? I actually don't know, and maybe you can tell me. I don't know how many times or if we've physically met or been at anything together, but I feel like I know you really well, but I don't. Actually I was just trying to think about it. I'm like, I don't actually think we've ever met in real life.
This is the joys of social media. It's like everyone who moves in the Bachelor's space thinks that they know each other, but no one really knows each other.
Well, that's it, because that whole experience is such like an ancestual culty situation. You almost like bond over trauma. You're like, huh, we're family, so it kind of feels like it.
Speaking of trauma though, And something that we also bond over is on every episode we do an accidentally unfiltered story, which is basically just your most embarrassing story, which you tell and we all laugh about it.
Which I have a feeling You've got a lot. I don't know why I have that feeling.
I have so many. I seriously, my whole life is an embarrassing moment. But I messaged my manager when I got this femail asking. I was like, what's a good story, and he's like, oh, he had one in mind, and then and I was like, what about this one? And he was like, if you want to say it, you can say it, but that's cooked. But I'm going to do it anyway.
No, this is what we want.
This has never been I've never even like I fully blanked it, like I fully blanked this happened, And I feel like this is the perfect space to share it because you'll semi be able to relate in the sense that it is a batchet related embarrassing story, so amazing. Maybe Bachelorette alone was just embarrassing enough as is, because I'm so awkward, I'm so sweaty, So there was like probably fifty thousand, but this one I've trauma blocked as well, but I've remembered it recently.
Do you know what, though, Angie, there's nothing worse than when we get guests on the podcast and they're so scared to tell a good embarrassing story that they're like, oh, this one day I fell over haha.
And you're like, no, man, I need the trauma. Did you shot yourself for your fellow Otherwise we don't want to know.
We want to know, we want to know the nitty gritty. No, this one's pretty cooked. Hey, like this one, okay, let me paint the scene. So obviously, you have your first night whatever it is, and it's full on. You're exhausted. You meet all these people and you're just like holy shit, and then you go on your first date. My first day happened to be a twenty four hour date, and I picked the person that I ended up picking at the end, Carlin. For twenty four hours, we went camping.
You know, it was lovely. It's not really twenty four hours. But we got to drink a lot more than what you normally do. That I found out because you know, you're monitored, and we were drinking red wine and you know, it's fun. Got a little bit drunk, but had to get up super early, as you do. And the next day was the photo shoot, so you guys know the photo shoot.
Oh, the second date. It's like the first group date.
No, I wasn't invited on that. I was like four people who didn't go it with me.
Oh yeah, not everybody does them.
It's kind of like, if you're someone who follows Bacci, you would know this, but if you don't follow Bacci, the first group date is a photo shoot. It's usually done for Woman's Day or something like that, but they kind of turn it into a date.
It's weird.
It's a weird premise for a date.
It's so weird. And mine was animal instincts because they knew how awkward I was, so they were like, let's just make this fun and awkward for her anyway. And I had a lot of red wine the night before, so you know what your stomach's like right with red wine, Like it's not good. And we were at camping, so there was this story is so so that was the only drop toilet and I knew the boys were coming, but Carlin didn't know. And I was like, oh my gosh.
I was getting nervous for Carlin because he thought we were gonna have this like lovely day together. And then all the boys come in. There's like ten of them or something I can't remember, and my boys were just so full on in it stuff. They're all coming over. But prior to it, I was like, oh my god, I need to shit, like and there's only a drop twin.
I love that you're whispering this angie, like you're whispering like all Australias.
Like I said, everybody's not gonna And I go to the toilet and I've got this like Kimmy obviously starle me. We love Kimmy, we love her. I think I'm in like jeans, a little top and like this long. I think it was like a cream coat. You know how they had the ties, so you're like, you undo the tie.
And I've sat down, not okay, tell me you shit on it.
And my tie was in the toilet.
In the drop toilet.
Other people's sit was in the toilet. I've shot all over my white fucking coat. I'm sat up and I've gone, oh my god, and i know all the boys are coming, and I'm like Carlin's just was so pretty and so lovely what I thought he was. And I was like, oh god it was and it was stunk, and I was like, oh my god, I feel sick. I'm so sick. I wasn't close with the free because like day two, so I couldn't be like Kimmi, I've shot myself, or
like Wendy, I've shot myself. So I'm in there with the sink, scrubbing the shit of other people's and my own off my coat. I've got my essential oils out of the tent and I'm like, hang on, I just got to take a panetole. And I'm like, I was so nervous. I was sitting there jam I was there because it was for Sydney Confidential. And I've just met Jama. I've had to hug all the boys with my shit coat.
Wait, you still wore it. You didn't go back to styling and say, hey.
I had to wear it. I washed it in the sink.
She goes to Stay two. I didn't know I could tell my shit on my coat.
I couldn't tell anybody. So I've washed it in the scen just the strip, not the coat, and I've washed it in the sceingk and I've walked it and I smelt it and I was like, okay, it's fine. I then had to get dressed, like into all my little outfits and stuff for the photo.
Shit.
But I stood there introducing the group date being like animal instincts in me shit code.
I cannot wait for the socials for this episode to dig out a photo of you in that code.
That's going to be the cover photo of.
Okay, we need to see if it's the right Unless I took it off. Maybe I did. I think I was too scared because I didn't know people well. And by the end I was just like my boobs wow. And if I was drunk, I was like, just the boys like you.
By the end, you're like, yeah, I've shipped myself again. Guys, can we change my outfit? You're just so much more open it.
You just started using it as actually a tactic. If you didn't like your outfit, you're like, oh, sorry, I put it.
In the toilet.
I shout on it. I shout on it again.
One of the actually the reason that could be it we could shut up shop.
Now.
That's the reason why we got you on the on the show today. We just wanted to hear you talk about your shit code. But there is something else that we want to talk about, and that is you have been super open and very vulnerable sharing your endimetriosis and PCOS journey. What was that journey like in terms of finding out that you had endometriosis and finding out that you had PCOS? How did that kind of come about?
So I always struggled with my period. I always there was always something odd about it. It would come, it would go, but I was always just told because I suffered really badly from disordered eating, that was kind of my own fault that I kind of, you know, messed up my own period. But I was about twenty five, I think where I just said to my and she was like, I got adult acne again, and I was like, I'm
just having the worst periods. And she was like, let's pop you on the pill and we'll sort that out. And I was like, I really never wanted to be on the pill. I don't I didn't care for it. And we did that and it just nothing was working. I was bleeding through and then she was like, I reckon, you've got endometriosis. So sometimes in some cases you can do the what do you call it? I've had a brain freeze. I have them all the time, and I can't think of it.
Do you mean an ultrasound or something?
Yeah, they did the ultra sound ultra sound. I don't know why I always forget that weld. I have them all the time, I think because I hate them so much. I don't like to remember the word. So I had the ultrasound and I couldn't see anything, and they were like, well, usually you have to have keyhole surgery in order to a laparosopy in order to be diagnosed. So I had my first laparoscopy and I did have endemyitriosists at that point. I don't know how long I had it for, and
I didn't have pcos. At that point, my first surgery was so ghastly. I went through the public system and it was just I didn't know my surgeon, I didn't know endemetriosis. I didn't really there wasn't much noise around it, even though that was what eight years ago. So yeah, it was quite a traumatic experience. I didn't feel heard and I didn't know anything about it.
So how old were you when this when the discovery was made?
I think I had keyholes. My first key hole slaparoscopy was twenty six, twenty six, twenty seven, and I was pretty much traumatized by that experience and I didn't want to do it again. But then simpsons kept getting worse because my surgery actually wasn't performed properly. I ended up very unwell and emergency and had an infection. Then I got onto a really good surgeon who was private but did public. He also didn't tell me I have p coos.
And then by my third surgery, which was this February fourteenth, Happy Valentine's Day to me.
Me and my ovaries, me and my.
Cis so hot. I just have this old cis heat. Dude, just cutting me open. So you could ask me out on a date. First guy. Yeah, so he found he found heaps of stuff. But before my third surgery, it was last year before I left Sydney actually and got stuck in the Sydney lockdown. He was like, you're riddled with cyst and I was like, I didn't even know I had that, And he's like, be really careful with
your stress because it's going to make it worse. Went to Sydney, did Dancing with Stars, got trapped down there, came back and I was just like, whoo, I was riddled. I was absolutely riddled with sis. Yeah, polcistic overies.
And this was when you found out. So it was it was almost eight years after your first endometriosis diagnosis.
Yeah, six years, six years.
And were you having symptoms at that time that had differed from when you had endometriosis or was it just kind of like you had become almost it had become almost normal to have so many issues in terms of like irregular periods and pain. And yeah.
See it's so hard with labeling it down to one thing. Because I have I have endometriosis. I have ad no myiosis, which is endometriosis as evil cousin they call it, which there's hardly anything on that at the moment I'm trying to learn. I've obviously just been recently smashed with all these diagnoses. So for me learning that is a process in itself and is quite overwhelming. So I get mixed up with all the symptoms because I have so many. So I've ad no PCOS, and I've recently fibroids, and
I've recently been diagnosed with intercistor cystidis. So my symptoms have always been really odd. Period with PCOS, the main one was I had my last period in August for city, and only just got my first period again last month. So what's that eight months no period?
I mean, talk about over achieving andji, you couldn't just have one syndrome. You have to have don't just don't just stop at one. Well, that's the thing when you've I guess it's almost impossible to when you've got two, three, four things going on in this one confined space. How are you supposed to know what symptom is causing what? So I don't imagine there is a way to differentiate that.
It's quite hard. I think the biggest thing for anybody with any chests like this. What I say when I ever do any talks is that you know your body better than anyone else. And the biggest thing is period pain is not normal. We were I think we're all kind of around the same age where even still where we were brought up to be like just get over it. You know you've got your period. You didn't even learn much about it was pretty much you get your period,
you could have a baby. The end period pain isn't normal. Yeah, it was cooked. And that's my biggest less said and learning is in this is that so many women have reached out to me and told me these horrific stories and how they've been medically gas lit. But if you have irregular periods and you're skipping periods for months on end, if you're in pain, if you're fainting, if you're noticing, you've got like I started to get like random ass hair growing in players as I've never seen before. I
gained a lot of weight. I went from I had a bit of an issue though, so and PCO was dis sorted eating more because you gain all this weight for no reason, what a hormone based thing. But you're not eating anymore your creating's changed, and you're just like, what's going on. So I went from like a ridiculous weight to gaining about maybe eight kilos, and I was kind of like, what's going on? And my acne came back and the anxiety and depression, and they're the main
symptoms for PCO west. But again, everybody is so completely different in how they experience any of these chronic and visible illnesses.
You mentioned something before, and I think it's kind of really interesting to circle back on this, but you said feeling like you were being medically gaslate. What was your experience, and I guess, knowing that you had been through a few different doctors and a few different surgeons, what was your experience in getting to that point of a diagnosis.
I still feel that I'm not heard sometimes. I often leave feeling a little bit because a lot of men work a guyinos, which I find quite interesting. They're great with the medical side of things, obviously, but they don't know the trauma response and the anxiety and the stress that comes when with it. They just know, well, this is what happens when you have it and you need surgery, see you later. They don't look after you after it right, they don't hold your hand after you being everything taken
out of you. I just felt like, for example, with the intercestual cystatus, which is a bladder condition, I was always just told I was an anxious person. That's why I peed so much. My whole bladder was completely just a red blood. Like I saw pictures recently after my surgery. It was just like this round thing of just inflammation and blood. But then growing up it was just like, oh,
you're you're just got anxiety. Well, no, I probably had anxiety because I was riddled in pain, but nobody diagnosed me with anything exactly. So I just feel like it was that constant passing around. If you've just got anxiety, you've just got anxiety opened me up. My whole body had turned on me, and of course I had anxiety. I was in so much pain and I didn't know why.
So it's one of those things where I feel like we're often medically gas lip because we're just told just to get just to get on with it.
Has anyone specialist GP, anyone or your research. Has anyone told you if everything you have the AD no, the intersitial societists, the pcos, the ENDO, any of them, related to each other. Is there a direct connection with anything else that you've got, or are you just unlucky that you've just got all this shit going on.
If anybody's gonna get anything, it's going to be me. I've always said, because I've got Celiac's disease as well, whoo, it's all inflammation based, So I've always there's no I don't think there's any medical, real you know, anything to back this up. But I think because I've got so much inflammation in my body, I feel that due to maybe having my eating disorder so terribly for so long,
I caused a lot of issues in my body. I often don't like to think about that because I don't want to blame myself, and I've done a lot of work emotionally and mentally around it because I'm not endometrious or adenomyosis or pcos. I'm just experiencing it. Because it's so often that we get attached to thinking that we are what we have right, and then that just makes it worse. The pain is worse, Everything is just so
much bigger. I feel that what I did to myself growing up may have a little bit of a part in the inflammation of it and it being as bad as what it was. And obviously the disordered eating can really mess with your insulin levels, which PCOS is a huge thing with. But look a lot of it. They say it's genetics. Again, my mum never thought to check, my nan never thought to check, and they both suffered with really bad periods. A lot of it is genetics.
And yeah, producing extra male hormones which can be from stress, and I was very stressed growing up, so maybe, But.
I think also so hugely what you just said, like your mum and your grandparents and them not getting checked. It's like they were of the generation where women just didn't and did exactly that when they were told. They had the perception that periods are supposed to be painful. And I think it's only with our wave of generation that women are saying this is not right, like this,
something here is wrong. And there's almost this wave and push of talking about things like PCOS, talking about endometriosis, a conversation that wasn't on the table ten years ago.
It really wasn't.
In terms of what you do for your own pain, in terms of what you do for pain management, what has worked for you so far or what are the treatments or processes that you have, either you've used or whether it's been surgery, that have been beneficial to you, trialed and.
Tested, child, I've done it all. I'm very big on approaches. I've got an amazing team that I've cultivated now. But it did. It wasn't always like that. I mostly focused on what my GP told me, which she's amazing, the one I was seeing in Sydney. But again she's a general practitioner, so she only generally practiced like touches on everything right. So I had a beautiful natural path that I actually lost this year. When you have all these conditions and you feel so let down and often not heard,
to have somebody that is your safe person. And she put me in touch and with the right people that would listen to me, or what the best surgeons or what I was eating, and helped me through what my body needs for PCOS, certain homes I could take for inflammation because the idea of taking painkillers all the time gave me anxiety, which would then cause an end of mateiosis flare up or an into sister societies flare up because stress often causes flare up. So I say get
yourself a really, really good natural path. It's like a hairdresser. I always say this, if you're going to somebody and they're not listening to you, it's exactly the same as going to a hairdresser and they keep giving you a shit cut. You're not going to keep going back to them, are you. So find somebody that will listen to you. Also,
I highly recommendatural remedies. Speak to somebody that really is like a dietitian in the chronic illness, not just somebody that's like, well, this diet's going to work for anybody, you know, that's tailored to pcos or and demetriosis or whatever you have going on. And a really good pain psychologist. I've just started seeing one and that's been really good.
I'll see that's interesting. So what do they coach you through how to mentally deal with the pain or how to like remove like is it like a meditative removing yourself state that you put into or like what's that about.
I've only just started with that, and it's it's going to be more because I've been suffering really bad panic attacks lately because of the nerve damage and everything around there. The instant response to my head is like something really bad is going on. So it's kind of just knowing when you have that pain what to do. Yeah, like get your heat pack laid down, listen to something that's gonna bring you out of that state of fight or flight. Know that you're not dying, You're just in a lot of pain.
And we know thoughts are a powerful thing. But in terms of being at home besides a heat pack, laying down and relaxing, like Laura has used a TENS machine before for when you're in labor, and we know now. I didn't actually know this, but I do now. I know that you can use it for things like pcos and Demetrios's pain. Have you ever tried that?
I actually have it, and everybody's so shocked by that. I have this like little I usually carry it with me everywhere just because I have a flower. But it's this like little water bottle and you can bring it with you and you plug it in and you hitt and you go like that and it heats itself up in the plug. I've only used that, but I've never used the TENS. I've heard I should, but I don't know.
Well, Bush is actually one of our sponsors, which is very very convenient. So I will if you want to give one a world that is a poe. Yes, So I'm gonna I'll get your address after this and I'll send you one to have a go, especially if you haven't used it, because it may be a secret superpower.
Could you imagine. I wish there was a portable one that I could wear under all my clothes all the time.
I think, I think so like the one I use when I was pregnant. It's tiny and like as and I used it when I was in labor, and you can chuck the pack part in your pocket. Well that's I mean, they're all slightly different, but you just put the tabs on and you put the pack and then you can bump it up. Yeah, I mean like setting five would have blitzed your ass off like it was like, but you can kind of go on the lower settings.
In terms of your PCOS and endometriosis. How costly has this been for you, the cost of the procedures, the cost of treatment, the costs of therapies. What impact financial impact do you think that has had on you?
And have you had any level of assistance from Medicare or what is covered under your private health insurance for people that are scared to go down this path.
Look, I've I'm a great example of learn through me because I seriously have. That's why I'm so open about sharing this. I don't do it for attention. I don't need people's sympathy or attention by any means. I do it because I want to create more awareness around it.
And I would say, if you're going to be getting laparoscopies, definitely have private health because my last one I went private with my private surgeon and through private hospital, and my health insurance hadn't kicked in yet four and I only had like the basic one. And I've learned the hard way now because my surgery all up, I think, let's say probably nine thousand dollars just for the surgery. That's just for the surgery. That's not for every appointment
I go. When I go see my guano, when I go see my health care specialist, when I go see my physio. I was getting treatments for my intersitial cystiatis every week I went to see him. The needle alone that the syringe they injected into my urethra was two hundred and seventy and then he was one hundred and fifty every week.
That's huge.
I wouldn't have been able to afford that when I was a twenty six when I first got diagnosed. So that's why I did go through public and I got butchered and I didn't felt feel held and supported, And I understand why that happens to women who has that
money laying around. It's only fortunate enough now that I've worked quite a lot, and but I still budget, like I don't have willy nearly three hundred bucks to just be throwing around to have somebody stick a syringe in my norm care every week, Like nobody wants to do that.
That's people's rent, that's people's whole, what they budget for rent and bills and stuff. And to be doing that every single week and not have any assistance.
It's not fair. I think what women have to pay for them what's not covered Medicare. I'll get like thirty forty bucks back every time I see my guyin no or. I don't think I get anything back for physiotherapy, which is huge because pelvic floor we have a lot of perfect flow issues with people who have these invisible illnesses, so it's never ending, my psych I don't. I think maybe I get a Medicare. You can go through and get the healthcare plan for that kind of stuff, to
make sure you do that. If you want to see a psych for your pain. But you know what, like I would say, you're going to be getting surgeries, definitely get private health. I know it's so expensive and then you get the allied appointments that do help, so learn through me. Otherwise you're out of pocket. You know, nine grand and that's that was a lot. That was a real big kick in the ovaries to think like I did not ask for any of this, and I'm having
to pay for you to remove it. But then if I needed a hysterectomy, they will fight you fucking with everything to make you not get one. It's just very bizarre. The medical system isn't team women yet or people with vaginas. I should say, because I'm not all women who have periods, you know, they don't identify as women, not all people, I should say, so, yeah, we're not quite there yet. For people with vaginas, I don't think at all.
And if you're having so many different like for having these different chronic illnesses. What is it for you? And how does it feel? I should say how does it feel?
But what is it like?
Having sex? Is that affected?
So with the relationships and sex, I think right now that's kind of for me personally. Everybody's different, it's non existent. I think the fear of having to explain to somebody all of these things that I have going on. I can't even comprehend it, let alone a partner. I'm sure there is people that would hold space for it, but I'm not at the stage where I feel comfortable enough to allow somebody to leading up to it without knowing I had all these chronic invisible illnesses. Sex was so painful,
so painful. You know, it gets to the point where I'm comfortable and I can enjoy it, But I got to be with somebody to feel comfortable enough to even relax for it to get in. You know, have like men find that hot too when you're really tight. Side note, dudes, a lot of the time when you're really tight, it's because you've got pelvic floor issues.
It's like, Oh, I'm not even gonna go into it. Do it? Do it? Well? We'd go down a whole track of like what men don't get insects, which is this is not what the podcast is.
I mean, we've had a whole conversation about men thinking not knowing how many holes there are.
So I think that there's like many things we can talk about. But I have I have a really good friend that has uh she has endo and pcos, but she sex is so and I didn't know this until I became good friends with her. Sex is so painful to her that she's like I started having long distance relationships because it was easy out for me. I didn't
have to have sex all the time. I could develop that relationship that was strong enough that when we did meet, I could be more explanatory about like why you need to be really gentle, why we need to take our time. But I didn't know that it was to the point that people struggle to have physical relationships in terms of not physical but the actual penetrative sex.
But I think it's interesting because we have so many conversations about what it feels like as a person, like what it feels like to have something like endemetriosis, But then it's like the other ways it impacts you, impacting your ability to have relationships because your sex is affected by it like that doesn't get a lot of airtime, and it's such a part and parcel of this and of having a chronic illness.
It doesn't. And another big thing that I think if I look back now in relationships where I would have sex quite often because I felt that I had to and it was so painful, but I could never really explain why I wouldn't do that to myself. Now I've come far enough to know that the right person that I'm with will hold space for me and I can't
have sex. And I'm not a man hater by any means, a heapman hater at all, but I find because I am pan sexual, when I was having sex pre surgery with people that weren't sis hepman, they were way more understanding of my pain and my body because they got it as well, you know, they really got it, and they really understood, and then we could do other things that were still connecting and sexual, but they didn't have to slam dunk me.
What do you want to say or what would you say to somebody now that's just about to go down this journey that's just figuring it out, or that's at home thinking, fuck, I have some of those symptoms. Maybe I need to go get checked out. What's your advice? What do you wish you knew?
I would say? What would I wish I knew? I would say, if you don't feel held and supported, definitely get a second. And I know it costs a lot of money. Get us You're worth it. Get a second. Third, fourth opinion because you know your body better than anybody, better than the professionals, So you need to find people that will hold and support you. Join all the forums, but also don't read them like intently, because then you're,
like I might believe it. Should I try that? Make sure you know what's best for your body, because no true bodies are the same and you're all going to experience things differently. But cultivate a team that will listen and support you because it can be quite scary, and you can always ask me. I try to anybody that asked me stuff about that. I'm not a doctor, obviously, but I can point you in two directions that have helped. Angie.
Thank you so much for coming and sharing this with us. I think you're going to help a lot of people. Where can people find you? Tell everyone what you do and where they can go and track you down everywhere, not your physical address, but like you know, Mountain.
No, I'm not going to say that where I live. So no, I was just on the instagrams. It's just I think it's just Angie Can with an underscore because I'm old school.
I'm an underscore too. I think underscore.
Angie Can, so I had to have an underscore. But yeah, just anytime, you know, slide into your DMS if you got a question. I do try to get back to everybody or do a Q and about it because I know what's really scary. But I just want people with vaginas, who are you know, living in fear or not knowing, just to know that you're you're not alone and you're you can be held in supported for sure.
Oh you're definitely not alone. And that's the problem. The prevalence is far too high.
Angie, thank you so much for coming on and being a part of the podcast. You are wonderful.
Thanks gals.
Well, we do have the experts with us today. We have doctor Izzy Smith here. Doctor Izzy, who I will refer to you as doctor is he is and is an endochronologist. So we've really brought in the big guns. Is it Welcome to life uncut.
Thank you so much, Britt, I'm excited to be here as a fan of the podcast.
Now, before we get started, like we did, just do some bonding over your recent breakup, but that is not why you're here today. Everyone goes through their heartbreak, but you, Izzy, are an endocrinologist. Now, I think there are a lot of people out there that would have absolutely no idea, including myself, about the specifics what an endocrinologist actually does. So can we start by what do you do?
Lots of paperwork? An endocrinologist is a medical specialist. That is, any hormone related problem. So I look after anything type one diabetes, type two diabetes, thyroid adrenal ovariants, or anything reproductive hormones, testosterone, polycystic ovariance syndrome that we'll be talking about today, two or two problems that essentially anything hormone related, which is lots of different things.
Okay, So what would be the main reason, So just say someone goes to their GP. I'm assuming for everyone listening, you can't just go to an endocrinologist. You have to get a specialist referral. What is the main reason people would come and see you. What do you get referred the most.
I do a lot of work in bone health, but I guess it depends what you kind of sub specialize, as in endocrinology, but you correct that you do need a referral. And that's for all medical specialties. Like in the States, it's different. Anyone can see specialists, but that is a barrier they put up from probably people seeing too many specialists when they might not need to. But I look after so bone health, lots of diabetes, thyroid problems, and it kind of depends on the type of person.
And to a young female who's probably most of your listeners, that might be thyroid problems, fertility problems. An older person that might more be osteoporosis, things like that.
The thing that we're here to talk about today, which is PCs. I know that there will be people who listening to this who have it themselves, who are very familiar with the conversation, but there's going to be so many of our listeners who actually have heard of it but don't have any idea what it actually is. Can you tell us what is PCOS?
First?
I'm going to do like a thirty second summary of the female reproductive right, You're.
Like, I didn't go to university for twenty five years, so I couldn't say this.
So essentially, so we've got our ovaries and they are controlled by our brains. We've got these two endocrine organs called the hypothalamus and the petuatory, and they monitor the rest of our body, how much stress right under, what we've eaten, our energy intake, all these different things. They sense everything and they send messages to the ovaries to make hormones and also release an egg. And that's how
we ovulate and we get pregnant. So the messages come from the tree to the ovary and that's how hormones and a mental cycle occurs that our hormones are up and down in a regular month and period and all of.
That sometimes regular, sometimes absolutely not regular regular, for like by the cycle of the moon. I'm like, when's that coming, baby?
Checking if I'm pregnant again?
Does it app for that? I was gonna say, there's some good tracking apps.
So PA costs or PCOS polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Now the name is pretty crap.
Because you'd think it would just be about the you know, polycystic appearance on the ovaries, and they thought that it should be changed to you know, ovarian dysfunction androd and syndrome or something, because really it's about the ovaries making too much male hormones. But in p SOS, the messages from the petuitory from the brain that tell the ovaries to make hormones, they get a little bit confused, and
the ratio is out. There's two hormones called LH and FSH, and there's too much LH, which means there's lots of follicles that are stimulated, and that's why it's called polycystic ovarian syndrome. We see an ultrasound and we look all there's lots of follicles, so heaps of follicles are stimulated, but one is isn't then developed to then be ovulated.
So people have high hormone production, and they also have high esten and high male hormones, which are the androgens, and that's what causes the acne and them kind of male pattern hair growth. And rather than the hormones going up and down in a nice cycle, the hormone levels stay pretty much the same all the time and you don't ovulate.
See, people have PCs pretty much and not having a period for some people with PCOS.
And let me just explain how we define PCOS because it's a syndrome.
It's not like this one diagnostic test.
And I was just chatting with your producer before about her background and it's a little bit unclear and there's not a clear cut diagnosis. It's not you can do one test and this you have peacos. So there's three categories and you need to have two. One is the polycystic over appearance on ultrasound, but really important to note that's only if you're around at least ten years after your first period, so if you're eighteen, super common to
normal to have polycystic overs on ultrasound. That's one criteria. The second one one is high androgens, and that can either be clinically so you've got signs of high androgen, so that's acne, body hair growth.
And the androgens were the male homee.
The male woman.
So you test or sterone essentially and you can either have the clinical sides or on a blood test it could be elevated androgens. And then the third one is irregular periods, so that could be no periods at all. Or it could be more than forty five days between a cycle or less than eight periods in a year. So we say, if you have two of those three,
you have polycystic goo varian syndrome. It's not a perfect diagnostic because someone could have acne and then they could have a missed period because they're actually not eating enough and really lean, but they would still meet those criteria. It's two of those three criteria, and it's because of those abnormal messages from the petuitatory to the ovary and we don't have that nice mental cycle.
You're not ovulating.
It's the most common cause of annovulatory so not ovulating infertility and a common cause of needing. You normally don't need IVF for pea costs, but you know sometimes you might need some other assistance. Yes, you're not ovulating, and that the problem is when we're not ovulating them. If anyone has lost their period and they're like, oh, this is great, I'm not going to see the doctor. I
don't want to have a period once a month. If you have pea costs and you're not ovulating, you're getting excess estrogen stimulating the lining of the uterus, which is called the endometrium and normally we need progesterone to balance that out, and if you don't get that progesterone, you're actually increasing the risk of endometrial cancer.
And tragically, I've.
Had women, you know, my age, that have had pea costs not had to trade it and had endometrial cancer and had hysterect me when they're like thirty. So if you lose your periods, make sure you get.
It checked out. Okay. So I am just consuming all of that and it's great because you need the background.
We have spoken a lot about endometriosis before, and one of the things like, I don't have endometriosis, and I found the conversation really interesting because I know a lot of women who do, but I couldn't quite understand why it's so painful. But now obviously since we've done that research, I kind of get it and I understand it more. Is pcos something that people will would suffer with pain with, like, is it something that's painful or is it quite different to endometrios in that way.
Completely different.
So peacocks super common one intent, endometriosis one intent. People You're going to have people that have both well, No, it's not a painful condition. It's those signs that I talked about, which would be the indicators that you've got policistic covariance in it. You could have like a ruptured ovaria insist that would be really painful, and maybe that risk is slightly increased with policistic of variance indrame.
But no, the condition itself isn't painful.
With these women that are not having their period, they're not getting enough progesteron to balance the endometrium and then they end up with endometrial cancer. Just for everybody listening, can that also happen for the people that are getting their period? Their body is allowing it, but they're skipping the period on the pills. So the people that are just actually saying I don't want it. Now, could this
endometrial cancer come from that? Or is does your body actually have to be not producing it?
Yes, So I'll just quickly explain again with a bit of a hormone metrial cycle school, So we only least progesterone after we ovulate. The progesterone comes from the little part of the ovary called the corpus routine where the egg comes from. So if you're not ovulating, you can't make progesterone. And what gets tricky is some people can actually have a period even though they haven't ovulated, often quite heavy because the progesterone only thins that lining a little bit.
So the pill is completely different.
So the pill is synthetic estrogen and progesterone in a combined tablet. That's why it's called the combined or a contraceptive pill, and that turns off the messages from the brain to the ovary because you're getting enough hormones and you're getting the progesterone that's thinning the lining of the endometrium. So no, the pill definitely does not cause that same risk, and the pill actually decreases the risk of a varian
cancer by forty percent. We often hear a lot of fear and worry about the pill, and the pill will often be prescribed in polycystic ovarian syndrome. And it's a shame because some people go to their GP and that we diagnose with.
Peacos and they're like, here you go, loose.
Some weight, here's the pill, and that is the appointment over and that sucks because someone doesn't have things explained. Pill is really good in polsisco varian syndrome because it's turning off those messages from the petuitary to the ovaries. The over is aren't making those elevated androgens, so it's really good for you know, the acne and the hair growth. It also increases a protein that binds some of those
extra hormones. And the other thing with the pill is that you know, it protects the endometrium, so we actually use the pill in peacross to prevent that endometrial hyperplasia, which is that pre endometrial cancer.
So it's like if you I guess like for a lot of people, and I think that this is one of the myths with the pill itself is that people go on it and I know for myself they were not known. I was like fifteen years old for so long, and then when I came off it, I was like, oh, I have all these issues, And a lot of people have the perception that the issues have been created by the pill, whereas the pill may have actually been masking those issues.
One hundred percent and often incorrectly, the pill is labeled as associated with infertility, and it's just what you said, someone goes on when they're fe and then they go off.
But when they're thirty and they're like, I want to have a baby, and they haven't had those mentrual cycles to know if they were regular, you know, did they have normal space, all those things, So they haven't had that normal sign telling them that they've got a you know, normal menstrual cycle and no big warning signs about fertility. So it does mask well, it treats the symptoms of
the peacos or it does mask it. It also sometimes can you know, people have severe demetriosis, some might suppress their symptoms, which is also why we use it as
a treatment. But I say to people, if you know you definitely want to have a baby, you know at one point and you've been on the pill when you're fifteen, it's not a bad idea to go off it and just make sure everything's looking, you know, normal, because we can't test your hormones when you're on the pill, so I can't test you for peacross, I can't test you for other fertility problems when someone's on the pill.
So instead of just waiting until you're already like Okay, now I want to have a baby, let's go for it at least having that forward planning, so you know that maybe if you're in your twenties and you know you want to have kids one day, even if it's not now, taking that agency to take a break to figure out what your reproductive organs and everything else is
going on. So that way, when it comes to the day that you want to have a kid, you know that everything's in a working order and you've dealt with those issues earlier rather than leaving it to last minute.
Yeah, and pecos is so common, So yeah, it's not about idea. Obviously, I'm not going to stay to people, Hey, go off your pill as you.
Want to use a condom.
Yeah, always condos, be really careful. But yeah, exactly.
And also because the pill and even as well, even people that don't have PEA cross they go off the pill and they get a bit hairer and they're like, oh my goodness, like to the PILM in general, guys. But it's because you know, normally it's the male hormones. Even without peacos, we all have a little bit of testosterone. People often notice their libido is better when they're off the pill, and that's because we've got more testosterone.
It will mean you might have a bit more body hair when you go off the pill.
I do you love what you said there? Correct me if I'm wrong. For the statistics that you said, the pill can actually help reduce the chance of varying cancer by forty percent.
Yeah, so the more times we ovulate, the bigger our risk of ovarian cancer is. And I actually stayed on the pill for like seven years just because I wanted this. If we're on the pill for five consecutive years, it decreases our lifetime risk of a varying cancer by about forty percent.
That is huge.
I don't think a lot of people know that.
We always hear about, oh, it causes breast cancer, which I'll just how about I just briefly summarize, so the breast cancer risk. It does increase your risk of breast cancer by about twenty percent. That's only whilst you're on the pill. And we need to think about what the risk of a twenty five year old is of breast cancer. It's like super super low. So let's say her risk is like one in ten thousand. That's like point zero zero one. We're making it point zero zero one two.
So our risk of something is really low, you know, increasing that risk only is slightly increasing our absolute risk, and that's called relative versus absolute risk. And for people you know, without background and statistics, which is you know, most people, it's ancs really scary, like twenty percent increased risk of breast cancer, but if your risk is only point zero zero one, making point zero zero one two is not that much. Whereas ovarian cancer, that's a lifelong
risk reduction. So the risk with the pill is on breast cancer is only when you're on it. That ovarian cancer is lifelong. And for me, you can't screen for a varying cancer and that really scares me. So the pill does also slightly decrease risk of bowel cancer as well, So it's probably you've got a really bad reputation and there are some you know side effects that increases risk of depression by about one percent. Some people just feel absolutely terrible on the pill, but there are some really
good parts about it. And then your medications aren't good or bad. I say, it's all about the situation in a fit exceeding risk. Yeah, And like cancer medications make people feel absolutely rotten, but they can kill cancers. You wouldn't say that's bad. So I think it's all about, you know, the situation in the person.
Well, I could talk to you NonStop about that, but let's get back on too, because I mean, this whole thing, the whole reproductive system, how hormones, everything is so fascinating because every woman goes through it. But is there a difference between pcos and polycystic ovaries because I thought that polycystic ovaries meant PCOS.
Such a good question, and this is one really important because I think a lot of people have been incorrectly diagnosed with PCOS. So PCO policistic go over is is literally just the appearance we see on ultrasound. And you're a radiographer, weren't you, Yes, So that is the appearance on ultrasound and super normal in young women who are only like a few years, five to ten years after their first period. It's not diagnostic or politistic ovarian syndrome.
You need to have those two of those three criteria we talked about, so you know, the signs, the acne or the irregular period. So those varying features themselves aren't diagnostic.
If somebody leaves it. Apart from just this increase in endometrial cancer. What are the other symptoms that someone would have, Like if someone left PCOS untreated for say five to ten whatever years, and they weren't on the pill, what would be the things that they would need to look out for.
This is a really good question because PCs, the management and the things we think about really depend on the patient and their kind of age group. So you know, young women not wanting to feel pregnant. It's probably more the skin, the body, hair, those type of things. And we haven't really talked about the underlying cause of PCOS, which is generally really high levels of insulin. And it's the insulin that call is the mauckup and the communication
from the brain to the ovaries. High levels of insul makes it hard to lose weight, hungry, fatigue, then the skin, the head, those type of things. For women in maybe more around their thirties, it's often fertility.
I feel like the only time I've ever heard of insulin spoken about is in terms of diabetes. How does it affect PCs?
So insulin resistance is like pre diabetes. So if we need glucose, which is our primary source of you know, fuel, our brains need it. I love carbohydrates. They're so important for us to function.
I love cubs too.
Yeah, I'm definitely.
You're amongst good company.
Fresh.
Yeah, we need insulin to get glucose inside our cells. If a combination of genetics or environmental causes, the insulin can't get inside our cells unless we've got lots more insulin. So it means our cells are less sensitive to insulin, so each of them level start to increase. We call that insulin resistance. When the blood sugar levels are still normal, and once it goes over and you just keep making the insulin, but the glucose won't go inside our cells.
That's when we see type two diabetes. And it's the type two diabetes which is kind of related to the peacos and the insulin resistance.
I just wanted to circle back for a second in terms of something that you mentioned earlier in regards to endometriosis, and you said that it's common to have both, or someone could have both at the same time. Are they at all linked? Is there a case where people have if you have PCOS, you're more inclined to have endometriosis or vice versa, or are they just completely separate issues and Unfortunately, some women suffer from both.
Completely separate issues. So we know endometrosis also familiar related. There's still a lot of research about what is the underlying cause driving it, but policistic or variantindery completely separate. But people will potentially have both just because of how common they are.
And I think it's interesting because me coming from a background where I don't have either and I don't know much about them, I had always thought I kind of always just chucked them in the same basket. I was like, oh, yeah, I know about endemetriosis, and I guess some people who had that also have PCOS because I do think that sometimes the conversations are had handed hair, but I didn't realize that they were very independent of each other.
I think it's interesting because women's health has generally been terribly researched, maybe apart from breast cancer and their two conditions that have not been properly understood or well respected by their medical system.
Why do you think that is.
We could go into like a history of medicine lecture, but I think women's pain is not taken seriously. We've had studies that show women who present with chest pain are less likely to be investigated for a heart attack. Women that have abdominal pain are less likely to receive appropriate analgesia. I think that's because we think women are hysterical. Like the word hysterectomy, which is, you know, taking out the uterus, was because they thought the uterus was what made women hysterical.
Yes, all sorts of levels off saying.
Women probably with like quite complex mental health disorders had their uterus taken out because it must have been what was made them female, which was making them hysterical. So I think that's just a really good example of the underlying sexism and lack of respect for women's complaints in medical.
Surely we could change the term hys directed me now in this day and age, now that we know where it stems from.
Don't you think that also then reflects and say like the rebates and Medicare and the way that people can get subsidies for these sorts of issues, like for somebody who has PCs and has to go through treatment or have and we'll get into what treatment is in a second, but what are the benefits that someone has allowed access to or what help is there for people who have PCs.
That's a great question, because so many people that I speak to say they get the diagnosis, they're told to kind of lose weight and do some exercise and here's the pill and come back and see me when you want to feel pregnant. I'm not a GP, so I don't generally see people with he COSS unless maybe they're trying to feel pregnant or there's other things associated with it. And I would just work in public. Probably in the private system there is more people just in the endochronologists
for peacos. But what kind of services are available you could speak to your GP. I don't think it would meet criteria for a chronic disease management plan, which would mean you know, publicly funded referrals for an exercise physiological dietitian.
It's not good.
I think indometriosis has got a lot more attention, mainly due to like you know, some celebrities doing really good work and advocacy, but PECOS has a long way to go. And I think, you know, and as well, it's associo with weight gain. There's so much weight stigma that would be a podcast for a whole other episode talking about the obscene you know, weight stigma and bias in the healthcare system as well, whether that's also something related to
it as well. But I often do think if there was a condition that affected one in ten men was associated with infertility, as if there would not be more.
Fun they would be getting paid to go and get their treatment. It would be you are we're talking about, wouldn't it that get whatever they want?
I mean, I still come back to the fact that Viagara didn't have GST on it, but tampons did.
So anyway, I was like, Hiagara has caused so many people to die and it's still like a medication, but like Fagra kills.
Like hundreds or maybe thousands of men per year.
Really adding a new definition to making them stiff, isn't it?
That is yeah, literally in the not funny. We shouldn't be joking, Oh we should have But what is the okay is it? What is the correlation between pcos and a level of infertility? Like I want people out there to not be firstly if they have it, to think, oh my god, I'm never having a child, but also if there is quite a high level that it is correlated, that they need to say, Okay, maybe I do need to go and speak to someone and just put some things in place.
So it kind of depends on if you're quite lean with peacos or maybe your be mice bit elevated and you could lose around five to ten percent you know, body weight. But the main thing is improving that intro insensitivity. So that is, you know, dietary changes, low GI types of food. I'm not a dietitian, but we talk about decreasing. I don't want, you know, a low carb because going
really low carb keto that actually worsens insuing resistance. But moderating how much carbo hydrates you're having and having really good carbohydrates, lots of veggies, lean proteins, healthy diet, exercise. You know, there's all these different studies about what's the best type of exercise. Is it more high intensity? Is it longer duration cardio? I always say whichever exercise you like is probably the best one because that's the one
you're going to actually do. Probably best evidence for kind of longer duration type cardio rather than the high hit stuff. Then so after lifestyle is you know, medications and they're looking at trying to improve that insulin sensitivity. Met Foreman is usually first line. That's a medication we use in type two diabetes, so.
Met Foreman is a tablet that people take basically, and is it a daily treatment or.
Just a once a day tablet. Then there's also some supplements that people can use. Spearmint tea actually acts as an anti androgen, and I always love giving people some kind of more natural type treatments that they can do help people feel more empowered with the treatment options, So spearmint tea, and then there's some supplements.
I can never say it properly, guys.
I had dyslexia as a child, by the way, and have done so much use of speech together it in a style Inocytol, which is a supplement as well that we were looking at.
This as well, and we were like, we don't know how to say that incetol.
We will We're like, easy, will know, yeah, I'll be honest. He's like, I'm dyslexic.
I don't know, no, not dyslexic.
I had an speech therapy problem, so yeah, a little bit of deslexiah. I've done a lot of speech pathology over the year. So if you have, you know, an auditory processing problem, you can definitely become a doctor.
Don't worry.
You can be like genius, don't worry.
You just won't be able to prescribe in a site since oh god, you're.
Just having to write it down.
Yeah.
No, I'm a very visual person.
So yeah, so supplements then if people so we give met foreman, especially if someone's trying to fall pregnant, because we're not going to put them on the pail because we want to get back that you know, that cycle. And it's like what we talked about younger people, it's more the symptoms maybe around our age group, more fertility, and then after that it's looking at their risk factors associated with pecos, which is the metabolic stuff, you know, kind of a vascilar risk diabetes preventing them.
So also a little bit of weight loss can be.
Beneficial for people with you know, maybe a higher BMI kind of five to ten percent weight loss, so maybe you know, three four kilos that can actually improve your
intertlin sensitivity. Then for actual treatments for fertility, we use this one called clomid and electrosol, and they're actually decreasing how much estrogen is there, and that's trying to lower the estrogen levels enough to stimulate the right messages from the produratory for ovulation to occur, and usually I find that's really effective, and people with peacos don't need you know, very rarely should need IVF because the eggs actually are good.
You've got lots of eggs. It's just about getting one to come out.
I think there is a lot of fear for when people are diagnosed with PCOS or told that they have PCOS, that they think instantly, I'm not going to be able to have kids or I'm going to be infertile. What would you say to someone who is your patient who comes in and that's their fear. What's the response to that.
The first thing is like pea COS is not a lifelong diagnosis. I have patients that go into peacos and then they get really good with their regular exercise, dietary changes. You know, maybe COVID happens, the gym shirts, we're spending more time watching TV, I'm getting takeaway, and then go back into peacos.
So it's not like you've got this for life.
It's a condition that can people can go back and forth between and you can reverse a little bit like type two diabetes.
Is there ever anyone though that could do all the right exercise have the most impair code diet and that's not going to change anything. The PCOS is there to say.
And I think this is so important because especially with our focus on kind of lifestyle and natural health, which I think is really good, there's a lot of great parts about how much healthier our generation is coming. But it can become a little bit unhealthy when we fall into the trap of we are completely in control of our own health because we're not. Like so much is
due to genetics and bad luck. And some people can do absolutely everything right and they should never feel shame or that they have failed because let's say they can't get their periods back naturally.
And it breaks my heart.
Because I do get you know, lots of messages on Instagram or patients that feel like they've done something wrong and like they're personally at fault. So, as I said, this can be really genetic. I've have Paie with pea costs. They have like a beerm I have like eighteen or even underweight, and that's probably they've got a slight genetic
mutation with the insulin receptors and you know sensitivity. So people can do everything right and it might not be enough, so there are treatment options, especially in fertility is what people are you know after, and that's why you know, we do lifestyle first and then it's you know, medications, so it's not one or the other, it's putting them both together.
If somebody does think that they could have PCOS, what is your advice to them? What's the first step?
Go to the GP YEP, so it's really basic. Blood tests so important to have some other conditions ruled out. So there's one called congenital adrenal hyperplasia, probably only going to be excluded by an endocronologist. It's pretty rare, but we always exclude that. Low thyroid function super common, checking elevated levels of prolactint. So essentially you go, you get some blood tests, you exclude other things that could be
pea costs, you get your male hormones checked. Then also looking at getting into pervic cultures sound you know, the best views are through like an inter vaginal so there is a prob and done within a second. We look at the ovaries, We have a look at the lining of the endometrium and that's really beneficial, especially if it's
a bit unsure. What the diagnosis is if someone's got you know, the thicker lining of the endometrios very thin, so that's important, and you'd go from there, so you'd get the diagnosis, you know, exclude the other things, and then work on the management. So firstly, thank you so much for bringing up these topics. It's so great that so many people are going to be listening to this. I know I love and hate medicine. No, I love medicine, but I really.
I hate medicine.
I am I haven't seen me.
I love medicine, but I hate that I can only work with my individual patients. And it's really exciting to be sharing this information. Just the final thing I was going to say, if you have a health problem, especially if it's peacos or other kind of female reproductive related problem, see a GP with an interest in it. You know, GPS, it's such a diverse thing. They need to know about absolutely everything, and they're not specialists, so they can't know
in depth. And to really crap, the government doesn't you know many here rebate them properly for all of this explanent, the understanding, the education. So see your doctor with an interest in the area. Google search you know us a GP. Do you have an interest in this and it's that teamwork thing. You really got to work with them.
Tottera Ezie, thank you so much for coming and being a part of the podcast. Thank you for sharing your absolute wealth of knowledge.
You do, Eazy have an Instagram page that is full of so much amazing information. Do you want to just tell everyone where they can find you if they want to know more?
Sure, it's d dust belt the whole word, ezy K Smith.
Doctor, Izzy K. Smith. Great, I've been on the page. It's a wealth of information, lots of stuff on peacocks all right.
You know that we never finished an episode without our suck and our sweet, our highlight and our low light of each and every week and pretty hockly do you want to kick it off with your sucky suck?
Sucky? Yeah? Do you know what? I was just trying to think of my suck because I always lived the last minute.
You know, I really want it to be we literally it's like we're about to do suck in the sweet and bridges?
What was no long for the work? Because I like to keep it very current, so maybe my stuck up in ten minutes ago. I need to wait to the very last minute to think about it. I have a suck that I've been I told you about yet, Laura, it just hit me.
Now.
I was going to say it look at sometimes it just comes down to nowhere. Leave it to the last minute. You never know what's going to happen.
I was going to say my suck was that I didn't get to see my mom and Mother's Day, I couldn't get up to Port mcquarie. But I'll be seeing her in a few weeks. But then this one just hit me, and this is so much better. I what, I had a date this week, I had my.
Friends back the mud.
Okay, well, I tried Laura, where it's going away? Is this Is this a date you don't know about? This?
Is this a date with the person who you've gone on a couple of dates?
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
So everyone just saying, no, Brittany's been on a few dates with the same person.
Yeah, but like a minuscule amount, like very minuscule amount. Anyway, hopefully he doesn't hear that. No, well he will not hear about it now. Anyway, we had organized a date, and we had had a crazy busy week and We've done a lot of recording. Laura and I had been in a recording studio.
All day, Like that's the way I still sound like I've been deep throating some sandpaper. Yeah.
We had a six hour day of non stop talking, and then he had and then we had to record. This person that I have been the only person I have been on a date with, said you know what, I'll take you to dinner on Friday night. And I was like great. He's like, you've had a pretty hectic week and I was like, yes, let's do Friday. He's like, I'll take you on a great dinner. I was like great, So Friday comes. Didn't think about it. I mean no, I did think about it, but I wasn't going to
text him about it. So I raced home after this because I was like, gott to get home, got to get ready. I'm sure he's just gonna message me the time and the place or pick me up or whatever, because that's how I imagine people do dates. I get home, I quickly get showered, I get ready. Nothing, seven o'clock comes. Nothing. I texted him and I'm like, hey, uh, what's you know? Where you at or what's happening. What are you up to? And he sent me a picture back, a photo of
takeaway with his friends watching a movie. He's like, oh, nothing, I've just finished dinner and we're watching a movie with the boys. And I was like what. I was like, He's like, what are you doing? And I was like, waiting for you? I said, literally, I said, I'm waiting for you. He's like, huh, I'm confused. I said me too. I was like, I'm waiting for the dinner that you said. He was like, oh my god, I completely forgot.
He forgot.
Well, he goes, I forgot, I said friday night. I just thought I said over the weekend, and I was anyway, he's still out. That was it. He was beside himself apologizing. He's like I genuinely He's like, actually, I feel so bad, but my mouth is fucking open.
You got stood up.
Yeah, and I mean I'm not what he says. Not intentionally. He was like, can you like, why don't we watch a movie or something now? Like, and I just said, forget it. That's what I wrote off. Yeah, of course I.
Would have been the same thing. It'd been so dirty, you soft boy. Actually, okay, that's a new term. I've just learned. It's not a fuck boy. It's a soft boy. It's if they're like kind of emotionally sensitive, but then start doing fuck boy things like that.
Anyway, it was pretty funny, like it was in all lot to see I'm laughing. It was like it was a genuine mistake. Yeah, but cool.
It was cute, like I love getting and doing my makeup and getting ready for a date.
Then sitting at home on my own on a total I just want to take away and watch a movie. Anyway, My sweet was I did you end up seeing him then over the weekend? Negative? No? I did? For coffee? Yeah, actually I did.
Yeah.
I think if someone stands you up on a nighttime date, you've got to punish them with a daytime date where they're not getting laid. Fuck you, it's breakfast now.
But I was like, yeah, you get you get a decaf coffee. You don't even get a caffeine in coffee. My suite was I had a little friend's fair. Well, so I went out on Saturday night and I hit the d floor. My knees are paint for it the next day. I'm a bit old now, but it was a really fun night. It was just nice to be out with my friends again.
Cute, so wholesome. I also feel like, now that I know, it's kind of even weird to like think about or talk about that whole COVID thing that happened where we didn't go and leave our house for four and a half months.
I know you now, it's a real effort. I'm like, oh, it's so easy to stay inside.
No, it's just like for me because obviously having kids and they both so little still, I don't really get out very often. It's not like I can't even tell you the last time that I went out dancing, which just sounds funny now. But like the whole idea of actually leaving the house, some people are able to socialize and do stuff.
I mean, what I novel? Do you? Well? What's your suck? Okay?
My stuck for the week is that it was Mother's Day on the weekend and that my children, both of them, woke up and they chose violence.
From the minute that they woke up.
They were like, today's the day for drama. I have never I shouldn't say i've never, like I have, but they were both just on their worst behavior. It's like, oh, today's mom's day, so we're gonna make sure that it's fucking terrible for her.
They just screamed all day.
There was actually one point where Mary had a tantrum in the middle of the road.
Laid down safe.
She laid down on her stomach in the middle of the road.
What do you even do?
Rip her up?
By one artist, Yeah.
You're like like, well, for a minute there, I was like, if you keep this up, you can stay here.
And I was like, that's very irresponsible. There's a truck coming.
But it just felt like and I know the like if you're a mum, you'll understand this. There's just some days that no matter what you asked them to do, they want to do the complete opposite. Like you could say I they'll be like, do you want cereal or do you want toasts? They'll say they want cereal. Then you'll make them cereal. Then they'll scream at the cereal. Then you'll say you need to put your shoes on, and they'll say they don't want to wear shoes today.
And it was literally just every single thing they fought me on.
So could I ever win? Yeah? No, I didn't. I lost anyway.
But the one thing I did win and my sweet for the week was also Mother's Day, and that was because Matt was such an angel. I thought he'd forgotten. I kind of made a joke the night before because I was like, I know that you haven't got me anything, but even if you don't get me anything, just get me a card.
Well, he did his little radio tribute to you. If you guys haven't heard the radio show, he caught up with Marley and they left a little message he did that is on and I cried about and you didn't. I didn't even cry.
But if you haven't listened to the radio show, that is literally the episode before this in the podcast, so if you want to jump on there and listen to that. But I woke up in the morning. He let me sleep in. It was nine o'clock and I got up and the kids were already like up awake, out of the house. He got a beautiful bunch of flowers. They're sitting on the table, and he just wrote me the nicest letter, like a proper letter. He penned a letter to me, guys, and it would.
Have been any present.
It was really sweet and like guccie ye do it, I mean.
A letter or dear no.
But it was just really nice. I mean, I guess like sometimes when you're in the fog of parenting, you don't get to like have those moments to connect always, and like it's just really nice to kind of I don't know. I think that there's such a sentimental thing that goes into writing a letter and writing how you feel about someone, and it was very special and I.
Loved it the end.
Anyway, guys, that is it from us. We hope that you love the episode. We hope you learn something. If you know someone who has PCOS, or you think that some of the symptoms or things that we've spoken about will resonate with someone who you love, send them this podcast episode. Recommend it to your friends. Recommend it to all your female friends who will get something out of it. Also to your male friends who don't understand the female reproductive system and maybe need a hand.
How many holes are there? Who knows?
I think it's three, but like the jury is still out. So if you have any questions for asking cut, you can slide on into the DMS with your questions. You could also join the Facebook discussion group that is where all of the juicy conversations go down if you have anything that you want to throw out and cast out to the LIFs of this community.
We have to rush off now because we are heading over to Warner's Music. We have an amazing little interviewer doing there that will be dropping in the coming week, so that is very exciting. We'll let you ponder on that one for a little while.
It's Jessica maw boy.
Maye. You do not understand that, you do not understand what a teaser is still teaser.
They don't have the content yet.
We actually really do need to run away, going to be late to meet her. We can't be late, So guys, please tell you mum too, dog tell you don't tell your friends, and share the love because we love. They go bare back.