Heal Your Fertility This Year with Answers and Encouragement for Women with POI and High FSH
Welcome to The POI Detective: a space to help you heal your hormones and live life fully
Welcome to my very first blog post for The POI Detective! I am so glad you’ve found this little nook on the internet, though I also feel for you that you’re dealing with POI. This space is dedicated to balancing hormones and getting our lives back!
I’m Sarah, and I’m excited to walk alongside you on this difficult journey of navigating infertility and figuring out how to completely reverse and heal from Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. If you long to restore your fertility naturally by troubleshooting, digging deep, and supporting your body, this website was created for YOU.
Information and tips to help you reverse POI, high FSH, and amenorrhea
(Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, high follicle-stimulating hormone, and amenorrhea)
I’m here to contribute to the hormonal wellness space and share what I learn about POI, high FSH, and amenorrhea. The main thing that’s kept me in the dark for so long is the lack of information available. I couldn’t find the answers I needed to heal my body. I couldn’t even find one article to tell me that my hormonal imbalances were fixable. From everything I could find online, I was basically looking at the end of the line for my fertility. But I kept searching until I had enough pieces to patchwork my own answers together.
As I continue to heal my hormones this year, I’m also striving to be mindful in other areas of my life. Because what I’ve learned is that even while my body has put a pause on my fertility, I can still be fruitful in other ways. It’s not always easy when the thing you want most (to have a baby) is not currently happening. (Or when you can’t even try because your period is missing and has been for years!) So I’m trying to maintain a healthy attitude towards everything I DO get to have in life right now.
Quick backstory about my fertility journey:
Once upon a time, I unintentionally lost weight from going gluten- dairy- sugar-free. I felt great at first, but then my period disappeared, which (I learned the hard way) happens when you’re not getting enough calories. This condition is called Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), and I’m currently studying to become a Holistic HA Practitioner. My period came back on and off when I managed to gain my weight back, but I couldn’t get the pounds to stick due to some hefty issues with my digestion.
I’ve been trying to recover my period ever since, but something seemed missing. I tried going “all-in” and gaining excess weight thanks to tons of ice cream, but that only seemed to make things worse. My digestive system felt like cement.
Eventually, I discovered through bloodwork that I have high FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) levels, which isn’t the norm with HA; it’s usually extremely low. In fact, when I first got it tested, my FSH was the highest level I’ve seen online so far (unfortunately). It was a whopping 117 to be exact.
Yikes, was that painful to see—and even more heartbreaking when I tried searching for answers. Anytime I researched online, it indicated “early menopause,” and it scared me so much that I really couldn’t look up too much about it because it felt like a dismal life sentence.
But in the years following, I learned that the body is actually designed to heal—it wants to restore balance, so I’m not afraid of having high FSH anymore. In fact, I’m determined to figure it out, finish healing, and overcome my hormone issues.
Last summer, I learned that high FSH is officially diagnosed as “Premature Ovarian Insufficiency” (POI) or “Premature Ovarian Failure” (POF), which in my book just means sleepy ovaries (more on this below!). Realizing this has shown me that there’s a whole other level of healing that needs to take place to restore my fertility. HA was just the beginning. No wonder it’s been taking so long!
So here I am, right there with you in the trenches! But we’ve got this, so stay strong!
High FSH levels definitely can come down
So as you can see, I’ve been dealing with chronically high FSH since it rang in at an alarming 117. But great news: it has continued to get lower (albeit slowly), and it was down to 86 a few months ago when I got it tested again. Isn’t that amazing?! That’s about 30 points! Way more than any articles online said was possible.
I do have a ways to go, but I don’t have a single doubt that it can keep coming down. And I know your high FSH can lower too! I will be sharing tips on how to improve FSH levels in the coming months—I’ve been learning more and more about how hormones work and what affects them. It’s fascinating and extremely powerful to know. Stay tuned!
The diagnosis “POI” (Premature Ovarian Insufficiency) isn’t a very accurate description of what’s going on inside the body
When I write “POI” or anything about it, know that in my mind I always use quotation marks because the name is not an accurate representation of what’s actually going on inside the body. (And the previous title, “Premature Ovarian Failure” (POF), is even worse.)
Your ovaries are probably just fine; they’re likely just hiding out, waiting till your body gives them the nudge that it’s time to start up your reproduction system again. The fertility issues you’re experiencing (such as missing periods and high FSH) are most likely from a combination of other things going on with your body.
The root causes can be stress, inflammation, negative or stuck emotions, stress, poor nutrition, hyper-focusing on symptoms, oh and did I mention STRESS yet? Just wait until we dive deep into stress and how it relates to hormones and so many other functions in the body.
Fertility issues are rarely caused by an actual problem with your reproductive organs—they just get caught up in the chaos. But not to worry, this website is dedicated to helping you find the root cause behind YOUR specific fertility symptoms. And I believe this process can be simpler than we think.
So as you can see, there are a myriad of things that can affect the messages between your ovaries and your brain to cause elevated FSH. And I’ll just say it again in case you need this encouraging reminder: your ovaries are most likely okay; high FSH does not simply mean that your ovaries have failed or that you have run out of eggs. So please take a deep breath and let go of some of that stress and fear you’ve been holding onto.
The scary diagnosis of “POI” itself causes so much harm and worry, and I don’t want you to feel stuck by that label anymore. Shame on whoever came up with that lazy phrase so they could conveniently plug women into a doomsday group and move onto something else. It is SO wrong that they’ve created and dismissed an entire “diagnosis” into a “sorry, there’s no hope or help for your fertility at this point.” Wrong, wrong, wrong! Really? They’re not going to look beyond the ovary to figure out what’s going on?
I have so many thoughts and things to say about this, so I’ll just leave it here: Giving up or feeling hopeless IS the first step for getting nowhere or hitting the wall with fertility. But even then, you can always turn around and start searching for answers again.
So what should we call “POI” or chronically high FSH paired with missing periods?
I sometimes like to call it Sleepy Ovaries or “SO’s:” for short. The S-O-S also hints at what your body is telling you: “Please help me restore my function by rekindling the ovarian-brain connection.” (Among other connections that need to be addressed.)
But really, POI is simply a major sign saying there’s some detective work to do. Hence, the name behind my website!
We’ll get into all of this in more detail in the coming months, so stick around if you’re ready to learn more about how to understand POI and how to approach healing.
Recent progress and findings are bringing me closer to answers for POI
This past year, I learned so much about how God designed our bodies. I found a support system, I researched a ton, and I got some answers to my burning questions about whether or not my hormones can heal—and how to go about healing them.
(Good news: I’ve concluded that yes, you can heal your hormone imbalances—even severe ones.)
I no longer feel like I’m wandering blindly and alone through a dark tunnel looking for any glimmer of hope; I’ve found the brightly shining light that’s beaming with a whole lot of knowledge, and it’s guiding me back to where I can flourish and live life fully again.
It’s been a long road, but I’m thankful for the women who haven’t quit, who have pushed back, and who have shared their “impossible” success stories. Even though there aren’t many resources with helpful information for POI specifically, I’m thankful for those who are dedicated to supporting others while they work to get their fertility back. I don’t feel completely alone, and that is enough to keep me going while I continue to figure out this wellness journey and where to head from here.
Slowly, I’ve been discovering what my body needs in order to wake my ovaries back up, and it’s working! Praise God for how awesomely he created our bodies. I think the hidden secret is learning how they work and then supporting their natural process. I look forward to getting all of these findings and tips into your hands.
In the next section below, I’ll walk you through some of the resources I have in store here.
Thank you to everyone who’s had an impact on my own hormone healing so far—I appreciate you all! I’m wrapping up 2023 feeling thankful and excited for the next layers of progress and learning. I’m sincerely full of motivation and determination to finish this.
Let’s make this new year the best one yet by taking the reins of our life, pursuing wellness, and applying answers to heal our bodies. It’s time to put our game faces on and restore our hormones fully.
So there’s my little spiel to kick off the new year with a bang! Now let me break down what resources you can expect to find here on The POI Detective website!
What you can expect to see here at The POI Detective
NEWSLETTER
Staying encouraged while trying to balance hormones and heal our bodies is crucial. Because if we feel like giving up when everything seems hopeless, how can we possibly continue? This is where the newsletter comes in. When you subscribe, you’ll receive two letters of encouragement each week. You’ll also find some free POI resources inside from time to time too.
BLOG POSTS
Hello! You’ve already found your way to the articles section of the site. This particular post is more on the chatty side so you could get to know me a bit better since it’s my very first one. Others will be more step-by-step or research-based. Feel free to reach out and let me know which types of posts you prefer!
PODCAST EPISODES
We live busy lives, so the podcast provides another way to take in information. Whether you want to listen on the go or multitask while cooking, you can keep up with key points about POI and balancing hormones as well as how to stay motivated along the way.
SUPPORT COMMUNITY
The POI Circle! Definitely my favorite part and what I’m most excited about is having a way to support each other on this journey. But instead of just creating a network where we can connect, I wanted to figure out a way for us to walk away from each meeting a little closer to our goals for healing. So The POI Circle will also be a membership with live workshops where we can chat on calls, yes, but also brainstorm, put pen on paper, do exercises, and make progress in real time. Plus have a lot of fun.
You know, the tough stuff that really makes a difference but doesn’t require a complex protocol. I’m convinced that stress and emotions play a HUGE role in POI (in addition to the obvious stuff like nutrition and personalized supplements for deficiencies), so we will be processing, overcoming, and shifting our mindsets. I cannot even wait!
1-ON-2 STEP-BY-STEP WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Mindset is probably the most powerful and important part of recovering your period and reversing POI. I cannot even describe the difference it makes once your mind is on your side. This took me years to realize, and I wish I understood sooner how powerful the mind is for healing fertility. So of course I have to share this with you! These 1-on-1 workshops and classes will be designed to help you work on super specific areas of your mindset to overcome things holding you back.
The first class is a 32-day Healing Mindset Class that walks you through how to make positive mindset shifts and think through ways to cultivate new thought patterns to help—rather than hinder—you. You can sign up today if it sounds helpful to you. Or you can start with the free 5-day Encouraging Mindset Challenge to get started.
OTHER RESOURCES & TOOLS
I’m creating various products or tools to help with healing as I go. For example, this collection of printable healing progress trackers where you can record your hormone levels, supplement intake, movement and exercise, daily fun activities, and more! I’ve been using them for several months now, and they’ve helped me a lot. I also enjoyed SEEING and coloring in my FSH progress visually on paper. Very encouraging! So I’m making things like this available for you too! (I’m a brand and website designer by day, so I kind of can’t help myself when it comes to making things!)
It’s okay if you’ve taken it slow and steady
(Hello from Editing Sarah in June!) I actually wrote today’s blog post on January 1st when I was just beginning to create content and design my website so I could start sharing everything I’ve learned about healing fertility issues and reversing POI. But I want to pop in here with one final thought.
Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been writing blog posts here and there to document my progress, some steps backwards, and all of the connections I’ve made with POI. It’s the beginning of June now, and I’m just getting ready to publish this site. It’s taken me quite a while.
Good things sometimes take time—especially when you’re trying to support your body, not overdo it, and heal from POI (like me)! I’ve poured so much of my heart and brain power into this, and I’m SO stoked to open up The POI Detective to the world. It’s been a hefty bunch of months of building this space, and I’m just getting ready to publish this site this week.
So if you’ve been struggling with POI, high FSH, missing periods, uncomfortable symptoms, and big fears around your health for YEARS now, stay encouraged! Sometimes it takes a while to gather all of the necessary resources to do big things. Whether it’s healing your body, finishing up a degree (I see you Lindsay!), or creating an info-packed website from the ground up—OR doing multiple BIG things at once, give yourself the time and space you need to finish strong and take it easy.
I do believe high FSH can come down quickly, and I also believe it’s possible to reverse POI in a year. But you don’t have to rush or force the process. In fact, that will likely just slow you down.
In the end, stress is not our friend, so the more calm and kind we are with ourselves, the better we’ll be and feel. AND the faster our hormones can heal. (See, slow and steady really can win the “race” even when it comes to fertility.)
So to wrap up today’s post, I’ll leave you with this final piece of encouragement:
Give yourself some grace today no matter where you are on your fertility journey.
There haven’t been many clear answers for how to reverse this tricky situation, so don’t carry around all of that shame or guilt or regret that often comes with this road. You are here now. Researching, learning, making a pretty darn impressive effort. (I mean, even reading through this lengthy blog post definitely took some commitment.)
Focus on that as you continue on. You don’t have to go through this process alone anymore. Together, I believe we can conquer POI.
Sincerely,
Sarah
