What happens when you're told your symptoms are "just PCOS," but deep down you know something else is wrong? In this incredibly honest conversation, Jessa Miehle shares her journey through years of painful periods, rapid weight gain, ovarian cysts, infertility, emergency surgeries, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), endometriosis, and medical gaslighting before finally finding answers. Together, we explore why healing isn't about finding one miracle treatment. It's about understanding how hormones, inflammation, metabolic health, chronic stress, trauma, nervous system regulation, and self-advocacy all work together. Jessa also shares how lifestyle changes, movement, anti-inflammatory nutrition, pelvic floor therapy, EMDR, and nervous system healing transformed not only her physical health, but her entire life. If you've ever felt dismissed, frustrated, or wondered whether your body is trying to tell you something more, this episode will leave you feeling seen, validated, and hopeful. Because your body isn't broken. It's communicating.
✔ Your symptoms deserve to be taken seriously.
✔ PCOS may not be the only diagnosis contributing to your symptoms.
✔ Chronic stress can have a profound impact on hormones and inflammation.
✔ Healing often requires addressing both physical and emotional health.
✔ Nervous system regulation can change how your body responds to stress.
✔ Small, sustainable changes create lasting healing.
✔ Self-advocacy can completely change your healthcare journey.
⚠️ Podcast Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine.
(0:00) I sent my HS into remission. I have an occasional flare, but they don't get to the size they used to. (0:12) They don't huddle.I'll get a small, and then I know how to attack it. I slap a hydrocolloidal (0:19) bandage on it. I double-check the food that I'm eating.I go strictly anti-inflammatory, (0:27) and then it goes away quickly. It's really difficult because I can't say, (0:37) hey, just stop eating peppers because peppers may not be your thing. (0:41) But I think that diet and the connection with PCOS is since PCOS is a metabolic syndrome.(0:51) Welcome back to PCOS unfiltered. I'm your host, Lindsie, (0:54) nurse, health and nutrition coach, and body wisdom guide. (0:58) Today's conversation is one I know so many women are going to relate to because it's about so much (1:03) more than a diagnosis.If you've ever been told your symptoms were just PCOS, struggled with (1:08) chronic pain, unexplained weight gain, infertility, or felt dismissed when you knew something wasn't (1:13) right, this episode is for you. Today's guest, Jessa Miehle, courageously shares her journey (1:19) through years of painful symptoms, surgeries, endometriosis, hydradenitis supertiva, or HS, (1:26) infertility, and ultimately discovering that healing wasn't just about treating one condition. (1:31) It was about learning to understand her body as a whole.We also dive into topics that don't get
(1:36) enough attention like medical gaslighting, nervous system regulation, chronic stress, (1:41) trauma, inflammation, and the importance of becoming your own advocate when you're searching (1:46) for answers. As always, this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, (1:52) and should not replace individualized medical advice. My hope is that today's conversation (1:56) reminds you that your body isn't working against you.It's communicating with you. Sometimes it (2:01) just takes the right support and the courage to keep asking questions to finally hear what (2:06) it's trying to say. Now let's dive in.Here's my conversation with Jessa Miehle.
(2:18) Hello. Welcome back to the show and welcome to Jessa.This is going to be, I think, a super (2:23) special episode because she's probably been in a lot of the shoes of the listeners (2:32) that we have today. So I'm super, super excited for her to share her story. (2:38) So let's get started.So take us back to the beginning, like what was going on physically, (2:46) maybe even emotionally, you know, where did it all start? Yeah, absolutely. So first, (2:52) I just want to say like, I'm super grateful for the opportunity to share my story just because (2:59) for so many years, I felt like I was suffering in silence. And there really was nothing out (3:06) there for me to be able to find where people were in my situation.So my journey started (3:15) in my early 20s. It started with all of a sudden I started having really extremely painful (3:23) periods and rapid weight gain, I actually gained like 50 pounds in six months. And I was I was (3:32) exercising, you know, five days a week, I was counting my calories.I think back then I was (3:40) on Weight Watchers, you know, whatever that was back then that was popular. And I just overall,
(3:51) like, felt absolutely horrible. And I went to my doctor, to my primary care physician, (4:00) and I told her everything that was going on.And she told me, well, you know, you need to (4:09) change your diet. And we'll try putting you on an IUD to see if that'll help with your period (4:16) symptoms. So I was like, Okay, I trust you.And then I also got like the slight shame of where (4:23) she like looked at my coffee that I was drinking. I was like, Oh, what's in your coffee? And I was (4:29) like, Splenda. It's not high calorie.Okay, like I'm counting. Okay, I can only afford one point (4:38) for my coffee. And so after I had the IUD inserted, well, first of all, that was horrible.(4:51) I literally blacked out on the table when she put it in. It hurt so bad. I literally like blacked (4:59) out.And then for the next month after I bled so heavily every single day, and was just an (5:09) excruciating pain. So I called her I was like, What is going on? This is I don't think this is (5:16) normal. And she's like, Okay, well, you need to go get an ultrasound and make sure that it's (5:21) placed correctly.Maybe it's misplaced. I went and I got the ultrasound. And they found a mass (5:30) on my right ovary.And they thought it was she called it I don't even know how to say it like
(5:36) a hydrosyl pinks, which is like a fluid filled, elongated mass. And I was like, Okay. Sorry, (5:48) I put it on do not disturb.And so I'm so sorry, I have to like recollect my thoughts. (6:02) So she's like, we need to monitor this. So in three months, we'll, we'll have you get another (6:12) ultrasound.And just keep keep an eye on it. She's like, but the IUD is in place. That's fine.(6:18) That should resolve. And so I kept it in for another three months, but (6:26) guess the bleeding lightened up, but like my periods became like super inconsistent. I was (6:32) getting my period like every two weeks.And I literally just had constant pain. And so I went (6:40) back in the three months to do another ultrasound and it had grown. So I was like, Okay, well, so (6:50) what do we what do we do now? She's like, Okay, well, let's go ahead and remove the IUD.So I did (6:54) that. And my periods didn't regulate my, my pain did not get any better. And so we did another (7:08) ultrasound three months later, and now it had grown to 13 centimeters.So that's about the
(7:15) size of a softball. And I'm like, Okay, so I have this thing in my body. That's probably why this (7:21) hurts so much.Like, what is our next step? And she said, Okay, I'm going to get you scheduled (7:27) for surgery, you know, to get this removed. So I go I have the surgery. And I ended up (7:38) walking out of the hospital with the mass removed, but also my right ovary and fallopian tube.(7:46) And honestly, I didn't even know that that was a possibility that that was going to happen. (7:50) That wasn't discussed with me that that was a potential. And that was really crummy.
(8:00) So, um, after that, I was like, Okay, I need to find a specialist like this (8:05) doctor is not the doctor for me. And I found a women's health specialist office. (8:14) And when I went there, we went through everything that I was going through.(8:19) And they did diagnose me with PCOS at that time. Um, so what she recommended that I do, (8:30) because she asked me at the time, like, Are you trying to get pregnant? And I'm like, (8:33) No, not right now. Like, I'm not.I'm not ready. I'm not married yet. You know, I'm not ready to (8:37) start that journey.And she's like, Okay, I'm going to put you on the Depo Provera shot. And (8:43) she told me like all of the benefits that I could help me with. And I was like, Okay, (8:46) well, this sounds like a miracle drug.I've been in pain for a year. I am ready. I am ready.Let's
(8:51) do it. Um, my first lesson, okay, girl, you need to do research. Okay.Okay. So I, um, I was on it (9:03) for about a year. And honestly, it did help like, my period started to to regulate the pain was not (9:12) as frequent.I would only really just have pain during like ovulation. And then my periods were (9:19) horrible. Uh, still, but I could deal with that.It was not every day. Um, then after about a year, (9:27) just I think it was just a little over a year. I did get married.I was like, you know what, (9:31) I think I want to start my family now. So okay, we're gonna, we're gonna get off of the Depo shot. (9:39) Oh, my word.Oh, my word did my whole body just light on fire after getting rid of that shot. (9:48) Um, the chronic pain was insane. It was every single day.My periods were, were so heavy. I (10:00) was bleeding through like a super tampon like every hour. And I just like overall, I felt (10:10) absolutely horrible.My I started getting weight like crazy again. I mean, my whole everything was (10:17) just a nightmare. Um, so over like the next couple of years, like we were consistent, (10:27) like we were trying to conceive.I wasn't having regular cycles. I could never tell when I was (10:34) ovulating. And no matter how much I tried, like I could not get pregnant.And then I also was
(10:44) going to the emergency room. At one point, it was every month, because either I was having like a (10:50) massive cyst rupture, or just such excruciating pain that I literally thought I was gonna die. (10:59) So I, um, the last straw of that for me, was, I had been going to the ER and I go in and they're (11:10) like, you know, drug seeker, like, this is not okay, we're not going to take you seriously.(11:17) Okay, go get your ultrasound. They take their time. Um, but the last time I had went there, (11:24) it was, it was so bad.I was vomiting. I was absolutely miserable. And it was actually (11:32) because I had an ovarian torsion from a massive cyst and internal bleeding.(11:38) And so I had walked in and they're kind of dismissing me. And then all of a sudden,
(11:42) I was like, okay, like, this is what we have to do. We have to bring you into emergency surgery.(11:48) And at that point, like, that's when it really hit me that, you know, I might lose my opportunity to (11:56) be able to have children. And that was super scary. Um, luckily, the surgeon did a wonderful (12:02) job.And of all of the staff, she was extremely kind and caring and, like, helped me through it. (12:12) Um, but I was like, okay, so this can't just be PCOS, like something something is going like, (12:20) what is going on in my body? Like, I really need to figure this out because I can't live my life (12:26) like this. So either I need to make a decision that I'm just gonna like have a hysterectomy (12:31) and move on with my life, or I'm going to figure out what is going on and try to fix it.And (12:38) obviously, I didn't want to give up. So I was just constantly like scouring the internet.
(12:46) And I actually came across a page on Facebook called Nancy's Nook for Endometriosis Education.(12:54) And I was like, what? Like, what is this? What is endometriosis? And I read through probably (13:01) every single file that was on that page. And it still exists. And it still has in it has so much (13:08) great information.So I advise any woman who's facing issues to just like, go take a look at (13:14) that. It's a free resource, you know. And, um, I was like, Oh, my God, this is me.This is me. (13:21) Everything that is going on here is what I am going through. And also, at that time, (13:29) there was a list of the top 100 endometriosis excision surgeons like in the world listed on (13:37) there.And oh, my goodness, one of them was only 45 minutes away from me. Like if that is not like (13:43) the universe telling me, okay, this is your path, you know. So I immediately called him (13:51) and scheduled an appointment.He got me in super quick, which was amazing. He did a he literally (13:59) read through over 100 pages of my medical records in like just a couple of weeks. And in the exam,
(14:08) he asked me amazing questions and made me feel like the first doctor that made me feel like I (14:17) wasn't crazy.And then he did a physical exam. And in that he pretty much pinpointed exactly (14:25) where the endometriosis was. And he's like, I can't confirm a diagnosis just from a physical (14:31) exam.He's like, I will have to do a laparoscopic surgery. And then at that time, I would excise (14:40) the endometriosis that's there. And I'm like, let's go, you know.And so he got me scheduled (14:50) for the surgery, which within three months, which also is incredible, like super quick turnaround on (14:55) everything. And I had the surgery, and he got everything out, I was stage three. And he was (15:06) able to remove everything.So after that, I still had residual pain. And I was like, okay, like, (15:18) I thought I was supposed to start feeling better. I went back to him and he's like, (15:22) okay, let's send you to physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction.And I'm like, oh, (15:27) what is that now? And he's like, pretty much like your pelvic floor has been through so much trauma.
(15:34) What it's doing is it's tensing. And then it doesn't know how to release.So that tensing (15:43) is just causing chronic pain. And I'm like, okay, let's do this. So I did that.(15:50) Um, and all of a sudden, I started, like, losing weight again, I was feeling better, (15:59) I had energy. And this only took like, four months for me to like, actually start feeling (16:06) like a human being again. And I was still like, I was no longer doing Weight Watchers, (16:13) done my research on diet that's good for you know, PCOS, and not the Atkins diet, not (16:24) keto, none of that stuff, because I had done that earlier on.And that was just a roller coaster. (16:33) And I lost, like 40 pounds. And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, (16:41) I without even trying, I got pregnant.And I was pretty much thinking like, it was kind of told, (16:48) like, you're not gonna be able to get pregnant on your own. You know, by doctors in the past, (16:52) and I did. And it was probably one of the most exciting moments of my life when
(16:57) I saw that test.And so I had my son in 2021. And after that, (17:13) motherhood hit me like a sack of bricks. I had no idea what I was getting into with that.And I (17:26) so I was working from home. And I didn't have maternity leave. So my job was flexible in the (17:38) fact that they let me work from home while still caring for my son.And my husband, at the time, (17:49) was working night shift. So he would go to work at night, and then he would come home and he would (17:56) sleep all day. Meanwhile, I was working while caring for newborn, and then up all night because (18:03) he was super, super colicky.And that after about four months, I was like, I cannot do this. So I (18:16) got a nanny. And then I was able to go into the office and at least not have like both of those
(18:23) going on at the same time.But still overnight, that lasted for two years for my son was up every (18:33) single night, sometimes up to like 13 times a night. And I was like, Okay, well, I might die. (18:40) And I was so insanely stressed out.And I'm like, What am I doing wrong here? Like, (18:50) now, again, like, I obviously gained weight from my pregnancy, but actually gained more weight (18:56) after my pregnancy than during it because my body was so completely stressed out and burnt out. And (19:06) so I finally got to a breaking point with my husband, because he was not involved. (19:21) So I handled everything.I handled the mental load of everything. I handled our finances, (19:27) I handled the majority of the physical load in our house, caring for our child. And I was like, (19:34) why am I a single parent while I'm married? Like, this is not how it's supposed to be.And (19:44) on our anniversary in 2023, a very horrible thing happened that pushed me to say, Okay, (19:54) and I filed for divorce. So I, I filed and within three months, I had moved out of the house,
(20:07) I let him stay there, I took very little with me, just necessities to take care of my son and (20:15) myself. And I was like, I will just rebuild.I don't need stuff. I just need peace at this point. (20:23) And I started noticing a drastic change in my body just within like a couple of weeks, (20:30) because I wasn't constantly sitting in, in that fight or flight.And I noticed like my face (20:44) wasn't as puffy, like my clothes felt looser. I stopped like, feeling the need to like binge eat (20:50) all the time. I, my, my HS, which I had also had throughout the whole journey, which was like an (21:00) inflammatory response that I was having in my skin, that started to calm down.And I was like, (21:08) okay, like, this is, this is great. This is starting to work, you know, and yeah, even though (21:15) navigating divorce and single motherhood, my nervous system was just starting to calm down. (21:25) Then I, that kind of motivated me.I was like, okay, well, I want to start getting back into (21:30) the gym. I feel like I need to give my body like a good release and movement became my (21:38) number one outlet. I'll tell you what.(21:43) So I started exercising. It kind of became my personality and (21:53) I lost 30 pounds. I started regulating my hormones again, like everything in my body (21:59) started to get better, but then I realized my mind was not getting better.So I pretty much (22:08) like I hadn't, I had no short-term memory. I was completely overwhelmed by everything. I wasn't
(22:14) sleeping.And that actually started to lead me into engaging into unhealthy behaviors. So I started (22:24) drinking and partying and looking for love in all of the wrong places. And then I would just like (22:31) completely emotionally crash out afterwards.So it wasn't until April of 2025 that I said, (22:39) I need to get to the root of why I keep like going in this cycle of like up and down and up and down (22:48) and up and down. Not that life is linear, but these were like major drastic changes in my health, (22:56) my mental health, everything. Like I couldn't keep any sort of like steadiness in my life.(23:02) So I had actually seen a TikTok about somatic therapy and I was like, I wonder if this is (23:11) something that could help me. So I started looking into that. I found an online therapist that does (23:21) EMDR therapy, which is like bilateral stimulation in order to process past trauma.And (23:30) I started working with her. And even within the first couple of sessions, she was able to
(23:39) pinpoint like the, I have ADHD that I had no idea about. I have OCD, which I mean, I had joked about (23:49) in the past, but I didn't really know like what it was.I was like, Oh yeah, I need to have (23:56) everything perfect all the time. And that's not it. And then we started doing the bilateral (24:06) stimulation practices in order to start processing my trauma for CPTSD.And with every single session (24:16) that I have been able to actually go back and process these deep rooted traumas in myself, (24:24) I created reserve. So my nervous system started having more of an allowance. I wasn't, (24:33) you know, reacting on a hairpin trigger anymore to everything that was coming at me because (24:38) that's life and that's going to happen.It's never going to stop, but I needed to be able to have (24:45) room in there to be able to hold it. And then the tools to be able to like actually process it out.
(24:54) So here I am now, I'm still, I'm still in the gym, but like over, over the past year, (25:04) I feel like I've made the biggest leaps and bounds in my overall health.(25:09) I'm changing my mental health also changed how I approach the rest of my life. (25:17) I'm taking care of myself more. I'm prioritizing myself.I'm more inclined to make better choices (25:27) for myself because I know why I resort to self-sabotaging behaviors and how those turn (25:37) into really unhealthy things for my system. And I'm not perfect. I still fail.I still fall back. (25:46) Like I still have seasons where I'm like, man, like why, you know, what am I doing? But overall, (25:54) like I have, I'm so much more grounded and I just keep wanting, I'm sorry. I just want to (26:02) keep learning how I can be better to myself and my body and actually live a life that (26:09) like I deserve to live.So yeah, that was a lot. That's okay. We're going to break it down (26:18) somewhere.No, I mean, there's so many like just recurring themes, like even on other, (26:25) you know, podcast episodes. So it's amazing that it's coming, you know, I have other experts and
(26:30) fields, but it's, it's amazing coming from somebody like you, who's lived it, you know, (26:36) who's been through a lot, you know, a lot. You know, even you mentioned the IUD because like (26:43) I've talked, I mean, it's such a common thing now.And I was like, when, I don't know, when I was (26:49) like that age, you know, talking about birth control, you know, 20s, whatever, (26:54) I feel like IUDs weren't a thing because it was like, well, if you haven't had a baby, (26:57) like you really shouldn't be, but they're so common now. And I feel like nobody else talks (27:00) about, you know, that, that procedure and the discomfort that you can have along with it. (27:08) But I mean, even, you know, you mentioned about the ER, that, that was my specialty.I was an ER (27:14) nurse. And that's part of what drew me to PCOS, to women with PCOS. And you know, with what I do (27:21) now, because I would see that I would see them coming frequently.I would see how they were (27:26) treated. You know, we didn't really know like what to do with them all the time, you know? (27:34) Yeah. And then like everybody else that comes in like once a month, it's, it gets to a point (27:39) where you're like, okay, what do they want? You know? What do they want? Exactly.Yeah. Right. (27:44) Yeah.I mean, so you- What I love most about Jess's story is that it reminds us healing (27:51) rarely happens because of one medication, one surgery, one diet, or one perfect solution.
(27:57) Healing often comes from putting the pieces together, advocating for yourself, (28:01) finding the right healthcare team, supporting your nervous system, reducing inflammation, (28:06) honoring your body's signals, and giving yourself grace throughout the whole process. (28:10) If today's conversation resonated with you, I hope it encourages you to keep asking questions, (28:15) keep listening to your body, and remember that you deserve to feel well.(28:19) You are not too complicated and you are never alone in this journey. (28:24) A huge thank you to Jessa for sharing her story so openly and so vulnerably, (28:29) and I know her experience is going to help so many women feel seen, validated, and hopeful. (28:35) If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you'd share it with a friend or leave a rating (28:39) and review.Every share helps us reach another woman who's looking for answers and reminds her (28:45) healing is possible. And if you're looking for even more education, encouragement, and practical
(28:50) tools to support your journey, be sure to join my Healthy Ever After community where you'll find (28:55) women walking this journey together, resources, recipes, and more podcast episodes just like this. (29:00) The link is in the show notes for you.Until next time, remember your body isn't broken, (29:06) it's communicating. Nourish it, listen to it, trust it, and know that healing doesn't happen (29:11) overnight, but every small step matters. I'm sending you so much love and I'll see (29:16) you on the next episode of PCOS Unfiltered.Nourish. Heal. Thrive.