My Why

Diagnosis & Wake-Up

The birth of PCOStivity came after the rebirth of myself. Reconnecting with my mind, body, spirit, nature, and community sparked this transformation and it took being diagnosed with PCOS to get me there.

My first major health wake-up came after a miscarriage. While what most would call traumatic, I now see it as a blessing in disguise. That event prompted me to visit a doctor and ensure everything was okay with my reproductive health.

Prior to the miscarriage, my body and life had already been through a lot, and I guess that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Hearing I had PCOS felt, at the time, like the most dramatic, life-threatening news imaginable. And then being told there was “no cure” all I could say was, Lord, take me now!

But after speaking with my physician, I realized it wasn’t nearly as catastrophic as I feared. The diagnosis prompted me to truly assess myself and my lifestyle. I know how it feels to be told, “just lose weight, just take birth control, do this, do that,” with no real guidance. I was also told it could be hereditary, even though no woman in my immediate family knowingly had it.

Trial & Error

This diagnosis sent me down a deep rabbit hole of Google, we all know how that goes.

I tried everything, Inositol, all the fad diets you can imagine, “American vegan,” Mediterranean, Indian, keto, you name it. I listened to all the internet advice, and girl, it just messed me up even more.

I even went to doctors begging for relief. I was given birth control that made me feel crazy, metformin even though I didn’t have diabetes, and whatever else they thought I might need.

Nothing I tried truly worked, and I found myself sitting down and asking, “Anika, what do you really need?”

That question marked the true beginning of my journey, shifting the focus from endless trial-and-error to understanding what my body, mind, and spirit truly required.

Herbal Healing & Transformation

I turned to natural remedies, searching for herbs that could support PCOS. Coming from a home that didn’t rely on over-the-counter medicine, this felt like returning to my roots.

A YouTube video introduced me to someone who guided me, and soon my body began making real changes. Taking matters further, I traveled the world to learn firsthand about herbs and their effects on the body.

Through this journey, I discovered ways to address and even reverse symptoms that were considered “incurable,” so much so that even my doctors were shocked.

The Birth of PCOStivity

Through all of this struggle, experimentation, and self-discovery, I learned what truly worked for me.

This journey, confusing, exhausting, and transformative, was the foundation for creating PCOStivity, a safe space for Black women with PCOS to access knowledge, support, and herbal solutions, helping us live well, embrace our bodies, and build community.