Author: Dohna

  • How I Started My PCOS Journey

    How I Started My PCOS Journey

    I started my PCOS journey feeling defeated. 

    The first time I had ever heard about PCOS was at my post-surgery checkup after having emergency surgery to save my left ovary. Talk about trauma, right 😭😂?

    At my appointment, I learned I had PCOS ovaries, but I had no idea what that was, nor the years of fighting I would have as a result.

    ☕️ I left the appointment not understanding PCOS or its impacts and with a list of recommendations to decrease my caffeine intake and stop eating so much bread. 

    From there, I did a little research about PCOS, but I was deep in the throes of college. I didn’t have the mental space to think about PCOS, although the symptoms were wrecking my body from gaining weight, fatigue, no periods, bad nausea, etc.

    👀 My PCOS diagnosis was behind me, or at least I thought it was.

    When did I realize my PCOS would be a problem?

    It wasn’t until before I got married that PCOS reared its big head. All of a sudden I was thinking thoughts I never thought like:

    • What if I can’t have babies?
    • Would my husband still love me if I couldn’t have babies?
    • Am I trapping my husband in a marriage?
    • Can I be a good wife if I can’t have a baby?

    But to be honest, I still didn’t know what PCOS was, what it was going to my body, nor its impact. I just knew I wasn’t having periods.

    Going to the Doctor’s

    So soon after getting married, I scheduled an appointment with an OB and finally confronted the idea that I couldn’t have babies – it was a lie. At that appointment, I met my Nurse Practitioner, aka my OB, who changed my life. 

    Things did not change quickly, because once I found out I could have babies, I was satisfied and had not yet connected my issues with PCOS.

    🏋️‍♀️ Instead, I was trying to address the symptoms. For example, I tried to address my const ant weight gain without going to the root. So, I ate healthier and worked out 4-5 days a week. But nothing was working.

    What I know now is that my hormones were so over the place that I wasn’t going to lose weight, and the workouts were so intense that they were increasing my cortisol, therefore almost making me gain weight.

    🪨Hitting Rock Bottom

    It wasn’t until about a year later that I started to research PCOS and realized that all the symptoms I was experiencing like:

    • backaches
    • brain fog
    • body inflammation
    • headaches
    • weight gain
    • depression
    • mood swings
    • acne
    • NOOOOO PERIODS!

    We’re symptoms of my PCOS. The realization made me feel seen and showed me that I wasn’t crazy. But it also left me feeling defeated. 🙃

    I started accepting my PCOS as my reality. I would gain weight, my back would hurt, I would live in depression, etc. It felt like nothing would change, so I might as well accept it.

    But then, I reached rock bottom.

    ROCK BOTTOM IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE

    My Turning Point

    Rock bottom happened gradually, but eventually, it wrecked me.

    I realized something needed to change when I started having sobbing “attacks.” My sobbing attacks were an overflow of me fighting a war in my mind, feeling like a failure, deeply depressed, and afraid.

    The depression, weight gain, brain fog, body aches, and lack of periods made me feel dead inside.

    ⛅️FROM DEATH TO LIFE

    It was there that God met me. It was there that I decided something needed to change. It was there that I decided that PCOS would not be my life. 💖

    It was there that I learned three things that would change my relationship with PCOS.

    1. God cared. I learned that God cared that PCOS wrecked my body.
    2. I did not have to settle for PCOS because God wanted something else for me.
    3. I had to fight PCOS back with God’s help.

    My rock bottom showed me that I needed to understand my giant (PCOS), create a plan, and actively fight back.

    God wants to help you fight your battles.

    🥷 FIGHT RIGHT

    The first thing I did was research. How can you fight against something without knowing what you’re fighting? 👀

    It’s literally fighting blindly without direction, hoping you will hit something. 

    You cannot fight your battle blindly.

    The Bible says it like this, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it costs you all you have, get understanding,” Proverbs 4:7. 

    ✨The first level of wisdom is just learning. Then, you take it to God to get the instructions. 

    ✨ So, I started researching and listening to people’s stories on TikTok. For the first time in my PCOS journey, I was operating under the assumption that my life could get better.

    ✨For the first time, I had hope that life could get better, which activated my faith.

    “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

    Matthew 17:20 NIV

    🌟 FINDING HOPE

    My research was the gateway to the hope.

    1. I wasn’t crazy: the research made me feel seen. The body aches? Normal. The brain fog? Expected. The weight gain? A part of hormonal imbalances. 
    2. I wasn’t alone: the research showed me other women facing the same things and overcoming PCOS, which showed me I could.
    3. God cared: God found me when I didn’t know he could help me. At the lowest of lows, God rescued me and sliced down the lies of the enemy that told me I was unworthy.

    There IS Hope

    God rescued me through research and implementation. Here’s what has changed:

    • My hormones are regulated (via my bloodwork).
    • I no longer have constant backaches.
    • The brain fog is at a minimum.
    • I have MONTHLY periods (used to be 3-4 a year).
    • I have a system and know how to seek God in my health and so much more.
    • I’m not constantly gaining weight.

    Listen, the giant is only a giant because you see it that way. 💖

    ✨We serve a God who enables and equips “unqualified” people to fight a giant everyone else was afraid of. How much more can he do for you?

    “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, who you have defied.”

    “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head….”‘

    1 Samuel 17:45-46 NIV

    “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

    1 Samuel 17:50 NIV

    Encouragement for You

    If you are facing the torturous and raging waters of PCOS, I want to encourage you: 

    • It’s going to be ok. It will get better. 
    • God loves you. You can ask him for help. He has the power and authority to help.
    • You’re not alone. 💖
    • If I can do it, you can too!

    📖 SCRIPTURE

    Here is a scripture that you can hold on to as you navigate this season:

    “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

    Matthew 17:20 NIV

    God cares. Ask him to help you with your PCOS journey, and he will! Your PCOS is only a mountain, and God has the power to move it. 💖

    🙏 PRAYER

    Here is a prayer that you say to start your journey:

    “God, I’m tired of being defeated by this. Your word says I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me. But, God, I don’t feel like a conqueror, so I need you to open my eyes to see you. Lord, please help me. Please rescue me in Jesus name. I pray.  Amen.

    OTHER RESOURCES

    • 1 Samuel 17: 26-52
    • Proverbs 4:7. 
    • Matthew 17:20.
    • Jeremiah 29:11 -12
    • Romans 8:37
    • Romans 8:31

  • 🗻Unaligned to Glory

    Feeling unaligned is a part of the process. Let me repeat myself- feeling unaligned is a part of the process.

    The uncomfortable feeling of being behind, being afraid, and something just not being right is a part of the process.

    It sucks, but it’s a part of the process. 

    The biggest lies of the enemy when you are going through a process of realigning is:

    • You’ve messed up
    • You’re stuck
    • You’re always going to be stuck 
    • You’re always going to keep messing up.

    🧠 But what if I told you that feeling unaligned is less about you and more about God calling you to a higher level?

    The uncomfortable feeling is the birthplace of a new level.

    Today, I dare you to start seeing the uncomfortable differently, not as a reason to run and hide but as a starting point for development and growth.

    🗻God is not punishing you. He’s taking you up.

    So how do you realign?

    You eliminate distractions, seek God, give yourself grace, and slow down.

    Here is what I am doing as I realign:

    😌 Eliminating distractions:

    It’s hard to hear God’s voice when you’re focused on the voices of others and drowning in your mind, fears, and anxiety

    ✨Seeking God:

    I can’t do this without God. I need his vision to go forth.

    💖Giving myself grace:

    I am in a sensitive spot, so I am treating myself that way, which may look like a little less or more sleep, giving myself space to cry and grace to be less together.

    💐Slowing Down:

    It’s hard to lead when you don’t know where you’re going. I am refraining from making big decisions and giving myself space to hear from God before I lead my team forward. 

    welcome to a new level of glory!💖

    I know you currently feel like you’re in a barren and hopeless place, but I am here to tell you that you’re standing in the birthplace of God’s glory in this chapter of your life.

    You will survive here. I will survive here. But more importantly, we will seek and depend on God like never before, because he is here, ready, and waiting to take us to a new level of glory.

    In the meantime here is a prayer for you 💖:

    God, I thank you that you are a good guide. I thank you that I can have confidence that this is working for my good. Please lead, guide, and comfort me, Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

    I’ll talk with you soon,

    Dohna xxo

  • ⛈ July Check-in: Health & Victimhood

    Honestly, things have been crazy. In May/June, I really struggled mentally, emotionally, and physically.  

    ⛈ Health Challenges:

    I never would have thought that I would struggle with chronic pain, but I have. Leading up to my surgery for the removal of my ovarian dermoid cyst in April 2024,  I was in pain and popping pills almost every single day, couldn’t lift anything, and struggled with bad fatigue. 

    The only thing exciting about my ovarian surgery was the idea of pain relief. Sounds ironic, right? Having a painful surgery to remove chronic pain 😭.

    👀 However, I didn’t expect my PCOS to flare up, imitating the same pain I was in before the surgery. Nor did I expect fatigue, emotional imbalances, and so much brain fog. 

    So, I spent May and early June – Angry. Depressed. And like a victim. 

    • Angry – I still couldn’t wear the jeans I love so much (still can’t)
    • Depressed – because I couldn’t wear the clothes that made me feel confident. 
    • Like a victim – because it felt like my life was spinning and things were out of control.

    Overnight, it felt like the miracle of God saving my ovaries turned into a burden, fear, and so much insecurity. I literally just spent time crying, feeling lost, and feeling ugly. 

    😭 It felt like God had done so much. He healed my PCOS symptoms in 2023 for it all to come crumbling down in 2024.

    ⛅️Overcoming Victimhood

    But in mid-June,  I decided I was done with being a victim of my circumstances. Obviously, God wants to teach me something here, or I wouldn’t be here. 

    👏🏾I decided that I would not be captive to something I could not change because the reality is that whether my PCOS is flaring or not:

    • I have periods that I didn’t have in 2022.
    • I have ovaries that I almost lost twice.
    • I have evidence that God heals and restores PCOS (ME!!)! 

    💐More than that, I realized that the love of my jeans was a result of God teaching me how to style them. SOOO -if God did it before, he can do it again. 

    The devil tried to tell me that God was a one-trick pony and that I was stuck.

    Stuck:

    • hating my clothes
    • in pain 
    • with the idea that PCOS symptoms would be my life

    You can count on the consistency of God!

    ☀️Victory!

    But I am here to report that I recently bought an outfit I loved, I’m no longer experiencing chronic pain, and I have a plan to knock these PCOS symptoms out once again. 

    ✨Listen, God is the same as yesterday and forever more. Therefore, if we decide to embrace where we are, God can do so much more. 

    The devil is a liar AND you are not a victim. This is just an opportunity for God to teach you another lesson and for you to get another victory lap.

    You have to decide to embrace this season.

    👀 It’s Your Turn

    SO HERE’S MY QUESTION FOR YOU: What are you fighting that God wants you to embrace?

    HERE’S MY PRAYER FOR YOU:

    Lord Jesus, your daughter needs you. Right now, the devil is trying to convince her that she is a victim of her circumstances. 

    But right, I declare by your power that she is healed from every lie of the enemy, every infirmity, and every false status of victimhood. Open her eyes and heart to you, Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray Amen.

  • Running Back To Jesus

    A lot of times, when we are struggling in life, we hear things like:

    • God is close to the brokenhearted.
    • Lay your head at the feet of Jesus.
    • Cast your anxiety on Jesus because he cares about you.

    Yet, when we need God the most, we often feel so alone, broken, and far from God. 😩

    Instead of God being our resting place, we reside in brokenness, fear, and depression because we fail to go to God.😩

    Instead, we go to things that promise peace and rest but really elevate our stress. 

    📱We run to things that numb our emotions like: 

    • social media 🎥
    • sex/porn
    • shopping 🛍
    • comfort food
    • wine or weed 🍷
    • gaming, books, etc.
    • overworking & cleaning 🧼
    • gossiping, talking to others, etc.

    They give us hits of dopamine in the moment, but unresolved things will ALWAYS resurface. 

    🌑✨Que, my Grandma Hazel, “What’s done in the dark will always come to the light.” In this case, what you try to shove down will always come back times 10. 

    ✍️ Write it Out: What do you use to numb your emotions?

    A Meeting Place With Jesus

    But let me tell you something: God intentionally wired us to feel deeply and have emotions because our emotions are a meeting place with him. 

    God IS near to the brokenhearted. He is literally there waiting for us to tap him in so that he can give us revelation and victory. 💖

    Distractions feel so good at the moment but often steal our victories. 

    ✨ God intentionally wired us to feel deeply!

    👀So, what happens when we run to distractions (social media, gossip, sex, weed, wine, and other things) that numb our emotions instead of running to Jesus?

    • RULED BY UNHAPPINESS: We struggle with gratitude and feeling discontent. So, we wander the earth aimlessly. 
    • CAN’T HEAR GOD 🎧: God’s voice gets smaller and smaller until we can barely hear him, while the voices of social media and naysayers get louder.
    • MENTAL STRUGGLES: We wrestle with depression, paralyzing anxiety, and make bad decisions. 
    • HEALTH ISSUES: 😴We struggle with sleeping, fatigue, and other health issues.

    See, God wants to be the place you run to. Yet, a lot of times we struggle to hear from God because we’re not going under his wing. 

    🏃‍♀️You will not hear from God by running in the opposite direction.

    By eliminating distractions, aka the things you run to when you’re struggling, you literally create space to hear from God. 

    ✨You will not hear from God by running in the opposite direction.

    LIVING IT OUT

    Today, I would encourage you to:

    1. Think about the things you’re running to.
    2. Intentionally create boundaries so you won’t run to them. 
    3. Trust that when you’re at your weakest, God is close and ready to speak. 

    ✨ EXAMPLES:

    • I do not drink wine when I am sad, struggling emotionally, or stressed. I will not use liquor to numb my emotions.
    • I try to be aware of my mind and set boundaries around what I do when my emotions are high.
    • In high-stress weeks/months, I limit social media, TV, books, and other things I will use to numb instead of handling my business. 

    ✍️Write it Out: What do you run to instead of running to God? How are you going to intentionally run to God instead?

  • 💖 Letter To Myself: Thank You

    Hey! I hope that something in this letter speaks to your heart, ministers to your spirit, and gives you the victory you deserve. 

    Happy ten years of being obedient,  

    It all started ten years ago when you made the choice to finally call the police on Donnie. At that moment, you decided that you deserved more: more love and more protection. 

    For months leading up to the call:

    • God showed you that the love you received from your family wasn’t enough.
    • God showed you that if you stayed in that house, you would die. 
    • God showed you that there was a standard of love, and then you decided to answer the door.

    ✍️Write It Out: What has God been showing you for months?

    ✨ You didn’t make a choice in naivety. You made a choice knowing that there would be repercussions. You made a choice knowing that you would NOT be chosen. You knew your family would NOT decide to choose you, but you chose you. 

    ✍️Write It Out: What consequences are you afraid to face? 

    More than that, you chose God. You decided to listen to him, trust him, and say yes.

    You didn’t know it, but that one choice CHANGED everything. 

    ✅ Choosing God

    From there, you constantly made other choices. You decided to believe God when he promised that you would go to college, that you would graduate, and that you would be great. Not only great in standing but great in impact. 

    And baby, you did it. 🥳

    2-3 JOBS: You worked two jobs in high school and three in college, stayed obedient, and impacted many people. 

    HOMELESS TO FOOD PANTRY: You dealt with homelessness in college yet decided that you would make things better for others and started a food pantry. That food pantry is still standing and will be impacting students for years to come. Congratulations. 🎉

    THERAPY: You went to therapy and still do therapy because you decided your trauma and pain wouldn’t hold you back or go to the next generation.

    ENTREPRENEURSHIP: You trusted God enough NOT to go into corporate America, turned in your car early, and made the hard decision to trust God even when you didn’t make any money. 

    You have spent the last 10 years serving God wholeheartedly, obeying even when it was hard, and choosing to have faith in God during the hard times. 💖

    ✨When we decide to choose God, everything changes. 

    ✅ Choosing Myself

    As you enter this next season of your life, I hope you know that I am so proud of you. I am proud of your dedication, hard work, and yes. I’m proud of your heart. I’m proud of the way you conduct yourself with integrity. I’m proud of who you are today, not because of what you do, but because of who you are. 

    💐I want you to know that if no one sees you, I see you. If no one knows how hard you’ve worked, I know. If no one knows the tears you’ve cried, the giants you’ve slayed, or the mountains you’ve moved, I know. 

    💐Thank you for deciding that you would be obedient to God and leave the rest to him. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for protecting me.

    💐Thank you for creating a standard of love. Thank you for deciding to heal. Thank you for not letting your pain destroy you.

    💐More than that, thank you for deciding that you would believe God, no matter what.

    💐Thank you for trusting God and showing up when it felt impossible.

    ✍️Write It Out: What are three things you are proud of?

    ✅ Choosing to Remember 

    As you enter this new season, I hope you know that you deserve it ALL. You have paid the cost. You deserve EVERYTHING that the Lord has given you and will give you. Do not apologize for the victory, blessings, or favor in your life. Do not belittle, criticize, or mock yourself. 

    🥊You deserve it all. Do not roll over. Fight. Fight for your victory. Fight for your family, and fight for women. 

    I know that sometimes you feel that your obedience doesn’t matter, but it does. Your consistent yes to God matters. It matters to your family, friends, and community, but more than that, it matters to God. 

    Your yes to God matters!

    Things to remember:

    • You are worthy.
    • God is with you.
    • You are equipped and prepared.
    • God would never let you enter a season he hasn’t prepared you for. 

    📣 I want you to know that you can try again. I know that as a little girl, you lost some of your voice, self-esteem, and belief in yourself, but you are safe. It’s time to explore, find your voice, and bask in the protection that God has given you. 

    You do not have to perfect, put on a strong front, or be put together. God rests in your messiness and calls you forth. Be strong, be courageous, be you. You are worthy, resilient, and exactly who you are supposed to be. 

    As a child, the devil tried to take your gifts, voice, and confidence. But baby, you’re still standing. What the devil meant for evil, was a stepping stool for you to become the woman God called you to be. 

    🥳 Congratulations on believing in God, congratulations on surviving, and congratulations on this new season. 

    Welcome to a new era of using your voice and sharing your lessons! Welcome to The Daily Way!

    👀 Letter To The Reader:

    Hey girl! I know that this is a letter to myself, but I want you to know that you should be proud of yourself. 

    You may not be who you want to be yet, but you’ve had to overcome obstacles to be who you are today. Bask, in your greatness. You have survived. You are trying to be better. 

    Be proud of yourself. You deserve it. 💖

    ✍️Write It Out: What are three things you are proud of?

  • 4 Ways to Save Money Grocery Shopping

    🛒Groceries are sky-high right now, so I have put together four tips and tools I have used over the last five years.

    ✨The tools together and in isolation work well to help you be more strategic with your time, save money, and provide healthy and good food for your family.

    👀Identify Your Family Staples

    Knowing the staples your family uses will:

    1. Save you time
    2. Save you money
    3. Make sure you have a foundation to cook a good meal at any time

    💬 Staples are food items you use regularly to prepare and cook.

    For example:

    • Staples in my household include tomato paste, chicken broth, rice, black beans, brown sugar, oatmeal, turkey bacon, shrimp, minced garlic, sour cream, etc.

    Things to keep in mind:

    • Your staples list is on what your family eats regularly, not what you wish you would eat.
    • Your staples may rotate during seasons.
    • A family’s staples are personal, don’t focus on what others do.

    🧠 Choose Your Store Wisely

    It is so important that you know the typical cost of specific staple items at the different local stores you shop at so that you can get the items most cost-effectively.

    ✨Keeping a list of the typical cost of your staples will help you know where the best place to buy something is, which will save you time and money. It takes more leg work up front but saves you money on the back end. 

    ✍️ wRITE IT ouT: wHAT ARE YOUR STAPLES?

    For example, I’ve learned that:

    • Aldi has the best prices for meat in my community
    • Walmart has the best prices for dry goods
    • Kroger has the best sales for dairy, chips, butter, and ice cream

    Things to keep in mind:

    • You can stock up on specific items from one store once a month to save the time of going to multiple stores regularly.
    • You may decide that you are trading convenience for money, so only go to one store. If so, I recommend choosing the best store based on your research.

    💰Buy Food In Season

    🍓You can buy food and store it in preparation for its future use.

    ✨For example, I cut fruits and veggies my family uses regularly and then freeze them for later consumption. So, a step I will be taking in the upcoming weeks is buying, cutting, and freezing strawberries, peaches, and other produce that’s in season (and cheap) so that we can save money in the fall time.

    Side note: My family drinks smoothies every week and it is cheaper to buy fresh fruit from my local fruit market and cut it than buy frozen, so I choose to trade my time with convenience.

    🥫Buying Food Promoted During Certain Seasons

    Each season, there is typically seasonally promoted food you can buy cheaply.

    For example:

    • Right now, hotdogs are super cheap, which means it’s a great season to stock up if you/your kids eat a lot of them. 
    • In the early fall, beans, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and sauce tend to go on sale, which is when I will stock up on them. 
    • During the fall and winter holidays, butter tends to go on sale. 

    ✍️ wRITE IT ouT: Are there any items you need to grab?

    🧺 Waiting on Great Sales

    Once in a while, there is a great sale, which provides a great opportunity to stock up on items.

    For example:

    • Arm and Hammer 50 oz Laundry Detergent goes on sale to buy one, get one free at Kroger every few months.
    • At face value, it doesn’t seem like a great sale, but getting 100 oz (50 +50) for $5.99 is a STEAL because 105 oz is almost $9. But if you stock up, you can save money in the long run. 

    ✍️Plan Around Your Income

    ✨Monthly, you may not have the same amount of money to spend on groceries. Or it may be best to buy most of your groceries during certain times of the month. By strategically planning grocery shopping with the future in mind, you’re able to:

    • Stress less
    • Make wiser decisions
    • Balance the type of food you’re providing

    For example:

    • It’s easier and wiser for my family to set aside money the first week of the month but spend it the second week. 🧡
    • If we have an expense coming up next month that will dramatically impact our budget, like a ticket (😭 REAL LIFE), we may decide to spend a little bit more money on food this month because we may not be able to afford to spend a lot of money on food next month. 

    💬 Do you have any tips to save money grocery shopping? Please share them below!💖 ↓