Denavi Patil in “Power to the Patient” , an inspiring young professional living with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), was raised to be wary of unnecessary medicines. Her family didn’t avoid healthcare, but while nearly two-thirds of children take their first round of antibiotics before the age of two, Denavi didn’t use the drugs until she came down with strep throat in college. Still, when she was diagnosed with PCOS when she was 20, she took the birth control pills she was prescribed.
Birth control pills are the most common treatment for the PCOS, which affects about 10% of women, but side effects are common. Denavi tried four different brands of birth control and experienced mood swings, bloating, and eczema flare ups. When she developed ocular migraines, she decided she had to at least try to manage the syndrome without the drugs. Today, she’s successfully kept her symptoms at bay with a combination of diet and lifestyle changes. She may need other treatments someday, but for now, she feels best without the drugs and side effects that came with them.
Listen to Denavi tell her story to interviewer Dr. Lillie Rosenthal in the inaugural episode the MedShadow Foundation’s Power to the Patient Podcast. “Power to the Patient” explores the challenges, choices, and barriers that influence people to traverse their way toward better health and quality of life. These personal stories have the power to not only inform, but to bring communities together over shared experiences with health and wellness. The podcast, says Dr. Rosenthal, “not only informs and inspires, it also ignites us to rethink and transform our perceptions of how we can take back our health and live our best lives.” It’s available on Spotify today and everywhere you listen to podcasts soon.
