PCOS & Pitching to The Book Group

If your thyroid works, be sure to thank it every morning. For the past five years my body has been fighting itself while I was fighting the healthcare system begging for help. If I heard, “your lab results are normal” one more time I may have John Wicked somebody.

Multiple doctors told me it was stress and anxiety. The world had just gone through a pandemic and I had moved across the country in the middle of it. While the entire world shut down, my entire life got flipped upside down with a new city, new job, and new permanent address. “Sounds like you’ve experienced some trauma, you’re probably depressed.”

“This is more than depression. I know depression and anxiety. This feels like everything inside has been set on fire.”

“Your lab results are normal.”

I paid out of pocket to see a functional medicine doctor and was told I had Hashimoto’s.

Then, during one of my monthly wax appointments I asked the lady I had been seeing for the few months, “how come I used to be able to go months in-between appointments and now my hair seems to be growing in faster. Does it just depend on the quickness of the person’s hand? Is it the wax being used?”

We had built up a rapport and I felt comfortable with her so I decided to finally blurt out what had been bothering me for the past year. Why the heck am I having to get waxed more frequently?

“Girl you need to see your gynecologist. It sounds like your hormones have changed or there’s an imbalance.”

I made an appointment the next day and spent three months after confirming tests at the OBGYN. I had PCOS.

Hashimoto’s and PCOS. Two hormone imbalances duking it out inside my body. Is there a cure? No. PCOS only happens in women, and it doesn’t occur similarly in all women’s bodies meaning basically no research has been done and the only solution doctor’s prescribe is to get on birth control.

I am allergic to birth control.

Doctor’s won’t refer me to an endocrinologist because my labs are “normal.” I can’t get put on thyroid medicine because my lab results are “normal.” I went to the allergist and he told me he could do an allergy test but that it wouldn’t tell me exactly what I was allergic to, only a general idea. Example: nuts may cause me to flare but what kind of nut? Who knows. He didn’t do the test and charged me the $65 copay to see him.

For the past five years I’ve been trying to piece together a care plan for myself by trial and error (mostly error). I could go on and on about the frustration and disappointment with our healthcare system and how much a month I pay for health insurance but can’t get in to see a doctor…but that’s for another day. Today is supposed to be an update about my pitches for Don’t Forget to Tip Your Waitress.

Before we move onto that, let this little blurb be a reminder to continue advocating for yourself when you feel in your gut something is wrong. It may feel hard when a dude in a white coat is telling you you’re fine, but remember, you’re paying them. Ask the questions. And get second or third opinions.

Hell, ask another woman. Had I never opened my mouth to the woman giving me a wax, who knows how much longer it would’ve taken to know I had little cysts on my ovaries. And ever since, I’ve been vocal in my social groups about my hormonal imbalances and it has opened up a bigger conversation. So many women know other women in their life who are struggling with hormonal imbalances. I’ve gotten the most help from them. Women, what would we do without them.

Anyways, two big pitches have been sent out. I told you about Meg Thompson last week. This week’s pitch went to Brettne Bloom. I found her after Googling who edited The Invisible Life of Addie LeRue (one of my favorite reads in 2024. I’m talking top 3). It brought me to The Book Group’s site and I found her in the list of agents they employee.

Their submission guidelines had specifics with the email ask, what to put in the subject line and not to add any attachments. So I had to add a query letter and 10-page writing sample to one email. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to present this better? Because adding it all to the body of an email felt a bit wrong. I changed the font and formatting for the sample pages but still it felt…chaotic.

The Book Group wanted me to include who this book was for in the query letter. Here’s what I wrote:

This book is for the eldest daughters raised by wolves. Who grew up suffocated with adult responsibilities but had big dreams led by hope and pure spite. It’s for the kids who learned how to notice when the air shifted to help keep the peace but wanted more. And it’s for the ones who felt like their existence was a burden no matter how hard they tried to help. May this nonlinear climb to success remind anyone reading they’re capable of more and some of life’s best lessons are served by the people behind the counter. 

I would go back and change a few sentences. The constant need to edit and look for better ways to say the same thing can drive me mad. Overall, done is better than perfection. We will see, right?

Until next week, friends.

I hope something good happens to you today. ❤