I know I know, another lame unpopular post. But again, hear me out, I actually kinda like facebook. I really realized that today, when I opened it up to check on some ePCOSb stuff, and the first thing I saw on my wall was a "Friend Day' video, showing I've been friends with someone for x amount of years. 

This friend, is someone I've actually been friends with since I was 16. And I was like WOAH, 25 flipping years buddy. We had lost touch in that time, and it was Facebook that had brought us back together. 

I moved around a lot as a kid, and even more as a young adult. It wasn't until meeting my husband that my life became stable and I stayed in any place for a substantial amount of time. and by then, most of my friends from my teens and young adulthood had been lost, never forgotten. 

Along came facebook. I've been able to reconnect with people and reform some truly amazing friendships that I am beyond grateful for. From silly games I've played (thank you farmville) I have formed lifelong friendships with people I've never met, and have watched their children grow and be born!

I've been able to learn about my chronic illness, and even become an advocate, and create everyPCOSbody, all because of meeting people from Facebook!  

People say facebook is trash and a waste of time. There are certainly times where I need a break. But the algorithms work. If you follow positive pages, and react to positive posts, your newsfeed will fill with positivity and beauty. Facebook will become a source of light and hope. 

I look back on my memories and see a very dark time in my life if I go back far enough, nothing but complaining and sorrow. Then there's a shift. I decided to purposefully follow positive pages and only have positivity on my newsfeed, and it changed my outlook. It didn't happen overnight, but it absolutely worked.

Am I happy all the time? Hell no! I have Major Depressive Disorder, among other serious other mental health disorders. There are days I can't get out of bed. But I do go to facebook, and I go to some of the positive pages, some of my positive friends, and there is a pinhole light in the day that makes things a bit brighter. 

So, if you are struggling with a negative experience, "unfollow" your negative friends, start following some positive pages, or heck, even take a social media break! 

Yeah, I am a total mom dork, and I like facebook, and no, this isn't sponsored by them, lol! I wish it were, I could use the money!! 
​-Jeni

Support with PCOS... I'm about to say something that's probably going to get me in trouble and a pretty unpopular opinion... I've noticed as  someone who runs and is a member of multiple support groups on Facebook; there are a lot of people looking for an Echo Chamber instead of actual support. 

I know, I know, bare with me for a minute, I am NOT trying to be edgy, I promise. I'm not saying that this is done on purpose. PCOS SUCKS. It's a chronic syndrome, with (in my research so far) over 85 related symptoms. Symptoms that are often discounted by people in your life, even medical professionals that are supposed to be helping you! So it's easy to go into support groups and want to be validated with the feelings, thoughts and experiences you are having.

However, I can't be your Echo Chamber. PCOS Sucks, it absolutely does. But We Don't Have To! And I know that it is so incredibly difficult to be positive with a chronic illness. But, when you come to me, I am not going to feed into your sorrow. I am going to feed into your positivity and your self abilities to lift yourself up.

You are able to get your symptoms under control and maintained. Is it going to happen overnight, hell no. Are their magic pills, absolutely not. But, you have the ability to do the research, find the resources, and make your life better. 

I will not be your echo chamber, I will be your cheerleader. I will be your resource, I will be the person to tell you when you are down that YOU GOT THIS! That it will be okay and that despite everything, it will get better. That there is hope and no matter what happens, there is silver linings and positive reasons for it all. I will send you love and strength. I will show you how incredibly powerful and strong you are. I will not be a negative echo chamber. You are worth more than that. 

​- Jeni Gutke