Lori Harvey recently shared that she struggled for over ten years with debilitating and mysterious health issues before receiving diagnoses of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
The 28-year-old model and businesswoman recently discussed her health journey on the SheMD podcast with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney. For years, doctors had dismissed her concerns, telling her there was no problem.
I was really frustrated because I kept feeling like something wasn’t right with my body, so I went to my gynecologist. But every time I went, she told me I was perfectly healthy and there was nothing wrong. I kept trying to explain that I didn’t *feel* okay, that something just didn’t feel right.
She finally found out what was wrong after seeing Dr. Aliabadi, a Los Angeles gynecologist who cares for many famous women.
Following her initial consultation, Dr. Aliabadi noticed several signs indicating the patient had both PCOS and endometriosis.
The model explained that Dr. Aliabadi initially told her severely swollen and inflamed ovaries made pregnancy unlikely.
Harvey remembered saying, ‘She’ll probably tell you I wasn’t doing well when I visited her.’ He continued, ‘In fact, I needed emergency surgery just a couple of days later – I had a really large cyst.’
Dr. Aliabadi explained that Harvey had an endometrioma – a cyst on the ovary caused by endometriosis. If it hadn’t been treated, this cyst would have likely made it impossible for her to have children.
As a fertility expert, I can tell you that Dr. Aliabadi really gave Harvey peace of mind. She assured her that when the time came to try for a baby, she’d be able to conceive naturally and had a fantastic egg reserve. It was such a relief for her to hear that!
In the interview, Harvey also mentioned she intends to freeze her eggs in the next year as a way to preserve her options for the future.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a frequent condition impacting how a woman’s ovaries function. It often goes unnoticed – more than 70% of women who have it aren’t diagnosed.
Often, people with PCOS don’t show any visible symptoms. Diagnosis usually involves blood tests, ultrasounds, and other reliable medical evaluations.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is usually characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, high levels of androgens (which can lead to things like extra hair growth on the face or body), and the development of cysts on the ovaries.
This condition impacts about one in ten women in the United States who could become pregnant, and it may make it harder to get pregnant.
Endometriosis happens when tissue normally found inside the uterus grows outside of it in other parts of the body.
This condition can cause pain, excessively heavy periods, and tiredness. It also increases the risk of difficulty getting pregnant and can lead to problems with the bladder and bowels.
Looking back, Harvey said her symptoms began at 16.
Despite consistently working out and eating carefully, she experienced significant weight changes, severe bloating, and skin problems like acne and rosacea. She also noticed unwanted facial hair, leaving her confused and concerned about what was going on with her body.
‘My body’s trying to tell me something, but I’m not getting the answers that I need,’ she said.
Looking back, she used to tell me her periods were unbelievably painful – truly the worst she’d ever experienced. She’d get such severe cramps every month that she honestly felt like she needed to be hospitalized. It was something she really struggled with before getting answers.
Honestly, the pain was just… awful. I remember taking 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen, and it barely touched it! People kept telling me to just grab some Tylenol, that I’d be okay, but I *knew* this wasn’t normal. It was completely debilitating, and I just couldn’t understand why no one seemed to get how bad it really was.
When Dr. Aliabadi told her the pain wasn’t normal, Harvey said, ‘She literally changed my life.’
Aliabadi said Harvey’s story highlights a wider problem in women’s health.
‘We’re talking about Lori Harvey. That’s what hurts me. That’s why I have you guys come here,’ she explained on the podcast. ‘Because if you cannot get someone to listen to you and diagnose you correctly, do you think other women have a chance? They don’t.’
Harvey added that many of her friends quietly suffer from PCOS as well.
She explained that many of her friends, including herself, have dealt with PCOS without understanding what it was, leading to a lot of silent struggles. No one was taught about the condition, so they just suffered without knowing why.
Both Harvey and Aliabadi described the situation as a ‘silent epidemic.’ Harvey explained that constantly having their concerns dismissed by doctors felt like a form of manipulation, similar to ‘gaslighting’.
Many women are used to simply enduring health problems quietly. It’s frustrating when you repeatedly tell doctors you’re not feeling well, but they dismiss your concerns and tell you everything is normal. It can feel like they’re making you doubt your own perceptions and experiences.
After learning she had a diagnosis, Harvey started taking Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes. It also helps balance hormones in people with PCOS, and she reported experiencing significant improvements.
She said it completely changed her life, explaining that her weight is now stable, her hormones are balanced, and she finally feels like herself again.
Harvey said he’s finally comfortable and happy with his body, feeling as if he’s experiencing what he should have felt as a teenager. He’s never felt more at peace with himself physically.
Before starting medication, she shared that, like many women, she’d struggled with unhealthy eating habits and had a complicated relationship with both food and exercise.
Dr. Aliabadi expressed her concern that being dismissed by healthcare professionals often leads to eating disorders in people with PCOS. She believes it’s unfair for a 14-year-old to feel pressured to starve themselves or eliminate carbohydrates.
Aliabadi explained that restrictive dieting is ineffective and can be harmful, often leading to intense frustration when seeing others seemingly eat without consequence. She pointed out that many people struggling with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) actually end up seeking treatment at eating disorder centers, highlighting a strong connection between the two conditions.
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2025-09-16 21:55