Pcos Support
Please Tell us about youself, and your story
Hey all, I'm the third Jenny in a row here! I'm 27 and was diagnosed at 16. I had always had irregular periods but it took a smart dermatologist, of all things, to suspect PCOS and suggest that I see an endocrinologist. My pediatrician was not cutting it anymore. I saw a pediatric endocrinologist *****ferred me to a fertility doc. Whew! He was great and completely understood PCOS. Although he didn't really understand teenage girls - one day he came into the exam room and announced that I needed a vaginal ultrasound...and showed me the wand...I actually started to cry! LOL! I started on BCP and spironolactone and metformin. I transferred to a regular gyn when I was about 19. My symptoms have never been too terribly severe - my periods were controlled on BCP, so I never had problems with period symptons, cysts, or endometriosis. I did have a lot of excess hair and the darkening around my neck and between my boobs, plus of course the insulin resistance and belly fat. Spironolactone has actually helped a TON with both of those things. About a year ago my gyn decided that she didn't want me on tri-cyclic BCP anymore because my blood pressure was high and I'd been on them for ten years. So she switched me to the mini-pill - and thank God, no problems. I had vsg in October and have had a period literally like clockwork every 14 days since. Irritating but not a huge issue. My docs reassure me that it's normal and things will even out. I'm not married yet, so I haven't embarked on the TTC journey yet, although it's something I've always worried about because I definitely want kids.
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford
Weights: highest = 520; before pre-op diet = 510; day of surgery = 494; goal = >200
Check out my blog - My Life with Sleevey. And add me as a friend to see my pics!
Weights: highest = 520; before pre-op diet = 510; day of surgery = 494; goal = >200
Check out my blog - My Life with Sleevey. And add me as a friend to see my pics!
Wow there's a lot of us Jennifers here! So glad you started this group! I have had PCOS since puberty, but I never found a doctor who would ever help me (other than tell me I needed to lose weight****il the end of 2004 and told me I had PCOS.
At that time, I was also diagnosed with Endometrial Hyperplasia which was the last stage before cancer. I had a D & C in March 2005 and had to wait 2 weeks to find out if I had cancer which would require a hysterectomy. By the Grace of God, I did not have cancer! I had to take heavy doses of Progesterone to reverse the Hyperplasia. It worked, but caused me to gain 40 lbs. and caused my Thyroid to not work as well as it should. This was a hard time for me because my Mom was fighting Ovarian Cancer. She fought it for 6 years but we lost her in 2006 on the same day as my 14th wedding anniversary.
The stress of Mom's illness and eventually losing her was too much and I put myself on the back burner. Unfortunately, I went back to the gyn/onc 2 months after Mom passed only to find the hyperplasia had returned. I had to do another round of the Progesterone again in the summer of 2008. It worked again but added another 30 lbs and my my thyroid medicine had to be increased more. That was when it was suggested I have WLS and it's been a 16 months since.
I am so glad that I had surgery! I am bad about putting everyone's needs above my own, but having surgery has taught me that I have to take care of myself and I have to do as instructed, but the pay off is so great!
At that time, I was also diagnosed with Endometrial Hyperplasia which was the last stage before cancer. I had a D & C in March 2005 and had to wait 2 weeks to find out if I had cancer which would require a hysterectomy. By the Grace of God, I did not have cancer! I had to take heavy doses of Progesterone to reverse the Hyperplasia. It worked, but caused me to gain 40 lbs. and caused my Thyroid to not work as well as it should. This was a hard time for me because my Mom was fighting Ovarian Cancer. She fought it for 6 years but we lost her in 2006 on the same day as my 14th wedding anniversary.
The stress of Mom's illness and eventually losing her was too much and I put myself on the back burner. Unfortunately, I went back to the gyn/onc 2 months after Mom passed only to find the hyperplasia had returned. I had to do another round of the Progesterone again in the summer of 2008. It worked again but added another 30 lbs and my my thyroid medicine had to be increased more. That was when it was suggested I have WLS and it's been a 16 months since.
I am so glad that I had surgery! I am bad about putting everyone's needs above my own, but having surgery has taught me that I have to take care of myself and I have to do as instructed, but the pay off is so great!
My name is Alice and I am 37. I don't have a formal diagnosis of PCOS but my identical twin does and I have all the right symptoms (very irregular periods, facial hair, belly fat, borderline insulin resistance). I was lucky that I had a great gyn/OB who worked with me when I was TTC and with the provera/clomid I was able to conceive 3 times- a miscarriage at 13 weeks and I have a 7 yr old son and 9 yr old son. I am pre-op scheduled for lap rny next week!
I am glad you started this board because I had a PCOS question that I will post in another blog.
I am glad you started this board because I had a PCOS question that I will post in another blog.
My name is Victoria. Sorry I dont have a picture up yet. But I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 yrs ago when I started down the road to bariatric surgery. It doesnt really bother me much since I am 40 yrs old and my kids, yes I had 2, are grown. Which tells me I didnt develop it till after they were born. I have to shave nearly 4 times a week or I have more hair than my hubby.
But my menstrual cycle is the pits. Lasting as long as 10 days. Or as short as 1. I get zapped in energy easier, and my mood swings well......sometimes I look for my name at the post office. LOL
I am not on any meds for it, cause they all upset my tummy. Go figure. I also have a mild form of Lupus. And a few dozen other ailments.
Anyways nice to be here.
I am trying to get the RYN done this year. Have to contact the doctor and try again.
But my menstrual cycle is the pits. Lasting as long as 10 days. Or as short as 1. I get zapped in energy easier, and my mood swings well......sometimes I look for my name at the post office. LOL
I am not on any meds for it, cause they all upset my tummy. Go figure. I also have a mild form of Lupus. And a few dozen other ailments.
Anyways nice to be here.
I am trying to get the RYN done this year. Have to contact the doctor and try again.
Hi, my name is Rebecca. I am 35 (36 on May 27) and have been battling PCOS since puberty with a diagnosis only last year!
I have every symptom imagineable- hair, darkening of skin, big belly, skin tags, IR turned diabetes, high blood pressure- you name it. I was on BC for most of my life until I got married in 1999. We immediately began TTC but no luck. My cycles vary from almost non-existent for months to spotting for weeks. We tried the chlomid/provera nightmare (for me it was) for countless rounds.
I am scheduled for surgery on 3/25/10 and am on Cloud 9! I am hoping to reverse a lot of my medical issues as I lose weight.
I joined this group because I know that you ladies know what it is like to feel like things are "broken." I like knowing that I can come to this group with concerns or questions and to share joys and accomplishments!
Rebecca
I have every symptom imagineable- hair, darkening of skin, big belly, skin tags, IR turned diabetes, high blood pressure- you name it. I was on BC for most of my life until I got married in 1999. We immediately began TTC but no luck. My cycles vary from almost non-existent for months to spotting for weeks. We tried the chlomid/provera nightmare (for me it was) for countless rounds.
I am scheduled for surgery on 3/25/10 and am on Cloud 9! I am hoping to reverse a lot of my medical issues as I lose weight.
I joined this group because I know that you ladies know what it is like to feel like things are "broken." I like knowing that I can come to this group with concerns or questions and to share joys and accomplishments!
Rebecca
Wow I thought I had replied here before but I don't see it so here I go:
My name is Kirstin and I am 39 years old. I have been married for 17 years and I was diagnosed with PCOS before we got married. I also got my period when I was 9 but it quickly disappeared, only to be brought on with intervention. I have had two or three surgeries to remove the cycts. I lost a lot of weight in 98-99 time frame in order to attempt pregnancies. My period never did normalize, although I lost about 90-100 pounds. I did get pregnant (via IVF) but had an ectopic and then a miscarriage. The third try we didn't conceive and by then I was wiped out emotionally so we started the adoption process and now have two beautiful children who are the delight of our lives so my advice to anyone is that kids are so worth everything you have to go through to get them!!!! Kicker is, now my period is becoming fairly normal compared to what it has been my whole life! Every six weeks to two months it's coming now which is a far cry from when I could go untold amounts of time without one...
Anyway I wish I had considered surgery before now.... but things are the way they are supposed to be so now here I am. I just found out today my insurance approval has come through!!! YIPPEEE!!! So my surgery is supposed to be in April sometime, probably April 27th.
I am excited to be normal sized for the first time in my life. I want to live a more active lifestyle and give my kids that example instead of the "I'm too tired to do anything" example because I'm carrying so much extra weight around.
One of my goals is to run a half marathon, and also my high school class is turning forty this year so my friend and I are going to go skydiving!!! I've ALWAYS wanted to but I've ALWAYS been over the maximum weight!!!
It's kind of fun to think about how people will react to this... my husband is from Hawaii and he hasn't told any of them that I'm doing this... and we are planning to go back in January. It will be very fun to see the reactions we get!!! (It might be almost as good as when I went back to work on Monday after the weekend with pictures of my son.... no one knew I was adopting (he was a preemie and in the hospital for 17 days so I saved my start of my leave until he was out) and some didn't believe it! It was GREAT!!!)
My name is Kirstin and I am 39 years old. I have been married for 17 years and I was diagnosed with PCOS before we got married. I also got my period when I was 9 but it quickly disappeared, only to be brought on with intervention. I have had two or three surgeries to remove the cycts. I lost a lot of weight in 98-99 time frame in order to attempt pregnancies. My period never did normalize, although I lost about 90-100 pounds. I did get pregnant (via IVF) but had an ectopic and then a miscarriage. The third try we didn't conceive and by then I was wiped out emotionally so we started the adoption process and now have two beautiful children who are the delight of our lives so my advice to anyone is that kids are so worth everything you have to go through to get them!!!! Kicker is, now my period is becoming fairly normal compared to what it has been my whole life! Every six weeks to two months it's coming now which is a far cry from when I could go untold amounts of time without one...
Anyway I wish I had considered surgery before now.... but things are the way they are supposed to be so now here I am. I just found out today my insurance approval has come through!!! YIPPEEE!!! So my surgery is supposed to be in April sometime, probably April 27th.
I am excited to be normal sized for the first time in my life. I want to live a more active lifestyle and give my kids that example instead of the "I'm too tired to do anything" example because I'm carrying so much extra weight around.
One of my goals is to run a half marathon, and also my high school class is turning forty this year so my friend and I are going to go skydiving!!! I've ALWAYS wanted to but I've ALWAYS been over the maximum weight!!!
It's kind of fun to think about how people will react to this... my husband is from Hawaii and he hasn't told any of them that I'm doing this... and we are planning to go back in January. It will be very fun to see the reactions we get!!! (It might be almost as good as when I went back to work on Monday after the weekend with pictures of my son.... no one knew I was adopting (he was a preemie and in the hospital for 17 days so I saved my start of my leave until he was out) and some didn't believe it! It was GREAT!!!)
This is from my blog --
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It was the summer of 2004. Jeff and I had been married for a year. We were in the Home Depot parking lot, walking back to our car. Jeff turned to me to tell me that HIS “clock was ticking." I explained to him that he didn’t have a clock, but the point was still there, Jeff was ready to start a family. For the next six months, we tried without really trying. That December, we starting trying more strategically (looking at the calendar for optimum times). After a year had passed, I started getting horrible pains. These pains were actually from having a cyst and endometriosis which required surgery. During my post-op appointment with Dr. S. we talked about how we had been trying. He explained to my husband and myself that, “Women have a fatometer." Essentially, he was trying to explain how really heavy and really skinny women have trouble conceiving. Well, we were a bit put off by Dr. S’s lack of bed side manner, so we consulted my OB/GYN Goddess Extraordinaire, Dr. M. She wanted to start me on Clomid (as my mom had), but it turns out that I had more cysts requiring surgery. After two surgeries, several “painless procedures" (which were not painless at all and which detail is really moot for this blog’s purposes), monthly internal ultrasounds, shots, pills, and blood tests, Dr. M. and her wonderful colleague, Dr. W., sent me to a very reputable fertility clinic. Lots of things were said about my levels, my thyroid, my Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (which will be referred to as PCOS henceforth), but the bottom line is I needed to lose weight to get pregnant. How much weight? I needed to lose 106.5 lbs to be at the BMI I needed to achieve in order to get pregnant. The doctor said I should lose this in 6 months to a year (that’s right, the doctor wanted me to lose between and 8.9 and 17.75 pounds PER MONTH). Amazingly enough, I actually was doing pretty well. I lost 39 lbs in a year (only 3.25 lbs per month) and got my thyroid under control! I called the doctor at the fertility clinic and was told by his nurse that he wanted me to lose “at least another 60 pounds before the doctor will see you again." This may sound very well and good, but I had really worked hard for those 39. I had plateaued for the past two months. Another 60 pounds seemed impossible. It would be like if I told you (and you alone) that you had to build a house without any tools. You could read books about houses being built. You could watch a video of houses being built, you could have someone giving you step by step instructions on how to build the house, but when it comes down to it, it’s your hands and you. Oh yeah. And get it done in 6 months to a year. During this time, still keep down your job, your marriage, and all other responsibilities. I know it sound like I’m being dramatic, but that IS how I feel. This is my blog and my story. I think it’s also important to note that I have always been heavier. I have never had my weight “under control." Even now, I don’t eat a lot more than the average person, but am twice the weight of my friends. I don’t drink soda or coffee. I have a small salad and small sandwich for lunch every day at work. I eat apples for my snack with my students. My dinner is usually chicken based with a starch and a veggie. At home, if I have dessert it’s normally fat free pudding. The whole thing is just so frustrating. Everyone has their own solution for me too. Some people tell me to eat a big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner. Others tell me only eat between 5-10pm. Others tell me to take a prescription pill (Ionamin®) to over the counter drugs (Alli®). In October, Jeff and I started looking into Bariatric options. It still seems like a ton of work, but (going back to the house reference) it’s like a hammer. It’d be easier to build that house if someone would just give me a hammer! After researching and meeting with Dr. B, we’ve been moving forward on me having a Gastric Bypass. I need help and hopefully this will allow me to be successful in my weight loss and Jeff and I can finally have our family. We’ve told some friends, my parents, Jeff’s mom, and Jeff’s sister. Once I have a date, I’ll tell everyone. We’re going to “live this out loud." There is no reason to feel ashamed. I need help. I hope I have your support.
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It was the summer of 2004. Jeff and I had been married for a year. We were in the Home Depot parking lot, walking back to our car. Jeff turned to me to tell me that HIS “clock was ticking." I explained to him that he didn’t have a clock, but the point was still there, Jeff was ready to start a family. For the next six months, we tried without really trying. That December, we starting trying more strategically (looking at the calendar for optimum times). After a year had passed, I started getting horrible pains. These pains were actually from having a cyst and endometriosis which required surgery. During my post-op appointment with Dr. S. we talked about how we had been trying. He explained to my husband and myself that, “Women have a fatometer." Essentially, he was trying to explain how really heavy and really skinny women have trouble conceiving. Well, we were a bit put off by Dr. S’s lack of bed side manner, so we consulted my OB/GYN Goddess Extraordinaire, Dr. M. She wanted to start me on Clomid (as my mom had), but it turns out that I had more cysts requiring surgery. After two surgeries, several “painless procedures" (which were not painless at all and which detail is really moot for this blog’s purposes), monthly internal ultrasounds, shots, pills, and blood tests, Dr. M. and her wonderful colleague, Dr. W., sent me to a very reputable fertility clinic. Lots of things were said about my levels, my thyroid, my Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (which will be referred to as PCOS henceforth), but the bottom line is I needed to lose weight to get pregnant. How much weight? I needed to lose 106.5 lbs to be at the BMI I needed to achieve in order to get pregnant. The doctor said I should lose this in 6 months to a year (that’s right, the doctor wanted me to lose between and 8.9 and 17.75 pounds PER MONTH). Amazingly enough, I actually was doing pretty well. I lost 39 lbs in a year (only 3.25 lbs per month) and got my thyroid under control! I called the doctor at the fertility clinic and was told by his nurse that he wanted me to lose “at least another 60 pounds before the doctor will see you again." This may sound very well and good, but I had really worked hard for those 39. I had plateaued for the past two months. Another 60 pounds seemed impossible. It would be like if I told you (and you alone) that you had to build a house without any tools. You could read books about houses being built. You could watch a video of houses being built, you could have someone giving you step by step instructions on how to build the house, but when it comes down to it, it’s your hands and you. Oh yeah. And get it done in 6 months to a year. During this time, still keep down your job, your marriage, and all other responsibilities. I know it sound like I’m being dramatic, but that IS how I feel. This is my blog and my story. I think it’s also important to note that I have always been heavier. I have never had my weight “under control." Even now, I don’t eat a lot more than the average person, but am twice the weight of my friends. I don’t drink soda or coffee. I have a small salad and small sandwich for lunch every day at work. I eat apples for my snack with my students. My dinner is usually chicken based with a starch and a veggie. At home, if I have dessert it’s normally fat free pudding. The whole thing is just so frustrating. Everyone has their own solution for me too. Some people tell me to eat a big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner. Others tell me only eat between 5-10pm. Others tell me to take a prescription pill (Ionamin®) to over the counter drugs (Alli®). In October, Jeff and I started looking into Bariatric options. It still seems like a ton of work, but (going back to the house reference) it’s like a hammer. It’d be easier to build that house if someone would just give me a hammer! After researching and meeting with Dr. B, we’ve been moving forward on me having a Gastric Bypass. I need help and hopefully this will allow me to be successful in my weight loss and Jeff and I can finally have our family. We’ve told some friends, my parents, Jeff’s mom, and Jeff’s sister. Once I have a date, I’ll tell everyone. We’re going to “live this out loud." There is no reason to feel ashamed. I need help. I hope I have your support.
