I had irregular periods for about 7 years. I knew there was something wrong with me, but I didn’t have any pain and who wants to be on their period anyway.
Besides, I was a stressed-out full-time student without health insurance. Then I met the man that would become my husband and we started seriosly dating. He expressed that having kids was very important for him so I decided to at least go to a women’s wellness clinic. They put me on BCP so I started having a regular period for the first time in a long time.
Before I went on BCP I got my period once every 7-9 months. I had gained weight, had really bad acne, had excessive hair on my face and body, and worst of all my hormones were constantly on a roller coaster ride.
When I started working full time in early ’06 and got health insurance I went to see an OB/GYN who referred me to an endocrinologist because she suspected that I had PCOS. The endocrinologist ordered an ultrasound to confirm her diagnosis in Nov of 2006. She put me on metformin, and told me that I would likely have trouble conceiving in the future. Then she sent me on my way with no further information.
Looking back I would have liked for her to have referred me to a nutritionist or some one who could have talked to me about how to deal with this. By this time, we were planning a wedding and of course the stress levels were up again. To make things more complicated we both lived in Houston and were planning the wedding for March 2007 in Dallas, my hometown.
I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t lose weight. I was watching what I ate and working out fairly regularly. I tried Nutrisystem and didn’t like it or the fact that it was so expensive at a time when I was trying to save money for the wedding.
I stopped taking metformin after about 3 months, mostly because I didn’t like the doctor who prescribed it and I didn’t see how it was helping me. It was the same thing that my diabetic Mom and Future Father-in-Law were taking. This scared me. Did it mean that I was diabetic, too. Now, I may be more willing to try it again, though, if it will help me regulate the insulin resistance that I suspect that I have.
The wedding came and went (it was wonderful! everything I could have dreamed of and more, even if I was a chunky bride) and I tried to find another Dr. to help me. I did find an OB/GYN who’s bio said that she treated PCOS patients. I expressed to her that my husband and I would begin trying to conceive in a couple of years. So, she kept me on BCP – specifically Yasmin/Ocella (generic) – for the time being. Her advice was to eat right and exercise for 60-90 minutes a day. Yeah, right! I was already “eating right” and I did work out but not nearly enough.
I began reading more books about PCOS. Some of the information was confusing. The first book I read was, The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility.” Nancy Dunne doesn’t recommend eating legumes or soy. She does recommend eating organic and eating free-range grown meat, like emu. Her diet recommendations just seemed too restrictive and I wasn’t ready for that much of a change to my lifestyle.
My husband and I are hoping to begin trying to conceive at the end of the year. I am currently reading The Insulin Resistance Diet: How to Turn Off Your Body’s Fat Making Machine (which I highly recommend. I’m finally begining to understand how my diet affects how I feel and why it was so hard to lose weight the traditional ways) and The Ultimate PCOS Handbook: Lose Weight, Boost Fertility, Clear Skin and Restore Self-Esteem, which recommended this site.
I have also found a few (free!) podcasts on iTunes by just typing in “PCOS” into the search. Educating myself about this condition and how I can manage it takes a lot of the fear and worry out of it. I still don’t feel completly “in control” of my body, but I think that I’ll get there in time. And that is my story…Thanks for reading.
Want to connect with me? My name is ArtsyLizzy on the SoulCysters Message Board.