am i a "thin cyster?" i dunno. :/

curvymarie · 01-20-2006, 06:10 AM

yeah... well, first of all, i don't even know if i have pcos just yet to begin with. but i've never been thin, but i'm not very overweight like many others who have pcos are... i'm just a little bit overweight, but acutally have lost quite a bit recently. but if i'm in the wrong place, i'm sorry! :/

i went for a routine college physical two days ago, and i mentioned my super-painful periods that are actually kind of short, and she saw that three years ago, my testosterone levels were a little high, so she said she was concerned that i had something called "pcos" and that i needed to get blood work done. she seemed really concerned, which really freaked me out!

meanwhile, i have been doing lots of research on the disorder, and it doesn't really seem like i even have it, but i really just don't know. i have so many questions, but i won't see my doc until february 8th! :/ i just don't know. i don't have a weight problem, i don't have bad acne, i don't have excess hair (actually, people have asked if i shave my arms, because i have so little body hair... ?) and my periods are like clockwork. i could make high-stakes bets on when it would come, within a few days of being right. i have never missed a period before, since i was 12 and got it. but still... it's just a bit scary for me.

maybe you guys could help me with some questions? i sure do hope so!

what is the deal with insulin resistance? is it possible to have pcos without the insulin resistance?

does everyone have the symptoms? how many would i need to have to be diagnosed with pcos?

does the condition get worse? do the symptoms get worse over time?

how much of a problem is pcos for lifestyle? is treatment very expensive or high maintainance?

does treatment really help with the symptoms? how likely is a pcos woman to have children?

are there varying degrees of pcos?

gosh... i'm sorry, i just don't know what to think. all i know is i'm royally freaked out. i'm also really scared that men won't want me if they know i've got it. i've already got a thing about that (i haven't been on a date in over 3 years) and this might just push me over the edge of hopelessness. i just feel so overwhelmed... and i don't know if i've even got it yet! gosh.. i need to pull myself together.

i suppose my major question, though, would be... how do you wrap your head around it? i look in the mirror and see the same body, face, that i've always had.. but it's different inside. in my mind. it's going to take lots of adjustment. i've gotten used to being super-healthy, and this has really thrown me for a loop. i feel so strange in my skin now...

anyway... i'm sooooo sorry to go on and on like this! goodness, i need to stop... especially since this is my first post! goodness, sorry, guys...

... if i do have it... will i ever feel normal again? :/

TN Butterfly · 01-20-2006, 06:36 AM

Hello! Welcome to Soul Cysters!

Quote:

Originally Posted by curvymarie

what is the deal with insulin resistance? is it possible to have pcos without the insulin resistance?

does everyone have the symptoms? how many would i need to have to be diagnosed with pcos?

does the condition get worse? do the symptoms get worse over time?

how much of a problem is pcos for lifestyle? is treatment very expensive or high maintainance?

does treatment really help with the symptoms? how likely is a pcos woman to have children?

are there varying degrees of pcos?

Yes, you can have PCOS and not be IR. Many women are that way.

Not every woman has every symptom. Some women don't even have cysts on their ovaries! I think "PCOS" should have a new name. But PCOS is something to where you might only have a couple of symptoms, or a buch.

The condition can get worse if not properly treated. Alot of women notice it gets worse if they gain weight.

Many women who discover they have PCOS willingly change their lifestyle to help with the symptoms. Many women notice the symptoms get better with low carb eating. Some say excercise was their big help. Some people are better with just meds like Metformin. If you have good insurance, the meds sgouldn't cost much. They are by prescription. Some women find better deals on the net.

When you are ready for children, there is alot available for a woman with PCOS. There is Metformin (which, by the way, is taken even by women who are NOT IR....even though the med was originally for diabetics) and fertility meds such as Clomid. Some women conceive after just simply following a low-carb diet and exercise.

Yes, there are varying degrees of PCOS. There is a board with the differences listed. You can have mild, moderate, or severe.

Too many docs still believe in the old thinking of PCOS. They think you have to be overweight and have a beard to be PCOS. But that is not true! I hope you have a very knowledgeable doc who will get you to the road you need to be on.
Good luck!

curvymarie · 01-20-2006, 06:55 AM

hey, thanks for the reply!

women notice it gets worse if they gain weight? so, are you saying that the weight gain causes it to get worse, or they know it is getting worse because of the weight gain?