I apologize ahead of time if this is a sob story but I am at my whits end and I am sure a lot of you can relate. I was diagnosed with PCOS almost 3 years ago. I have had it for about 7 years. My history is as follows: I conceived my son with no problems and little effort (2 weeks)
When he was almost 1 1/2 years old we started trying again. About 2 years later I finally got pregnant but had a miscarriage. In the mean time I had gained a substantial amount of weight and seemed to feel "sick" a lot. After being checked for a hernia due to the pain in my lower abdomen it was discovered that there was nothing wrong...stupid dr!!! In all actuality I was experiencing ovarian cysts and didn't know it. In November of 2005 I had a cyst the size of a large grapefruit removed off of my right ovary, still no diagnosis of PCOS. It wasn't until about 4 or 5 months later when I returned to my home town that I was told that I was a classic PCOS patient.
I was started on metformin. Later I was put on chlomid after it was obvious that the metformin wasn't assisting in conceiving. I stopped the chlomid after 2 months due to side affects. I was then put on progesterone on top of the metformin. Still no luck. I was exercising and taking the meds and still experiencing the cysts. Once I decided that another baby probably wasn't going to happen I took my frustrations to the gym and pretty much let go of having a baby again. Two or three months later I was pregnant. So I don't know how, I am assuming the daily apts at the gym, helped me get pregnant. The pregnancy was hard, I was on bedrest almost the whole time and mostly due to complications related to the PCOS. Due to irregular periods the conception date was off and we never had a for sure due date. It was determined once she was born after I was induced that she was 3 weeks early. She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz. and I did not have gestational diabetes, they tested 3 times during the pregnancy almost sure I had it. She is healthy and shows no signs of diabetes. She is now 10 mos. old and I am still fighting very painful cysts. I asked the dr. to put me back on birth control because I couldn't take the pain any longer and having another child seemed like too much for my health.
The catch is that my dad had a stroke in November of 07 at the age of 47. We didn't know it until the MRI but he has had 3 severe strokes and by the grace of heaven he is ok. We learned that we have a very strong family history of strokes at young ages. I also have high blood pressure which is also a family trait in both sides of the family. So the added risk of high blood pressure from PCOS I am sure doesn't help.
This is why I just want to cry. I am 27 years old. I am currently fighting a cyst that I believe I will probably end up in surgery sometime in the next week over. I have been taking a low dosed birth control, the stronger birth controls heighten the chance of stroke or heart attack so my dr said the lower dose is what we should do. It hasn't helped at all. It doesn't regulate the periods and the hormones it is supposed to be emitting isn't keeping the cysts at bay. The ob I saw yesterday had blood work done to show whether or not I have coagulating issues that will pretty much put me into a stroke or heart attack. If they come back negative then he will put me on higher birth control to try and help the cysts. If they come back positive than I can absolutely not take the BC. So the only option left is removing my ovaries.
I don't have some of the other side effects like excessive hair growth. My main symptoms are the excessive weight, insulin resistance, irregular periods, mild acne, and too many cysts for my liking.
My concern is that the pain meds don't even touch the pain anymore, will the blood test guarantee I won't have a stroke or a heart attack and will the birth control really control my cysts. I don't want anymore cyst removal surgeries and I would rather deal with hormone replacement than end up dying of a heart attack or a stroke at a young age.
I have read a lot that the hysterectomy is not the wanted option and that other means should be sought out first. With my situation I feel like the hysterectomy is my only option. My problem is my ovaries, I don't have endo, or any of the other bleeding problems, just the overly sized cysts, extra weight and so on. Please help me. Any and all comments are needed right now. I am too young to feel this damn old!!! Please excuse the expression but that is how I have felt for the last 7 years. I want to enjoy my children not be in bed due to pain, lack of energy and groggyness from pain meds. It's not fair to them.
Can I cry? 
