http://www.soulcysters.net This forum is for members only. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:55:35 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.soulcysters.net/images/styles/soul/misc/rss.jpg http://www.soulcysters.net http://www.soulcysters.net/please-help-pcos-constipation-2-5-years-295861/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:52:04 GMT I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 19 but a gynocologist scared the crap out of me so I just forgot about it...until now. For the past 2.5 years I have felt sick, constipated, huge pimples on my chest and neck, irregular periods (but I have always had this), I have put on 16kg, I am extreemly bloated and need to urinate all the time. It has made me pretty depressed. I have been wrongly diagnosed x3 times. The first time my GP told me I had 'forgotten how to poo'..huh? The second doctor told me that I had irritible bowel syndrome. The third diagnosis was by a natropath who claimed I had candita. ALL WRONG! After 2.5 years someone finally had the sense to send me to get an ultrasound. I have over 30 cysts on my ovaries some largely inflamed. I have an appointment with a female gynocologist next week and I am hoping that there will be surgery just so I can go to the toilet again. I just want some advice from others who have gone through the same thing. I am not thinking about having children yet. Please any advice would be great. I am sooooo sick of feeling sick, I will do anything!!! Thanks Cinta xo]]> Hi

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 19 but a gynocologist scared the crap out of me so I just forgot about it...until now. For the past 2.5 years I have felt sick, constipated, huge pimples on my chest and neck, irregular periods (but I have always had this), I have put on 16kg, I am extreemly bloated and need to urinate all the time. It has made me pretty depressed. I have been wrongly diagnosed x3 times. The first time my GP told me I had 'forgotten how to poo'..huh? The second doctor told me that I had irritible bowel syndrome. The third diagnosis was by a natropath who claimed I had candita. ALL WRONG! After 2.5 years someone finally had the sense to send me to get an ultrasound. I have over 30 cysts on my ovaries some largely inflamed.

I have an appointment with a female gynocologist next week and I am hoping that there will be surgery just so I can go to the toilet again. I just want some advice from others who have gone through the same thing. I am not thinking about having children yet. Please any advice would be great. I am sooooo sick of feeling sick, I will do anything!!!

Thanks

Cinta xo ]]> Cinta http://www.soulcysters.net/please-help-pcos-constipation-2-5-years-295861/ http://www.soulcysters.net/just-want-diagnosis-295797/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:45:53 GMT I'm over all these things happening to my body. I'm 32 and I feel like I'm falling apart. I want my body back and I want to have clear skin, a normal sized body and normal periods without medication. I don't want to have to wear a tampon everyday or take medication for chronic yeast that I can't seem to get rid of for anything under the sun. I want a tan in places other than my pits, under my boobs and between my legs. I want to enjoy my life and my kids. I want to have a normal sex life and not worry about having to say no because I'm bleeding yet again for the second month straight and every other week before that since June or have yet another YI. Sorry, I just needed to rant for a minute. :arg:
But in all seriousness, I do finally have an appt with a RE after years of putting up with my regular gyno's either inability to find out, or not caring what is wrong. They at first told me that I had PCOS based on my FSH ro LH ratio and no periods in over 6 mo. Then when my fasting insulin came back normal he told me I didn't have PCOS because all women with PCOS have IR. I now know what a crock that is! I've been through the clomid and baby thing. I feel truly blessed. I do, I'm not trying to sound ungreatfu, but l just want a normal cycle like everybody else. That's all I want. Please wish me luck at the RE. Maybe met. will be the answer I've been praying for and I can have a life again without a lifetime supply of super kotex! :i_praiseG ]]> BobbysMommie http://www.soulcysters.net/just-want-diagnosis-295797/ http://www.soulcysters.net/problem-298-s-actually-called-somethin-295450/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:02:05 GMT th birthday, I started my menstrual cycle. I already had breasts, but I smushed them into a teeny sports bra so no one would notice. I gained 60 pounds that year. When I was 12, I weighed 180 pounds. I had unbelievable acne and to make matters worse, my grandmother (the beautician that she is) cut my long hair to an inch all over my head. My periods became scarce, but I told no one because I thought I was the “lucky one”… During this time the dandruff and “chicken skin” (small bumps on arms, aka KP) started showing up. I wore braces, glasses, and had ugly, bright red stretch marks on my stomach, legs, and under my arms. I hated myself and I cried every time I looked in the mirror. At age 14, I had enough. My hair had grown out to my shoulders, the acne cleared up, and the braces were removed. It gave me enough confidence to start what would be a very LONG battle. I joined the cheerleading squad and was teased for being the “big one” . . I gave it my all every practice because I knew the weight had to go. I woke up at 4 in the morning to run before I went to school. After school and cheer practice, I would go home only to run more. I was on Phentermine (sp?) and ate the NutriSystem meals. I lost 40 pounds but over the years gained it back plus more, even while exercising and eating healthy. I also gained joint pain, random facial hairs, dry and brittle hair, and extremely painful periods. (when they would come). I once again felt like a failure. When I turned 18 my mom told me I had an appointment with a gyno. My first experience was horrible. She made it seem as though I was a street walker because I had been with one guy and bluntly told me I was fat and needed to loose weight. Because I had started shaving my face and she couldn’t “see” the hair, she thought I was lying about it. ( Why would a woman LIE about that?? )She had 4 other girls in the room while doing my pap who whispered to themselves as I spoke. I was pissed so I got dressed quickly and left during the exam. I fought with my mom for over a year before giving it another chance. At almost 20 years old, October 2009, my periods are no where to be found and I had extreme pain in my lower abdomen when I would work out, sneeze, cough, etc. I dreaded the gyno experience, but knew it was something I had to do. A friend of the family referred me to Dr. Dana Teagarden in Knoxville. She made me completely comfortable and is an amazing doctor. On my first visit I told her about my symptoms. She did not make rude remarks and for once I had a doctor believe me. Her first assumption was that I had PCOS and showed me the skin tags on my body that I didn’t pay any attention to until then. (Now I’m finding them everywhere) During my ultrasound, I screamed because I was in so much pain. She couldn’t see my ovaries because of a large cystic mass. On Nov. 5, 2009, I had the cyst removed along with another cyst and one of my fallopian tubes. She confirmed the PCOS along with endometriosis and high triglycerides. I'm also obese. 5'3'' and 220. I’ve almost finished my recuperation, but have another week before my post-op visit. I didn’t feel like talking about my problems because I feel like a hypochondriac. There are so many things such as depression, skin issues, hair issues, reproductive issues, etc. etc. etc….. But I’m glad I’ve “come clean” because it saved my life. I see that thousands of women are diagnosed with this… why isn’t there more information publicized? I never heard of PCOS until this month and have had these symptoms for years!!! Why can there not be a miracle pill or treatment??? It seems so unfair. But I’m not going to give up. This is my beginning. And as I can see, I am not alone now. *_I WILL DO THIS. I’VE HAD ENOUGH, ONCE AGAIN._* Best wishes to you all, ]]> Hello!

I’m Caitlin Elizabeth, 19 years of age, and a pre-med student hoping to become a dermatologist. I’m originally from Carthage, Mississippi, but moved to Pigeon Forge, TN my junior year in high school. I love shopping and going to see the latest movies on the big screen. Mystery books are my cup-of-tea. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy would be a Steinway piano and a [walk-in] closet full of Steve Madden shoes. I love to watch football, especially the Steelers and the Tennessee Vols. I stand up for what I believe in…you could ask anyone I went to high school that. I have a Chihuahua, Bentley, who I believe understands me more than the people I tell my secrets to.

I sound pretty normal right?

Far from it…

I was normal for 10 years of my life. Around my 10^th birthday, I started my menstrual cycle. I already had breasts, but I smushed them into a teeny sports bra so no one would notice. I gained 60 pounds that year.

When I was 12, I weighed 180 pounds. I had unbelievable acne and to make matters worse, my grandmother (the beautician that she is) cut my long hair to an inch all over my head. My periods became scarce, but I told no one because I thought I was the “lucky one”… During this time the dandruff and “chicken skin” (small bumps on arms, aka KP) started showing up. I wore braces, glasses, and had ugly, bright red stretch marks on my stomach, legs, and under my arms. I hated myself and I cried every time I looked in the mirror.

At age 14, I had enough. My hair had grown out to my shoulders, the acne cleared up, and the braces were removed. It gave me enough confidence to start what would be a very LONG battle. I joined the cheerleading squad and was teased for being the “big one” . . I gave it my all every practice because I knew the weight had to go. I woke up at 4 in the morning to run before I went to school. After school and cheer practice, I would go home only to run more. I was on Phentermine (sp?) and ate the NutriSystem meals. I lost 40 pounds but over the years gained it back plus more, even while exercising and eating healthy. I also gained joint pain, random facial hairs, dry and brittle hair, and extremely painful periods. (when they would come). I once again felt like a failure.

When I turned 18 my mom told me I had an appointment with a gyno. My first experience was horrible. She made it seem as though I was a street walker because I had been with one guy and bluntly told me I was fat and needed to loose weight. Because I had started shaving my face and she couldn’t “see” the hair, she thought I was lying about it. ( Why would a woman LIE about that?? )She had 4 other girls in the room while doing my pap who whispered to themselves as I spoke. I was pissed so I got dressed quickly and left during the exam. I fought with my mom for over a year before giving it another chance.

At almost 20 years old, October 2009, my periods are no where to be found and I had extreme pain in my lower abdomen when I would work out, sneeze, cough, etc. I dreaded the gyno experience, but knew it was something I had to do. A friend of the family referred me to Dr. Dana Teagarden in Knoxville. She made me completely comfortable and is an amazing doctor. On my first visit I told her about my symptoms. She did not make rude remarks and for once I had a doctor believe me. Her first assumption was that I had PCOS and showed me the skin tags on my body that I didn’t pay any attention to until then. (Now I’m finding them everywhere)

During my ultrasound, I screamed because I was in so much pain. She couldn’t see my ovaries because of a large cystic mass. On Nov. 5, 2009, I had the cyst removed along with another cyst and one of my fallopian tubes. She confirmed the PCOS along with endometriosis and high triglycerides. I'm also obese. 5'3'' and 220.

I’ve almost finished my recuperation, but have another week before my post-op visit.

I didn’t feel like talking about my problems because I feel like a hypochondriac. There are so many things such as depression, skin issues, hair issues, reproductive issues, etc. etc. etc….. But I’m glad I’ve “come clean” because it saved my life.

I see that thousands of women are diagnosed with this… why isn’t there more information publicized? I never heard of PCOS until this month and have had these symptoms for years!!! Why can there not be a miracle pill or treatment???

It seems so unfair. But I’m not going to give up. This is my beginning. And as I can see, I am not alone now.

I WILL DO THIS. I’VE HAD ENOUGH, ONCE AGAIN.

Best wishes to you all,



]]> caitlin http://www.soulcysters.net/problem-298-s-actually-called-somethin-295450/ http://www.soulcysters.net/my-struggle-pcos-long-295315/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:21:04 GMT In July of 2003, just a few months before my wedding, I went off the bcp anticipating that my dh and I would ttc as soon as we got married. Well, almost immediately, I started gaining weight. I'd always been a size 2/4, but soon the sizes started creeping up. I also didn't get af. After 4 mths with no af and at least 2 sizes bigger, I went to my family dr. She did bw which she said all came back normal, so she sent me for an u/s. They called me that day (I didn't get the message until I got home from work, too late to call back). When I returned their call, they told me the u/s had shown a "mass" in one of my ovaries and they were concerned that it might be an ectopic pregnancy in the ovary, so they had me rush to a specialist. The specialist told me I couldn't have an ectopic pregnancy if the pg test was neg, but suggested that I must not be ovulating and wanted me to go back on bcp to help the cyst in my ovary shrink. Against my better judgment, I did. But I stopped taking them within just a couple of months. Again, no af.

Somewhere in that time, my dad had come across an article about PCOS and when I read up about it, it made sense. I had darker/coarser hair above my upper lip than most women. My legs/arms were hairier than most women. By that time I'd gained more than 20lbs even though my lifestyle had not changed. And after getting the u/s report from my family dr, I remembered seeing something they described as "multiple folicular cysts" on both ovaries. So, I went to a previous family dr whom I trusted. She was not familiar with PCOS and suggested I see an ob.

Finally, in Sept of 2004, I saw an ob who did not dx PCOS, but did put me on clomid to help with my annovulation. I got pg with my oldest dd on the 3rd cycle at 150mg clomid. I asked my ob what the likelihood was that I would have such a hard time conceiving again and he told me "More likely than if you hadn't had any problems conceiving." So, when my dd was 6mths old, I stopped bf'ing and waited for af to arrive. This time, she did arrive, and I thought I might get lucky. But before long, the bleeding was completely out of whack. I would have af for 2 weeks, off for a week, then start again, but it would be really light. I went to the ob and he said it was "breakthrough bleeding" because I wasn't o'ing. He put me back on clomid.

This time, it took 6 cycles and we got all the way up to 250mg of the clomid before I saw a bfp. My excitement was shortlived, however, when I had an early m/c at 5wks5days. That's when I went to my current ob. After listening to my story, she asked me if anyone had ever told me why I wasn't o'ing. I told her no, but I suspected I had PCOS. She said that was exactly what her first thought was. She also told me that women with PCOS have a much higher rate of m/c than other women.

SO, in Nov 2006, I got my dx, finally, and started on metformin. 7 weeks after starting the metformin, I had my first real af in years that wasn't brought on by some sort of medication. My ob added in 100mg of clomid and I was pg again in 2 cycles.

After my youngest was born in Oct 07, dh and I used no bc at all. We wanted to see if the Lord would bless us with another baby without the meds. Since I bf'ed for the first year, af didn't come back until Sept 2008. Except, it wasn't af, it was the same breakthrough bleeding I'd experienced after my oldest was born. And in Dec 2008, it became unbearable. I started to bleed heavily and ended up in the emergency room because I was bleeding enough that it was considered a hemorrage. (They said probably from all the months that the bleeding was so light and not having had a real af) They put me on a crazy schedule of bcp to try to stop the bleeding, but it didn't work. Then they put me on some other med used for cancer patients and that stopped most of the bleeding. Finally, I started back on the metformin because I knew in the past it had worked to regulate my cycle and we had decided we were ready to ttc another baby.

I started the met again in Jan 09 and waited and waited and waited for six mths. AF came, but it was never regular, anywhere from 4-9wks in between. So, I called my ob and asked for the clomid. In July 09, we started on the clomid, but have had no luck. Last month was our last month on clomid, but I am still taking the metformin because I'm afraid not to. I have no idea what my crazy body will do without the met to help regulate my cycles a little. I still have an extra 25lbs that I have not been able to lose, but at least the weight gain has stopped and I'm holding steady. ]]> karenp1004 http://www.soulcysters.net/my-struggle-pcos-long-295315/ http://www.soulcysters.net/still-learning-heres-my-journey-so-far-295251/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:12:53 GMT Well I just stumbled across this site yesterday and I'm hoping to maybe meet some people who can sympathize, or at least understand.

I was diagnosed last week, but that is in no way the beginning of my journey.

I went off birth control a year and a half ago. We were not ACTIVELY trying to get pregnant, but at that time knew if it happened we wouldnt be upset.

My periods became irregular, I gained an unimaginable amount of weight. And I've always had the clearest skin, even during adolescence and suddenly I had acne, excess facial hair. I went to doctor after doctor, telling them something was wrong. I'd go four to five monthes without a period. They kept telling me irregularity was normal, and that nothing was wrong with me.

One night, I hadnt had my period in about 4 and a half monthes. I started having IMMENSE pain in my pelvis and went to the emergency room. Where they told me again that my missed periods are regular and maybe the pain was Shingles.

After a year and a half of this, I'm just happy I finally found a doctor who was able to take the time and actually listen to me.

Its somewhat bittersweet. I'm not overjoyed about the diagnosis.. but its still a relief finally knowing whats wrong.

I havent learnt too much about it. Researching as much as I can.

They are putting me on Metformin at my next appointment, and I'm scheduled to see a dietician.

Still coming to terms. And my boyfriends trying to be as supportive as he can, but its still nice to have someone who gets it to talk to.

Glad I found this place :i_heart: ]]> -liss- http://www.soulcysters.net/still-learning-heres-my-journey-so-far-295251/ http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-dx-pcos-nov-2009-a-295198/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:49:04 GMT Ok ladies, here is my story...
I have been on BCP since I got my very 1st AF when I was 15. I am now 27 and have been off BCP's since dec 2008 and have not had a period on my own. I have been having some pain here and there since then. but When I realized I was not ovulating AT ALL, I talk to my GYN and he had then put me on clomid 50mg. He didnt think that I had a problem at this point (apr 2009) but I knew something just wasnt right.. The 1st month didnt work, so then he UP'd my dose to 100mg, that STILL didnt touch me.. Finally He said he wanted to try one more round of clomid 150mg and if that didnt work he was referring me to a fertility specialist. In the meantime he ordered an US and put me on metformin 500 once daily. after I finished the 3rd round of clomid I knew that something had to be done b/c it didnt work AGAIN. When I went to the specialist (yesterday) she said she wanted to continue the metformin and increase it to 500mg 3xdaily. I REALLLYY hope this is all I need. Im worried that if the clomid didnt work than the metformin isnt going to work either.. I NEED SOME ADVICE CYSTERS!!!! is anyone in the same exact boat as me??? if so.. HELP!! :feedback: ]]> moe-moe http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-dx-pcos-nov-2009-a-295198/ http://www.soulcysters.net/new-town-new-doctor-lots-questions-remain-295053/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:19:18 GMT Here is my story. At age 9 I had my left ovary removed (unilateral oophorectomy). I likely had a cyst on it at that time (despite not menstruating until age 13) which caused torsion. Painful periods until age 18 at which point I went on BCP. On BCP until marriage at age 29. Many cysts ruptured during this time despite being on varying types of BCPs.

TTC since going off BCP. No luck. Serious pain in my lower right pelvic region almost daily. This was ongoing when on BCP too, but much less frequent. I'm sick of the pain. Doctors make it seem like the pain is all in my head. Pain increases with movement. I saw a RE in April who dx with PCOS. At that time I had 18 cysts on my one ovary and it was enlarged. Blood tests were normal for diabetes, thyroid and cholesterol levels. No hormone tests have been conducted for reasons I don't understand. That RE wanted to do a lap to look for adhesions and endo, but I have since moved.

Now stuck in rural upstate NY. The local ob doctor is terrible. He wants only to do a 21d progesterone test before starting me on clomid. Since my apt where I was dumb struck about this guys inabilities as a doctor, I have realized that a 21d test means nothing given that my cycles range from 28-43 days (the doctor failed to ask me anything regarding my cycles!). I haven't had an HSG and I'm wondering, isn't it a good idea given that I may have scar tissue? I asked him that very question and he laughed and mumbled.

Any advice on what tests need to be done before starting clomid would be appreciated. Thanks! ]]> petey http://www.soulcysters.net/new-town-new-doctor-lots-questions-remain-295053/ http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-295040/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:39:27 GMT ]]> I'm 26 years old and 7 months ago I was diagnosed with PCOS and an underactive thyroid. For the past couple of years I had been experiencing rapid weight gain, acne, insomnia, fatigue, heat flashes, irregular menstrual cycles, abdominal bloating, stomach aches, diarrhea and continuous vaginal infections (mainly yeast, but bacterial as well). I had gone for physicals and gynecological check-ups but all results seemed to have come back normal. At this point, it is extremely frustrating to be a social, single and hard-working 26 year old female when all of these factors are effecting me both internally and externally. So once my symptoms worsened, I realized that I needed to see a Dr. who can really examine my entire system and treat my body as a whole. I went to see a Dr. of Osteopathy and explained my symptoms to him, he immediately mentioned that it sounded like I had PCOS, he ran bloodwork and sent me for a sonogram and sure enough, he was right. The sonogram showed cysts on my ovaries and the blood results showed that my hormone levels (and other levels) were completely imbalanced; my testosterone levels were extremely high. They also showed that I have an underactive thyroid. The Dr. prescribed me Synthroid and Metformin.

Last week I went to see the Dr. for a check-up and my thyroid levels were better, but my hormones were still way off and my Vitamin D & B12 levels were very low. My mother has been experiencing similar symptoms and recently found out she has food allergies which effect her immune system and suggested that I be tested as well.......it turns out, I have a gluten allergy. I have been conducting online research and reading many message boards, and I am starting to see a trend that Gluten Allergies are closely related to PCOS. I have been reading that most people who have experienced similar situations have removed the gluten from their diet and their PCOS and symptoms have gotten better.

Tomorrow I start my gluten free diet and journey towards bettering myself........


]]> NYC26 http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-295040/ http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-mission-294896/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:18:23 GMT Hey everyone. So I suppose this is where I am supposed to introduce myself and tell you my story. My name is Brandy, I am 25 and a single momma of two beautiful little miracles. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 17, right after I had my daughter. I amazingly got pregnant at 16 with her and very greatful I did. I was told pregnancy would be very hard due to cysts on my ovaries and a tilted uterus. I was put on birthcotrol pills and well, they finally regulated me and I ended up pregnant. Mind you, I was married at the time. I have a very crazy past. So I was married and we wanted a baby, so I took the pills and wham bam, within three months I was pregnant. I noticed while I was pregnant strange things were happening to my body, and thought it was due to pregnancy and they would go away. They were noted by my doctors, and well as most know military doctors are not the greatest. Well, I had my daughter after a week of preterm labor and she was a whopping 5 lbs and beautifuly perfect as ever. I had her 5 weeks early. I did my posnatal doctors apointment and my first pap after having her I was told I have mild dysplasia. I soon went in for further testing and hormone tests and etc. and found out with my history of cysts and etc. I was finally diagnosed with PCOS. It was a scary thing, especially after the hair was growing and researching online what the effects were going to be on me for the rest of my life. I was terrified. Not to mention my husband at the time was much older than me, and made me pretend to be older 90% of the time so that no one knew what a petafile he truley was. So for me to think I could loose my husband because of all these things that were happening to me crushed my world. So, I ended up divorced needless to say, and remarried and again back on birthcontrol. I was told by my doctor that birthcontrol is what would make me have a baby, being off it would be nearly impossible for me to get pregnant since I basically did not ovulate regularly if at all, and most of the time I ended up with cysts and what not. Which I thought would be considered endometriosis, sorry if thats spelt wrong. Well my second husband did not believe me, and low and behold, at 20 Im knocked up again. He was pretty upset about it as was I. I was finally getting my life abck in order and going to college and etc. But I thankful I did because my son is amazing and I couldnt imagine life without him. So, I go into labor with my son at 20 weeks, stay in the hospital except for the few times I end up with cabin fever and freak out and sign myself out of the hospital. I end up having my son by emergency c-section at 30 weeks, he was my 3lb preemie!! OMG can we say beautiful! As soon as they took him out of me he cried and peed on the doctor. I knew right then and there that he would be my little hell raiser! haha! Thats my boy!!! And all boy at that. So long story short, here I am, two marriages down the drain, two beautiful kids out of the ordeal.... and again dating someone. I am in a very loving and caring stable relationship now. One that, now that I am mature and so much life experience, can truley say I am ready for my family to happen. He adores my kids as well as they adore him. He has a 7 year old boy. So in our family we have Shyanne, my 8 year old daughter, Ethan his 7 year old son, and Daniel my almost 4 year old son. We have talked in depth about more children, and we want one together. So were are actively trying, but not tooo hard. Im not on any medications yet we are just not using any form of birthcontrol. I know the chances are slim to none until I get on something, but we are not wanting to take it that far just yet. Maybe in due time. Hope to get to know everyone. I am very gretful this is here. Its nice to know others out there are going through the same things as I am or have went through. Its a scary thing and effects us all differently, especially emotionally! Have a beautiful day everyone. XOXO Brandy:goodvibes Hey everyone. So I suppose this is where I am supposed to introduce myself and tell you my story.

My name is Brandy, I am 25 and a single momma of two beautiful little miracles.

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 17, right after I had my daughter. I amazingly got pregnant at 16 with her and very greatful I did. I was told pregnancy would be very hard due to cysts on my ovaries and a tilted uterus. I was put on birthcotrol pills and well, they finally regulated me and I ended up pregnant. Mind you, I was married at the time.

I have a very crazy past.

So I was married and we wanted a baby, so I took the pills and wham bam, within three months I was pregnant. I noticed while I was pregnant strange things were happening to my body, and thought it was due to pregnancy and they would go away. They were noted by my doctors, and well as most know military doctors are not the greatest. Well, I had my daughter after a week of preterm labor and she was a whopping 5 lbs and beautifuly perfect as ever. I had her 5 weeks early.

I did my posnatal doctors apointment and my first pap after having her I was told I have mild dysplasia. I soon went in for further testing and hormone tests and etc. and found out with my history of cysts and etc. I was finally diagnosed with PCOS.

It was a scary thing, especially after the hair was growing and researching online what the effects were going to be on me for the rest of my life. I was terrified.

Not to mention my husband at the time was much older than me, and made me pretend to be older 90% of the time so that no one knew what a petafile he truley was. So for me to think I could loose my husband because of all these things that were happening to me crushed my world.

So, I ended up divorced needless to say, and remarried and again back on birthcontrol.

I was told by my doctor that birthcontrol is what would make me have a baby, being off it would be nearly impossible for me to get pregnant since I basically did not ovulate regularly if at all, and most of the time I ended up with cysts and what not. Which I thought would be considered endometriosis, sorry if thats spelt wrong.

Well my second husband did not believe me, and low and behold, at 20 Im knocked up again. He was pretty upset about it as was I. I was finally getting my life abck in order and going to college and etc.

But I thankful I did because my son is amazing and I couldnt imagine life without him.

So, I go into labor with my son at 20 weeks, stay in the hospital except for the few times I end up with cabin fever and freak out and sign myself out of the hospital.

I end up having my son by emergency c-section at 30 weeks, he was my 3lb preemie!! OMG can we say beautiful!

As soon as they took him out of me he cried and peed on the doctor. I knew right then and there that he would be my little hell raiser! haha! Thats my boy!!! And all boy at that.

So long story short, here I am, two marriages down the drain, two beautiful kids out of the ordeal.... and again dating someone.

I am in a very loving and caring stable relationship now. One that, now that I am mature and so much life experience, can truley say I am ready for my family to happen.

He adores my kids as well as they adore him. He has a 7 year old boy.

So in our family we have Shyanne, my 8 year old daughter, Ethan his 7 year old son, and Daniel my almost 4 year old son.

We have talked in depth about more children, and we want one together.

So were are actively trying, but not tooo hard. Im not on any medications yet we are just not using any form of birthcontrol.

I know the chances are slim to none until I get on something, but we are not wanting to take it that far just yet.

Maybe in due time.

Hope to get to know everyone. I am very gretful this is here. Its nice to know others out there are going through the same things as I am or have went through. Its a scary thing and effects us all differently, especially emotionally!

Have a beautiful day everyone.

XOXO
Brandy:goodvibes ]]> missbee082684 http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-mission-294896/ http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-294770/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:09:07 GMT I was Diagnosed with pcos in 2008. But i always knew there was something wrong with me. I started my period when i was 12 years old and shortly after i started i noticed i wasn't regular like my freinds so i just dealt with it and thought it was cool at the time because i hated them then in 2005 i went to the gyno for the first time bc i had a period that lasted two months.. well when i went to the doctor he did all these blood tests and put me on all these medications he wouldn't even tell me what was wrong with me. The last few years i have had maybe 3 periods and in 2008 i finally got a new doctor and he told me right away what i had it was so nice to finally know what i had and how to control it. I just currently got back on my medication (metformin) I have taken it for a month now so now i am just waiting to see what happens..I am really praying it gets things started because i am 22 and married and would really love to start a family. Ever since i learned i had this it amazed me at how many people actually have this disease but out of all the people i have met personally who have this i am the only one with no periods.. It makes me happy I found this site because if i ever have a question it can be answered on here from people who actually have it:) ]]> JenniferLynn http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-294770/ http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-blast-mood-swings-294562/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:57:47 GMT I just joined the site, but I've been dealing with PCOS since 2002. The hardest thing for me has been to deal with the slight mood swings. I'm also on the basic medications to treat the other symptoms. I guess that's the biggest thing that I need some pointers on. How to deal with the basic mood swings and trying to control stress. Any ideas??:scared: ]]> ahavah25 http://www.soulcysters.net/newbie-blast-mood-swings-294562/ http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-294470/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:37:51 GMT Hi everyone,

My name is Sarah and I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2007. I'm 25 and have had trouble with my periods since the beginning. My natural course is once every 3 months or 6 months. I take Metformin and it helps regulate me although I often skip once or twice a year even on this medicine.

When I was 17 I first started showing real symptoms. Although I had never had regular periods I thought that was just the way I was and later found out I had a lazy ovary and attributed much of it to that. Then I started to get acne, something I had never had before. Well it's almost 8 years later and I've just recently gotten a handle on my acne after a lot of searching for answers.

I'm a graphic designer and have recently created an eBook about my experience, my regimen, the products I use with reviews, links, and price comparisons, along with tips and tricks I've discovered.

I can't post the link yet seeing I'm new, but to check it out just look at my profile and click the SKIN eBook link there.

Thanks so much and stay strong! ]]> howsheseesit http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-294470/ http://www.soulcysters.net/hi-newbie-here-294424/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:52:36 GMT I initially posted this in the general forum and then saw this "story" list, so I'm moving it here.

Hey all! Wow, lots of information to look through, which is awesome!

A little about me: I'm 33 (almost 34) and was diagnosed with PCOS in 2003. I've had "regular" cycles since I started with the exception of missing maybe 3 or 4 in my entire life. No pregnancies even though we didn't use contraception much in my first marriage. Unfortunately when I was diagnosed, my OB/GYN didn't know much about the disorder, so her treatment method was birth control to regulate my periods. After that I started doing my own research and things started "clicking" and I began to understand my symptoms. My new DH and I moved overseas in 2005 and my new PCP was wonderful. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, so I was taken off the birth control. Because of the previous PCOS diagnosis, my PCP sent me to an endocrinologist who started me on metformin to try and trigger ovulation. I was cycling but we've never been sure that I've ovulated much. However, due to my weight it was recommended that I not get pregnant at the time. I was 280 at my highest. The metformin helped a little with the weight and I went to the gym regularly, but was unable to shed more than about 25 pounds in over 2 years. So then I started researching weight loss surgery, and when we moved back stateside I chose to have gastric bypass in April 2008. Once I started getting close to my 18-month mark (which is the minimum time my surgeon wanted me to wait before TTC) I decided to see a specialist because of the PCOS and other risk associated with postop gastric bypass pregnancy. The infertility specialist started me on metformin again and I've been taking that as well as prenatals and folic acid for a couple of months now. Still not sure if I'm ovulating because I do cycle every month, but the cycles themselves aren't always consistent (some months are very light and spotty while others are what I consider "normal" and are heavier and last longer).

So as it stands right now, we started TTC in Sept but the timing was off. DH deploys a lot and was only home for 10 days. But we're now trying in earnest. Prior to my cycle I got the normal breast tenderness and then cycled about 2 weeks ago (short and light) but the breast tenderness still hasn't gone away and I have noticed them swelling in the past week or so. I have had a negative pregnancy test and still no LH surge on 3 days so far of an OPK. So I'm just going to keep doing the OPK (today is day 13) and we'll keep on trying. Just don't know what to think of the breast tenderness and swelling, especially since I cycled and have had a negative test.

So much to browse and read here. Guess I'll get started ;) ]]> NavyWifeAmanda http://www.soulcysters.net/hi-newbie-here-294424/ http://www.soulcysters.net/barely-starting-my-treatment-need-help-294347/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:59:20 GMT Hello,

I have recently been diagnosed wit PCOS,I'm 24 years old & have been TTC for about 4 years with no success. Now i'm seeing a Fertility Doc, and she is going to get me on a pill that is going to help me get my period going, after that, she is going to do an ultrasound, i forgot what it was called, it's the one that they put dye in your tubes so that they can see if they are not damages or blocked. Well here is my big fear, they say that the test is extremely painful...can anyone that has gone throught that give me some pointers. I mean i know that any pain is worth it, but still a bit nervous... By the way sorry, not very familiar in abbriviations!:love:

Baby Dust to all you ladies TTC!!! :goodvibes ]]> AngelDust85 http://www.soulcysters.net/barely-starting-my-treatment-need-help-294347/ http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-new-here-but-not-pcos-294222/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:37:58 GMT Hi all I am new to this site but not to PCOS. I started getting ym period when I was 9. It game regularly until I was 16 then it just stopped coming. I didnt get it again until I was 21. The Dr.s had no idea why. I was no getting a cycle. They tried premerin and BC to force a cycle and nothing worked. Finally I was doagnosed with PCOS when I had extreme pain and they found lots of cysts. I also had the other classic signs, excessive hair unexplained weight gain and the inability to lose weight. I was diagnosed but they put me on BC and told me to try to lose some weight. I went on Atkins and lost 60lbs. I looked great and felt great then one day I got my period. The next month I found out I was pregnant. I ended up having 7 miscarriages in all. I went to an RE who put me on met. I took met for about 3 months and got pregnant again. I stayed on met the entire pregnancy as well as progesterone pills. I had a successful pregnancy and birth ( he is now 3). Fastforward to now. We are ttc again. I just restarted taking met. Atkins doesnt seem to be working this time around and I am just now starting to see my cycle regulate. Here is hoping this cycle is the one! Hi all I am new to this site but not to PCOS. I started getting ym period when I was 9. It game regularly until I was 16 then it just stopped coming. I didnt get it again until I was 21. The Dr.s had no idea why. I was no getting a cycle. They tried premerin and BC to force a cycle and nothing worked. Finally I was doagnosed with PCOS when I had extreme pain and they found lots of cysts. I also had the other classic signs, excessive hair unexplained weight gain and the inability to lose weight.

I was diagnosed but they put me on BC and told me to try to lose some weight. I went on Atkins and lost 60lbs. I looked great and felt great then one day I got my period. The next month I found out I was pregnant. I ended up having 7 miscarriages in all. I went to an RE who put me on met. I took met for about 3 months and got pregnant again. I stayed on met the entire pregnancy as well as progesterone pills. I had a successful pregnancy and birth ( he is now 3).

Fastforward to now. We are ttc again. I just restarted taking met. Atkins doesnt seem to be working this time around and I am just now starting to see my cycle regulate. Here is hoping this cycle is the one! ]]> hblade http://www.soulcysters.net/my-story-new-here-but-not-pcos-294222/