My name is Maggie... and I have PCOS! I have been reading this board daily for about 2 years, but just today decided to actually "say" something! (Sorry, I should have done so sooner!) I was "officially" DX'd 3 years ago with PCOS while being treated by my Endo for Toxic Nodules on my Thyroid. I had been "trying" to get diagnosed with PCOS for about 4 years prior to that. See, my story is not that unual from most of yours... 7 years ago, my mother saw an article in a women's magazine about PCOS and she called and said, "Honey, I think you might have this PCOS thing!" so, I took the article to my Gyno and said I wanted to be tested. He said, "It is no big deal, just loose weight and it will all go away." Well, I didn't think he was correct, but I thought he must know what he is talking about. So, again, I TRIED to loose weight. Didn't find much success. So, the next year, I asked my Gyno again and he said, "If it will make you feel better, I will put down in your chart that you have PCOS." However, he offered up no solutions, nor did he allow any testing to be done. By the next yearly exam, I was prepared to put more pressure on him. When I did, he told me to start jogging daily and just watch it all go away. He also suggested that he begin laser hair removal on my neck and chin... which I did at $150 a month for 6 months.... but of course, you know that didn't work, because I wasn't on any medications to help stop the production of testosterone......
Now to today.... I ended up at an Endocrinologist when my primary care doctor discovered the reason for my extreme fatigue was a thyroid problem. When I got to the Endo's office, we talked about my thyroid and what we needed to do to fix it and right before we ended the appointment, he said, "Oh, and by the way, when we get this thryoid thing licked...we will start to fix your PCOS!" I was shocked! I had never mentioned PCOS to him, but he knew, just by meeting me that I had it. I cried...he laughed and 4 years later, we still see each other every 3 months!
I have had many set-backs along the way.... metformin discomfort, a broken foot, blood clots in my legs/chest, birth control issues, being scared to start new meds.... but finally, today, I feel different.... 2 weeks ago I started the Insulin Resistance Diet and bought a treadmill. I started taking my Met ER faithfully 2x a day. I haven't had the stomach problems I had the last 3 times I tried doing to meds.... I am sure it is due to the lack of carbs I am now ingesting....
I did an interview last week with our local newspaper on PCOS.... it was published today. I have already been asked for my autograph 2x times this morning.
Here is the article.... I hope some of you find some comfort in it.... Cause I know I have!
HTTP://www.stjoenews-press.com/main.asp?SectionID=152&subsectionID=281&articleID=74840 Web Posted 1/24/2006 1:51:00 AM By CATHY WOOLRIDGE , cathyw@npgco.com Article : One Day At A Time The council chamber at City Hall is empty except for the two women sitting in the back of the room. At a long table, Jeré McKay and Maggie Fischer, who both work at City Hall, sit opposite each other. In front of Ms. Fischer rests a pile of papers, held neatly together with a blue paper clip. In front of Ms. McKay, a fresh salad sprinkled with croutons awaits. But food isn't the main topic of conversion this afternoon. On the menu is a topic that Ms. McKay and Ms. Fischer are intimately familiar with - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. A medical term many may have not heard of, it is a condition that both Ms. Fischer, Ms. McKay and Charity Loftis, a co-worker who joins this lunchtime gathering a little later, struggle with each day. Some days are better than others. Today is a good day. Today they've come to talk. To talk about the shared symptoms, like irregular periods, the facial hair that makes them feel less feminine, the weight gain, the moodiness and depression. The anger of being told everything would be fine if they would just lose weight. The relief of finally knowing what is wrong with them and the hope that things will get better. "It makes me angry to think that my whole life, I was made to think that I was at fault," Ms Fischer says. "People just assume that I'm lazy just because I'm overweight," Ms. McKay says. "And it's not that I'm lazy. It's that, you know, I actually have something wrong with me." WHAT IS IT? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a disorder affecting the endocrine system, which regulates hormones in the body. It affects women of reproductive age. It was first noted in the 1930s by Irving Stein and Michael Leventhal in medical literature when they wrote about a group of women who had no monthly periods and who had large ovaries with multiple cysts. PCOS is sometimes referred to as Stein-Leventhal syndrome or Polycystic Ovarian Disease. "It is a syndrome, not a disease," says Dr. Curtis Richardson of Heartland's Women's Health In fact, only about 4 to 10 percent of females of reproductive age will have it. "Certainly most ladies don't have it," Dr. Richardson says. There is no one symptom that defines PCOS and no one test to detect it. Symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic and the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Campaign, can include irregular or no periods, increased levels of male hormones, excessive facial or chest hair, thinning of the hair or male pattern baldness, obesity, acne, elevated insulin levels, insulin resistance, infertility, dark patches of skin on neck, groin, underarms or skin folds, skin tags and cysts on the ovaries. It does not affect all women in the same way. Not every woman will have every symptom. For instance, not all women will be obese. Also, the word "ovarian" can be misleading since not every woman will automatically have cysts on her ovaries. "I do not have cysts on my ovaries," Ms. Fischer says. PCOS is not something that can be self-diagnosed. A woman who feels she exhibits symptoms should talk to her doctor. Tests will be run to eliminate other possible medical problems. "In 2003, I went under a series of tests for cancer." Ms. McKay says. "Again, they diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They tested me for thyroid. I had lots of tests." A woman may be referred to an endocrinologist, who specializes in hormonal disorders. Both Ms. McKay and Ms. Fischer were diagnosed with PCOS by an endocrinologist. Ms. McKay, Ms. Fischer and Ms. Loftis all had been dealing with their symptoms for a major portion of their lives, but only fairly recently discovered they have PCOS. Despite being active, all three experienced excessive weight gain. Ms. Fischer also discovered that she had no thyroid function and her testosterone levels were in her words, "off the chart." All experienced extreme fatigue, mood swings, facial hair and adult acne. Depression can be a byproduct. "I wonder if you can drown in your tears," Ms. Loftis says. "If you could just cry yourself to death . for no reason." After PCOS is diagnosed, then treatment can begin. There is no cure for PCOS, but it can be managed. "Generally, you treat the causing symptoms," Dr. Richardson says. Often weight loss is advised. Ms. McKay, Ms. Loftis and Ms. Fischer all follow healthy eating plans to assist in weight loss. All three are aware that for a woman with PCOS, losing weight can be extremely difficult. "I'm told as soon as I lose the weight, the side effects will lessen," Ms. McKay says. There also are medications and procedures that can help with excessive hair growth and skin problems, moodiness, menstrual irregularities and infertility issues. The Internet provides a wealth of information. The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Campaign Corp. was started in March of 2005 to focus more attention on the medical disorder. More magazines are publishing articles about PCOS. In fact, it was Ms. Fischer's mother who directed her daughter to an article about PCOS in a ladies magazine, recognizing many of the symptoms her daughter suffered from. Now that she knows what she has, Ms. Fischer devours articles and any information about PCOS. She also offers support for her two co-workers. There are still bad days among the good ones. "We still come to work and we still do our job," Ms. Fischer says. "We fight through it."
TAKE A LOOK
February is National PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Month.
-- The syndrome is featured in the second half of an episode “Why is Emily Screaming,” on the program “Mystery Diagnosis,” which will air at 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, and at midnight Tuesday, Jan. 31, on the Discovery Channel.
For more information about the PCOS Awareness Campaign, log on to www.pcoscampaign.com.
For information about the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, log on to www.pcosupport.org.
If you have questions about PCOS, consult your doctor.
I think I have had PCOS my WHOLE life! 
