I'm 32 years old and I've lived with the knowledge that I've had PCOS for half my life. I was diagnosed by a very sharp gyno when I was 16 years old. Unfortunately, either because she didn't want to worry me, or because not much was known about PCOS back in 1993, she really downplayed what it was and what it meant. "All it means", she said (I can see it like it happened yesterday) "is that you'll have irregular periods, and you might have a little more trouble getting pregnant than the average woman".
Wow....that doesn't sound too bad, right? Who's even thinking about fertility when she's 16? And not having my period for six months sounds great.
Flash forward to now. I've not only got PCOS, but a burst appendix complicated and almost took my life when I was 23. I spent a month in the hospital fighting off peritonitis and was left with adhesions growing in my lower abdomen. Almost every doctor I consulted about the horrific pain I was experiencing just told me it was just the PCOS and to "take some Advil when it gets really bad". I finally saw a doctor in 2006 who specialized in gynecological problems and he took the time to do exploratory laparoscopy and found that the adhesions had choked off my right ovary and the pain was being caused by the cysts growing under the tight scar tissue. The whole mass had adhered to the inside of my abdominal cavity. He said that the ovary was nonfunctioning at that point and removed it. I wasn't happy to have one less ovary, but I was glad that I had a doctor who would try to get to the root of such problems, even if I wasn't thrilled with the outcome. It was much better than being told to just live with the pain, that that was just how my life was going to be.
I was pain free for almost a year before I started to feel the same kind of pain on my left side. My new gynecologist (the "good" one has since retired) is thorough, but he says that if the pain is more adhesions (and it likely is), there's nothing that can really be done except to have more surgery. He hasn't really addressed anything about my PCOS except to acknowledge that the adhesions and the cysts are working against each other. He sent me for bloodwork and we are in the process of trying to get my old surgical records (and photographs) from my previous doctor.
I often feel like I'm slipping through the cracks with this condition because I'm not TTC, which seems to be what many doctors focus on. It's not the problems I might have conceiving someday that worry me. My boyfriend (who will likely be my husband someday) assures me that he is fine with adopting children if conceiving isn't in the cards for me. What worries me is the possibility of having cardiovascular disease, diabetes, any of the life-threatening issues that women with PCOS are at risk for. Right now I'm generally healthy (aside from having only one ovary and a mass of adhesions and being in constant pain). All of the important bloodwork numbers are good. I have low blood pressure. I was raised to be a healthy eater (but I do love to eat which is probably why I'm overweight). But I feel like I'm just tempting fate by going on the way I am. Like I could be doing more to be healthy, I just don't know what that is. My general practitioner doesn't really talk about this at all. My gynecologist just says it's adhesions and gives me birth control pills. I'm considering consulting a reproductive endocrinologist but I don't even know what to say.
If you've read me ranting so far, thank you so much for sticking with it. The fun stuff: I'm 32, unmarried, I have an amazingly supportive boyfriend (who insists that he will be my husband at some point), and am a dental hygienist in Newburgh NY. I'm a compulsive reader and I love knitting and crocheting, thrifting, and spending time with my family. I'm a bit of a workaholic so I try to balance it out by doing things that I love. My favorite book genre is true crime (I love Ann Rule) but I have to admit that I'm a huge sap and I do actually cry at the end of romance novels. As for my needlework, I'm a horrible knitter, but an experienced crocheter and I have a gigantic yarn stash.
Thank you so much for reading this. It's hard to feel like people "in the real world" take this seriously, since I look as healthy as a horse, as the saying goes. I'm hoping to learn more about managing PCOS and finding some new friends who know what I'm going through.
There is a ton of information on this site about what women with PCOS can do to be healthier (and not all of it is about TTC.)
__________________ PCOS symptoms since age 11 (heavy acne & oily skin, minor weight issues & hirsutism) Irregular AF (38-45 days) after stopping BCP at age 29 Dx PCOS at age 32 Hypoglycemia and IR
TTC #1 since 08/08 08/09 1st Clomid cycle 50mg No O... Provera...
Paleo Diet Yoga, outdoor activity, and weights Acupuncture & TCM Fish Oil, Cal-Mag, & multi-vitamin
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I was just diagnosed today and I feel the same way that just because I am not trying to have a baby now that I get treated slightly differently. I do wonder about my fertility and it scares me because I will never know until I start trying to conceive and that will not be happening for a long long time.
__________________ 22 years old/Not in a relationship
*Diagnosed with PCOS/ Insulin Resistance/ Underactive Thyroid~September 24, 2009* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Family History of M/C's and Cysts as well as Endometriosis
I have three furbabies two doxies and one rat terrier/chihuahua mix. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Starting Metformin: 1000mg a day for a month and 1500mg after the first month
Hi CalculusFairy
Reading your story made me want to kick my own rear end!!
I am so angry that I may have this PCOS that I went into self pity mode, but obviously there are people out there who have it much worse.
I wish the best for you and your boyfriend. Well here is my story, maybe you may have some idea?? I recieved a call from my Dr yesterday claiming IhavePCOS, this after she sent me for an ultrasound,, blood test etc..because I also have uterine fibroids that they keep an eye on. I think she is wrong on this diagnosis and I am trying to find out all I can about it. I am 42 years old with 2 children, also 2 miscarriages, I am 5'3 and weigh 125 pounds.
The only symptoms I may have is my belly seems to be larger then it was and Ihave cysts on my ovaries, plus this tugging pain, it actually feels like being very full after you eat except lower.
My periods are always on time but extremely painful and heavy. (fibroids)
Could this be a wrong diagnosis? If so, now what?? I believe these are the only symptoms Ihave.
If anyone has some advice I would so appreciate it.
... she really downplayed what it was and what it meant. "All it means", she said (I can see it like it happened yesterday) "is that you'll have irregular periods, and you might have a little more trouble getting pregnant than the average woman".
Hi, I am also new here and have recently been diagnosed. This is EXACTLY what my doctor told me 3 years ago when she put me on BCP for irregular periods. At the time I was like, ok I can live with that. I had no idea of the other health risks involved and what all goes on with your body.
I started BCP when I was 22 (I am now 25) because I was going to be getting married and wanted some form of birth control both to regulate my cycle and to prevent pregnancy. My husband and I got married in March 2007, and would like to have children at some point. Since my doctor told me that it might be difficult for me to have kids, we decided that I should stop taking BCP to see if my body could regulate itself. And if it took a few years to get pregnant that would be ok.
So I stopped the BCP in May 2009 and have still not gotten a period yet. My doctor did some bloodwork the beginning of September and called me yesterday to confirm that I do in fact have PCOS (big shocker...lol). She immediately recommended Metformin since I would like to get pregnant. Although I would like to have a baby, I don't want fertility to be my doctor's main focus, which it seems like it is. I am concerned about fertility issues, but I am more worried about the long term health risks of PCOS.
In doing my own research, I have been reluctant to start the Metformin and asked my doctor if there was anything else I could do. Basically, she thinks that my only hope for treatment is to be on some sort of medication. I would like to try natural remedies first, so I bought The Natural Diet Solution to PCOS and Infertility, by Dr. Nancy Dunne and Bill Slater. I'm curious to see what effects these lifestyle changes will have on my symptoms.
I would like to try natural remedies first, so I bought The Natural Diet Solution to PCOS and Infertility, by Dr. Nancy Dunne and Bill Slater. I'm curious to see what effects these lifestyle changes will have on my symptoms.
I'm going to check this book out. I really do feel like some doctors are less informed about PCOS than patients. I can't stand getting the attitude, "well, you're not interested in getting pregnant yet, so why worry?" I honestly feel like infertility is the LEAST of my concerns at this point. I'm much more worried about the health risks associated with PCOS- maybe some info on diet and lifestyle changes will help.
I am also new here...I was diagnosed 3 days ago. I guess for me it is such a relief...I have finally found a doctor who will listen to me. I have been struggling with the classic symptoms (facial hair, abdominal weight gain, no period unless on BCP, acne, high cholesterol, depression....) since 1990. Doctors kept telling me that I was just an overworked middle school teacher, and that it was nothing.
I am so glad to be on Metformin...I am just hoping for some relief after almost 20 years of feeling so bad about myself. I hope to learn a lot from all of you.
__________________
Middle School Science Teacher
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Married since 1990
Mother to Chelsea (12/94)
Homesick for California
Diagnosed 9/09, but have struggled with symptoms since 1990. Have all "classic" symptoms except infertility. As a result, doctors dismissed the possibility that I have PCOS...
Finally on Metformin....hoping for good things.
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Welcome CalculusFairy, first off i wanted to say that there IS A LOT of great information on this sight!! I am sorry that you have had struggles in the past Is there anything they can do for you now to ease the pain in your ovary??
Rachel.
__________________
Dx: Jan. 2009
Meds: Taken off Met!!Doc. wants to see my levels off to make sure I even need it(WooHOO).Put on Spironolactone.Taken off NuvaRing until ready to TTC.
ME(20) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. DBF(24)
Other Dx: Hashimoto's Disease and possible IBS/IC/ENDO.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. :Not TTC yet To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , will be when the time is right.
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Is there anything they can do for you now to ease the pain in your ovary??
My gynecologist says there's not a lot he can do for the pain because its the cysts exacerbated by adhesions. The only real fix for adhesions is surgery, which I'm not willing to do at this point. I'm really, really tired of being cut open, and the adhesions always come back anyway.
That stinks!! I understand why you would not wanna do another surgery. Im just sorry to hear thats pretty much the only option
Rachel.
__________________
Dx: Jan. 2009
Meds: Taken off Met!!Doc. wants to see my levels off to make sure I even need it(WooHOO).Put on Spironolactone.Taken off NuvaRing until ready to TTC.
ME(20) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. DBF(24)
Other Dx: Hashimoto's Disease and possible IBS/IC/ENDO.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. :Not TTC yet To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , will be when the time is right.
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Introducing myself (this feels so weird) 
Is there anything they can do for you now to ease the pain in your ovary?? 
