SilverSagess

Hi Everyone,

Sorry if this is a repeat for a few of you... moving this post from a different folder.

I have been reading these boards on and off for about a month now, anticipating that I might have PCOS. I guess I should start at the beginning though. (Sorry if this gets LONG.)

My periods were always very regular, growing up. By regular, I mean always the same number of days apart. But I guess they were irregular in that I was having too few periods per year because my cycles were so long, always 36 days. I never had problems with my periods, and my three kids are proof that I did not have fertility problems. After my second child, I began having sharp pains when I sneezed, coughed, laughed, or even moved a certain way. My OBGYN did an ultrasound and said I had uterine fibroids, but that was it. After my second child, I also had EXCESSIVE clear vaginal discharge. Three different OBGYNs told me it is just normal, but I know it's not normal to have as much discharge as I had. The pains subsided after a couple of years, and the discharge was not as bad, but still WAY beyond normal. As I mentioned earlier, I had a third child. I had a number of problems during and after the pregnancy, including the worst sinus infection of my life, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, weakness in my hands, and more. Since having the baby, my periods have been sort of regularly spaced... most months they are 28 day cycles. But they have gone as short as 22 days, and as long as 34 days. But most months, 28. But I have had terrible cramping, huge clots, and always one day of EXTREMELY heavy bleeding, to the point that I have to stay home because I can't make it longer than 30 minutes without soaking a Super Plus tampon. I also have chronic recurring yeast infections EVERY month... for YEARS now!

I have seen many doctors... 2 GPs and 5 different OBGYNs. No one has been able to figure out what is wrong with me. Because of some of my other symptoms (fatigue, dry hair and skin, feeling cold, sudden unexplained weight gain and difficulty losing weight, etc) my doctors have all suspected thyroid poblems, but TSH tests have all come back normal. Hormones were all normal, with the exception of a high LH level. A repeat test showed LH was back to normal again. My Endo did some blood tests which came back this week showing high testosterone. She felt the tests were "inconclusive" for PCOS because I am not pre-diabetic, my HDL (good cholesterol) level was good, I don't have acne (although I get the occassional deep nodule), I don't have excessive hirsutism (although I do have some growth on chin and toes), I don't have thinning hair, etc.

Despite feeling tests were inconclusive, she put me on a 4 month trial of Metformin. She has me ramping up to 2000mg per day (1000 at breakfast, 1000 at lunch).

The only other available piece to my puzzle is that my mother had terrible cysts most of her adult life. Of course, back then, they weren't really aware of PCOS (according to my Endo) and never told my mom that's what it was. She did not have acne, cholsterol probs, hirsutism, fertility probs, or anything else... just BAD cysts, lots of pain, lost one of her ovaries after having baby #2, but still had 2 more children, and early menopause because of losing the ovary(?).

So.... Do I belong here? I don't know? When I read other people's stories, I realize I seem relatively "normal", but at the same time haven't felt "normal" in years. About 2 years ago, I gained about 40lbs very quickly, but also had quite a bit of pregnancy weight that I had been unable to lose, so I am very overweight. Diet and exercise have not helped. My Endo basically said I am lying to myself about how many calories I am eating, even though I know I am not. I kept a food journal of everything I ate/drank, amount of exercise, etc. She also said, "Look at me. I'm overweight, but if I went to Ethiopia for 6 months, I'd come back 70lbs lighter." I didn't appreciate the flippant comment. I'm tired of struggling with my weight. I am sick of having yeast infections EVERY month and being told there's nothing wrong with me. I am tired of being tired.

Sorry this post is SOOO excruciatingly long. As I said, I am not even sure if I belong here. The only bright side for me is that at least I have a "plan" right now... 4 months of Metformin, during which I will continue my food and exercise journal and just hope that I can start to take off some of my excess weight, get the yeast infections and discharge under control, etc.

Thanks for letting me vent. And thanks for any insight people can offer.