Hi!
I am so happy to have found this website and even better this message board. I have read so many things and have been learning so much more than I was ever offered at the dr's office.
Here is my story.
First off, I have 3 beautiful daughters of my own and 1 stepdaughter that I love and adore. My husband Corey and I have been together for nearly 12 years and married for nearly 8 years. I live in Southern California, as I have all my life.
I was officially dx last year after being hospitalized for blood loss from my severe periods. And even then it was done so non-chalantly....looking back it really ticks me off. I don't know how long I have been PC. I do know that my symtoms really started to reveal themselves during and after the birth of my second dd. During my p/g I started to develop pretty bad acne, but it was not until after she was deliverd via c-section that I developed FULL blown cystic acne. But at 38 weeks p/g, my little dd was not yet head down, so we attepted external version to try and get her head down...to no avail. As soon as I went into labor, she was delivered c-section. At that time it was discovered the reason she would not/could not turn was because her bottom was wedged between my enlarged ovaries. My OB informed me that I had leuteomas of pregnancy, not uncommon...but that was it. After her birth, like I said, I developed full blown acne and while I had always had quite a bit of body hair, it was thin and light; but after my dd was born it became thick and coarse.
At this time I started to access the internet to get some answers and that is when I first saw symptoms of PCOS. I consulted my OB/GYN and was dismissed saying I didn't have infertility issues so PCOS was not a dx for me; however, I have every single other symptom. Then when I became p/g with my 3rd dd, during my first US to determine age, the OB (different from above) stated that I had the tell tale "string of pearls" in my ovaries. Again, nothing done. Delivered my baby with no complications, but as before, my symptoms were aggrivated. I also had my tubes tied at this time. I breastfed my dd until she was 20 months so I expected irregular periods...but then they never regulated. I spent nearly a year being on my period 2 - 3 weeks of every month. So last summer I was suffering from severe depression and my periods were the worst they had ever been. My dh finally took my to the ER and they finally decided that I was severely anemic with a hemoglobin of 6. They decided to pump me full of iron. They also put me on a triple dose of bcp. The hope was that the severity would lesson in a day or two, which it didn't. At that point they added a progestorin supplement. Finally relief. At my follow up GYN appt. they did hormone testing and found that they were consistent with PCOS. That was it. I asked if I could be referred at that time to an endocrinologist and my GYN said that wasnt' necessary...if I just change my diet and exercise, I would be fine. Isn't that nice!
So in the last year, I have done nothing and have actually put my dx in the back of my mind. Until recently. I decided to get my health under MY control. I have begun losing weight via a low carb healthy eating lifestyle and going to Curves 3 days a week. I have noticed just feeling better overall....however, I still have symptoms, the latest being hair loss, which just scares me to death! So I now have made DEMANDS on my primary care physician and she finally got me into the the Endo.....however, not for 2 months which makes me cry. So I am hoping to get many answers here and support and venting to people who understand where I am and what I am going through.
Sorry such a long post, but nobody else REALLY gets it. Thanks for listening.



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Sparky, our emergent cerclage baby, born at 23w1d on 3/4/07 through his cerclage.

Paul(44)
5 furbabies




