Kyl needs your stories

[AusGal]

Hi ladies Kyl needs your help

(This post was originally posted somewhere else I was hopping us Aussie gals could help Kyl out)

As some of you might already been aware I have been planning on compiling a PCOS book for some time, however, due to circumstances, I am only just getting around to working on it properly

I want to write an open, friendly and personal book, not just pages and pages of info that can get comfusing and annoying to read, so what I am doing is using the stories of PCOS women (and family members if any wish to contribute) in direct quotes to show the women who read it how WE cope with this.

So ladies, help me, and future readers out, tell me your story, any length you like on any topic or topics providing they are related to PCOS. At this stage in the proceedings I will take ANYTHING.

All I ask is that you tag onto it a first name (it can be false if you wish or I will assign you one) your correct age and country of origin. This is to make it look personal, and also to show other women that you can sugger from this at ANY age, from anywhere

Anyone who wishes to contribute can do either of 4 things.

Write me a post here (if you do not mind everyone seeing what you write)

Leae it for me on my PM

Email me your stories to Blindbiologist@AOL.com

or come and talk to me in the chatroom

Please remember though that, once you've given me your story, you are agreeing that I can use some, all or none of it, so do NOT write anything you don't wish to see in print. I WILL protect identities and will delete emails once I have accessed the stories

Oh, and depending on what I get, I might be on the scout for specific things later on. I want to make this as broad as possible.

Thanks in advance for your time ladies

Kyl
__________________
Kyl (the blind biologist)

Please help Kyl out as this will benefit us as well as other people....

Thanks

Ausgal

[sleepydumpling]

Kyl - are you looking for TTC stories only? Or just general PCOS stories?

Kath

[Kyl]

At this stage ladies I'm looking for ANYTHING as long as it is PCOS related

If it might help anyone here are my categories so far (I might have missed something out so do not feel you have to limit yourselves to these)

What is PCOS?
Getting Diagnosed - getting treated
Weight - insulin resistance
Testosterone - hair and acne
gynecological and menstrual issues
How we fell and how we deal (depression and feelings about PCOS)
TTC
Pregnancy

comments on any, all or something different of this lot are much appreciated from anyone

thanks in advance ladies

Kyl

[sleepydumpling]

Thanks - I'll think about it and get back to you.
K

[chattabox_87]

have u got many ladies with their stories - do u need more?

i am leaning towards sending you my story if u need it!

[Kyl]

At this stage the more I can get the more braod I can make it and the more comprehensive the final book is.

EVERY story on ANY topic is needed, wanted and appreciated at this point

Kyl

[MonkeyBumPink]

I'd be happy to contribute...just have to find a spare hour to write loads out!

Bec xxx

[~epiphany~]

I don't mind contributing. Most of my story regarding diagnosis is on my profile. My latest story regarding my failed 1st Clomid cycle is here. I'm about to undergo my 2nd Clomid cycle tomorrow, if you'd like me to write about it.

[Ren]

When I get the time I'll write something for you if you want. I was 19 when I was first diagnosed and probably had it from puberty, so there's the "young" market.

[Bumbles]

Hi, the idea of your book is fantastic, i think it will help a lot of women not to mention their families, you can never know too much! I dont have much to tell but some of it maybe of some use, if not just tell me to stop my ramblings lol. If any other way i can help drop me a line ill see what i can do!xxx
Im Carine 23 in good old Essex. Ive been having periods since i was 9. Right from the start all i done was vomit, have severe stomach cramps an at times it was so bad i could hardly move. So each month my mum got used to dragging me down the GP's an me running along with yet more pain killers and anti-sickness tablets. This went on like this for a few more years. I missed alot of school because of my periods and work too becausde in the lines of work i have done its physical work. how the hell can you do it when you have no energy an feel like you can hardly move? then i had the joys of back pain and tender breasts an my mood swings gradually got worse and im a feisty woman at the best of times! It wasnt until 2002 when my GP finally gave up with me that i was sent to hospital and diagnosed. I was relieved to find out what was wrong with me. But at the same point i was so scared because i didnt understand and i felt alone. I got depressed too thinking that if i had only been diagnosed sooner then maybe alot of things would be different.
I remember thinking what man would want me? I bleed for 2-3weeks of every month im a grumpy cow i cant have kids and im fat. What can i offer them? My self esteem hit an all time low. But gradually with help from my family and some of my friends that improved and i learnt not to be ashamed but to face it all head on.
I went through so much with the hospital and GP begging for them to help me. It got to a stage where tablets were doing nothing and i was sick of beign patronised because of my age. In one breath i get told i cant carry children but im too young to have a hysterectomy because i obviously dont know what im talking about. But then i get told that if i have a child my life will be perfect. Some of those Gyne's infuriate me. After all, who's body is it!
I stupidly went through having the coil and D&C done then thermachoice operations. I felt as if i had no choice and i was so so desperate. Neither of them helped so i felt at a complete loss. Things arent much better now, but im now on metformin to see if that can help. Im hoping this will help with my periods and therefore stop me missing so much time off work so i can hold my job down too.
My fiance is amazing he supports me so much and it was him who found this website an convinced me to come an talk. He loves me just as i am and yes he wants children which i really hope i can give him one day. But its because of him ive learnt to love and respect myself again an face up to whats wrong. But my arguement still stands that GP's and Gyne's should give women more information upon PCOS so that we can understand it and not feel quite so alienated. I also think there should be changes made, i mean after all, if at 23 when they give up on me with my condition and i cant have a hysterectomy because 'im too young to make such a choice and i will regret it it will ruin my life' then surely like many other ladies out there im too young to have my life ruined and ruled by my periods. But there is hope out there for all of us. At least together we all have some support.

[Serene Tamborine Mummy]

Hi, here is hopefully the short version of my story.

I got my periods at 12 (the night before I started high school! Yippee!!) but never, NEVER had a regular period. I always felt 'something was wrong with me', but could never put my finger on it. I always felt unfeminine and always worried about not being able to have a baby, even though I know from my earliest memories, I always wanted to be a mother. At seventeen I went on BCP and just thought, well this is how I'm going to be and kind of put it on the back burner. I put on quite a bit of weight and my skin went down hill. At 28, I decided to go to the doctor and finally find out what was wrong with me. I had found my future husband, and wanted to get myself sorted out. Besides the lack of periods when I wasn't on the pill ( I would sometimes go for 7-10 months) I was suffering quite badly with what I am sure was undiagnosed depression. Looking back now, I don't know how I survived and I don't know how my poor (now) DH stayed with me. I must admit, to the outside world I no doubt looked fine, but inside I was a basket case.

The second doctor I went do dx me. She said ' You have Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome, ofcourse you're infertile....' I didn't hear a word she said after that. I was devestated and cried for a week. I work in a pharmacy, so I went straight from the drs to my work and looked it up and for the while, I did allot of research. It gave me some hope. My GP told me to go to weight watchers and try and lose some weight. I eventually found a specialist who we felt so comfortable with, it made such a difference. I ended up taking Clomid (half a tablet of the lower strength, I can't remember) one a day from days four to seven every second month. I would have ultrasounds on day 12 and blood tests on day 21. I was ovulating. It wasn't till the last cycle that I fell pg with DS#1.

My pregnancy was resonably trouble free. It was thought that I may have placenta praevia, but thankfully that corrected itself. I had gestational diabetes which was diet controlled. I had terrible reflux for which I took Mylanta and later in the pg took Ranitidine (Zantac). I had frequent nose bleeds throughout the pregnancy, ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome. My blood pressure was fine. I went into labour naturally at 40wk + 9 days (baby was born 40+10) and after my waters breaking at home, 19.5 hours of labour and being fully dialated, he was just too big and couldn't come out. I had an emergency cesarean section. My beautiful son was born weighing 9lb 6oz. He went to special care nursery, but his blood sugar was fine. My diabetes was absent at follow up tests. I bf for 12months (when DS weaned himself, little monkey!)and AF returned regularly at around 7 months.

I fell pg again naturally when DS#1 was 10.5mths old (still bf). I miscarried at 7.5weeks.

I fell pg naturally again about 8 weeks after my miscarriage. This pregnancy was also pretty much trouble free. I had the horrible reflux again, only worse. My gestational diabetes returned but was again diet controlled. I really wanted to try for a VBAC. I went into labour naturally again at home at 40weeks + 5days. I went to hospital and my waters broke, there was meconium in the water. Baby was not stressed. After 9.5 hours of labour and fully dialated, my baby was too big. I had a catheter as I had an epidural and there was blood in my urine from the babies head hitting my bladder. I had another emergency ceaserean and had my beautiful second son weighing 8lb 10oz. AF returned again at around 6mths. DS#2 was BF for around 9.5mths (when he weaned himself - little monkey!)

Since the time I first fell pregnant, I felt like my PCOS symptoms, the psychological ones anyway, had disappeared. I have felt fantastic mentally for about three and a half years now. The only time I felt like I had a relapse, was when I went on the mini pill after having DS#2. I took it for about a week and a half, and gave up. I am almost 35 and I'm still not taking any oral contraceptives and still feel fantastic, a month after stopping breastfeeding. I am hoping that having my babies has given my hormones a huge kick up the backside.

I hope this helps. If you want to know anymore, PM or email me, I'd be happy to talk about myself for longer

Good luck with your book, please let us know when it is out.

Donna.