Finally on the Right Track

So, I've been meaning to get on here and post an update about my new medical developments, but I'm just now getting to it partly because I've been so busy and partly because I wanted to do more research before I started speaking up.

I still have much more research to do, but I'm learning new things and I'm now anxious to post what I've learned so far.

Here's the short of it for those of you who do not have the time or interest in reading my whole "dear diary" journal entry here and just want a quick update: My Endocrinologist (a specialist in hormonal medicine) determined from my most recent blood tests that I have Polycycstic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). That was the big diagnosis. He also confirmed I have a severe case of Insulin Resistance, as well as a metabolic disorder (he did not elaborate on the latter except to say that my carb metabolism is defective). He also figured that my current version of Metformin that I was taking, which was no longer effective, was causing some of the horrible GI problems I was having and he prescribed a new drug called Glumetza (another brand of Metformin). The Glumetza seems to be working so far, but it's only been a couple weeks.

There is no cure for PCOS, but it can be treated.

The cause is unknown.

One in ten women have it.

I have a long road ahead of me. Dr. Lee only wants to change one thing at a time so as to be able to accurately determine what is working and what isn't. Taking Glumetza twice a day and keeping a food journal are the first steps. I have an appointment with a diabetic dietician in Dr. Lee's office in a couple weeks. I'm not especially looking forward to that next appointment because I know it will involve the words "reducing carbs" and me being hungry for a long time. I already eat whole wheat, don't often eat potatoes or baked goods... if I have to cut out fruit I might die. I'm not a big fan of meat or fish, so it will not be fun figuring out what I can eat. The joy of eating has been lost for me for some time now.

So, last night I bought this book called "A Patient's Guide to PCOS". I only had time to read the introduction and the foreword and already it has described my life for the last 5 years or so!!!

I've learned that many of my health problems are likely to be symptoms of PCOS, so I've just been treating symptoms all these years! Depression and anxiety, for example, are believed to be a part of PCOS.

Of course, weight gain, and even dizziness, are related to PCOS as well. IR & PCOS are closely related, although I'm not sure which comes first (the egg or the chicken)??? Some say IR causes PCOS, some say PCOS causes IR. Bottom line is, my body does not react to food and hormones the way normal bodies do.

Dr. Futterweit (the author of this PCOS book), mentions how so many women go from doctor to doctor without ever receiving an accurate diagnosis or proper treatment. Looking at the list of symptoms, it seems so obvious to me now, but my past doctors have been convinced it was a thyroid condition and/or bad eating habits. Thank you, Kelli Gary, for pointing me in the right direction in seeing an Endocrinologist! You may have saved my life!

Another thing I learned quickly in this book is that Metformin is given to infertility patients. I was irregular, probably not even ovulating, but that was the least of my worries when I got diagnosed with IR. That Metformin wasn't just helping me lose weight, I'd become regular again, and that is how I became pregnant. BUT, PCOS makes it nearly impossibly to stay pregnant. That is why I had a miscarriage. This IR, PCOS, surprise pregnancy, and horrible & scary miscarriage have turned my life upside down. I didn't know what hit me.

So, here are some of the symptoms of POCS that I have struggled with (there are more; these are just the ones I have had):
• irregular or no menstrual periods (nothing since June 2008; prior to Metformin last spring, nothing for a year then either)
• acne (not caused by eating chocolate! caused by having too much testosterone)
• obesity/weight gain/inability to lose weight, particularly around the middle
• breathing problems while sleeping (I never used to snore, but now the last few years, I even wake myself up)
• depression & anxiety
• oily skin
• hair loss
• pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis (I kept complaining of this with no concern from my doctors)
• skin tags (I got these after having Bridget--I have two in my right armpit, one on my hip and one on my back, and I HATE them... when I pointed them out to my doctors, they dismissed them)

What do I do now?

Well, finally being told what is wrong is nice. I'm glad I'm not crazy. I'm glad someone finally believes me and is interested in helping me get better.

I will continue the Glumetza for now. It's most likely I will be taking more drugs in the very near future, but just one addition at a time so we don't continue on this path of treating symptoms instead of causes.

I have hope. I can lose this weight and get my old body back. I can regain control of my life, my emotions, my health. I can become regular, maybe get rid of the random abdominal pains and everything else I've been suffering from for so many years now that I've forgotten what it is like to feel good. But, I will need to be patient. The changes are rough on me... for example, with the Glumetza, I'm no longer having the GI issues, but I've had two migraines. Messing with a girl's hormones is no pretty sight.

I have to keep this annoying food journal for the next few weeks and see the dietician. I have to see my ob/gyn for tests to see if I have cysts on my ovaries and scarring from my surgery last fall. I'm sure there are many more blood tests in my future as well.

But, at least I know what is wrong and am finally going in the right direction. Where before, my old doctors hadn't even caught the train, now I've got a doctor who is on the right track, and that gives me hope for a happier, healthier me.