The Silver Lining

Well, without any intros, let me get to the punch line – I was diagnosed with polycycstic ovarian syndrome.

The background (keeping the TMI to a min): I scheduled my gyn annual because I needed a refill on my birth control. The doc I got apparently as part of his routine, also does a vaginal ultrasound as part of his annual work up. Color me surprised! Anyway, it wasn’t new, just uncomfortable but it was enough to give the doc the info that he needed to make an educated diagnosis. My menstrual history (missed periods, wacky schedule, really heavy), break outs, extra weight focused on my mid region (I am fat, but it really is centered around my abdomen, the rest of my body just tries to catch up), and the cysts all pointed to that. He also told me that he wanted to do a whole blood panel on me and that would be the confirmation.

So real life gets in the way and one month later, I get the work up done. I got results back. High cholesterol, insulin, and triglycerides. All signs of PCOS. He wants me on meds right away. I forgot what it was, but I am pretty sure it is metformin. It is normally used to treat type 2 diabetes but is often used to treat PCOS so that I don’t get diabetes.

The implications of having PCOS are varied and complicated. I don’t have to deal with the hirsutism, but I have had more break outs (I never got my refill, doc’s recommendation for now), am having a blast with my period right now, and there are other things. Like the increased diabetes risk, heart attack risk, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Well, these are all things that I should have normally been worrying about because of my weight. Endometrial cancer also seems like a thing to keep in check. Oh, and there is also the infertility thing.

It is always one of those things, I don’t even know if we will ever want to have our own kids, but having that option taken away from me without it being my choice, even, it was hard to hear. Well, they haven’t said that I am infertile or anything like that, but if I am having cysts in my ovaries, they most likely are not ovulating like they should. I am worried about it because it isn’t something that we will really have to deal with until we make the decision to have kids. Then what? We make the decision and then my body says no? That’s crap.

So I am taking things one step at a time. This is making me focus on the things that I should have been focusing all along– eating right and excercise.

I was going to f-lock this post, but whatever. It isn’t something that I need to hide, just something that I need to work on. Phew! I’m glad that’s off my chest!

50 Responses to "The Silver Lining"

danbi says:

June 27, 2008 at 11:50 pm

Something like this can be really difficult to go through. But you sound really courageous about it and if there’s anything I can do to support you, please let me know. ♥
1. anitza says:
  
  June 27, 2008 at 11:51 pm
  
  Thank you, I appreciate it. It is always so much easier to tell all my friends on LJ because you are all so supportive and awesome.
  
  That and the whole talking through a computer thing. 😉
  1. danbi says:
    
    June 27, 2008 at 11:54 pm
    
    Hahaha, I can totally relate to that. I hope that it gave you a bit of relief to just say it somewhere, you know? To let it out and focus on what kind of steps you want to take next in your life. It sounds like you’re already going that way, which I think is great.
skylanth says:

June 27, 2008 at 11:58 pm

Bleh, no fun, no fun at all! My old roomie Lisa also has this condition, as did her mom, and it was very uncomfortable for her. She is worried about having children, but her mother was able to easily have two kids (one was even a surprise) so there may be hope for you yet if you and Juan want to have kids someday.

If you’d like me to have her get in touch with you so you guys can discuss strategies (are there strategies here?) for dealing with this icky diagnosis, I can do this for you.

I hope there are medications that can help you deal! Lisa was in a lot of pain most of the time, so I have an idea of what you have do deal with.
1. anitza says:
  
  June 28, 2008 at 12:03 am
  
  Well, fortunately for me, I am not really in any pain (other than the back ache of my heavy period which is one of the things that gets less so when on the pill). Thanks for the hook-up, I will keep it in mind. I am really at the beginning of the road with it and still need to really have a good discussion with the doc.
purple_equator says:

June 28, 2008 at 12:34 am

Oh babe! I’m sorry to hear this. I hope the meds. and advice from other people and docs will help things go as smoothly as possible. I’ll be thinking about you lots.
1. anitza says:
  
  June 28, 2008 at 12:38 am
  
  Thanks chica. Feels good to know that you know, ya know? 😉
bird_mom says:

June 28, 2008 at 12:49 am

Look at it this way. It’s only cysts – not something worse. And between meds and diet you can control the other health issues in your life. There are always advances being made when it comes to women’s reproductive health. And you can’t entirely know for sure that the possibility of conception, carrying, and birthing is closed to you.

Now, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack risk, diabetes risk – we want you here, and all of those are lifestyle related, so this is something that you have control over. I have family history dealing with all those risks, and I could stand to miss a few meals. Maybe once you’ve had a chance to absorb everything and think about your options, we can support you by making healthy changes at the same time – that way, you won’t be going through this alone…
1. anitza says:
  
  June 30, 2008 at 6:23 pm
  
  Thanks 🙂
nasubionna says:

June 28, 2008 at 1:11 am

Well, shit. I am sorry to hear about this, truly. I hope that you find it easy to manage, like you said, with the diet and exercise and medication. But the increased risks of all those other things is certainly scary, as is the infertility thing. :/ I think I know what you mean about that… it’s it funny how some things you never really think too terribly much about, until suddenly you don’t have a choice anymore? And then it’s like, “Hey, wait a minute!!!”
I hug you and send you warm thoughts. Keep well!
venusmeridian says:

June 28, 2008 at 3:44 am

My sister has Pcos, and based on symptoms, etc, I probably have it as well (they also think it might be affected by hereditary). However, they didn’t put her on any medicine I don’t believe; they gave her a certain diet (to control the sugar levels; she’s not heavy) with very little sugar and carbs. I think she’s doing fine with that. It might make you feel better that, while she couldn’t have kids full term naturally (she did get pregnant, but it didn’t go full term- my niece was born by surrogacy, maybe TMI), but Pcos wasn’t the reason.
I’m very sorry; it is kind of a scary thing. However, I think it’s a fairly newly discovered syndrome (they think it’s been around a long time; they just didn’t know it existed), and even since she found out she had it, they seem to know more about it.
10_rose says:

June 28, 2008 at 3:44 am

*huggles*
mollytype says:

June 28, 2008 at 4:31 am

Holy crap and freakin’ yipes.
I’m glad you have medical people who know what they are doing and are figuring out how to help you care of you. I know you have great support with Juan and your family, and you know I am here for you anyway anyhow, just say the word.
majorxero says:

June 28, 2008 at 5:04 am

I bet you didn’t expect a comment from me on this.

Wanna know somethin? I know quite a bit about PCOS. I’ve had several female friends with said affliction. I guess that comes with always being the “friend”. *groan* In any case, one of my friends was diagnosed with PCOS and Endomitriosis when she was 19. Three kids later, she still has PCOS and Endomitriosis. The infertility rate is ironically a lot lower than one might guess considering what PCOS affects. The fact that you don’t have a lot of pain says that the PCOS is very minimal which only increases your fertility rate. With the medication offered for PCOS, the fertility thing would only be a major concern for someone who actually develops larger cysts that have the chance of bursting. Given what you’ve stated here, sounds like the “risk” of infertility is there, but rather minimal. I hope that helps allay (did I spell that right?) your concerns about it.

Everything else, though, like was stated above, is a lifestyle change. Not easy. NEVER easy. But doable. Like your dad. Last I saw him, he looked great! I don’t know what you do for lunch, but consider this: a lot of people walk when they’re at lunch. They’ll walk around their office building or whatever and all they have to see is cars in the parking lot and other people. You work at the friggin AoP! Taking walks at lunch is always fun for you, Ms. I-Have-a-Baccalaureate-in-Marine-Biology.

Even something as simple as a regular walking schedule will help immensely. Step by step though, (no pun intended) will get you where you want to be healthwise. The only other thing you need is a positive attitude. You already have that. And if you ever slip, you got Juan. That guy’s got positive running out his ears. 😀

Dale un abrazo para mi. Y dete un abrazo para mi, tambien! Yes, I said hug yourself!

Ok, I’m done.
plumapen says:

June 28, 2008 at 5:35 am

*squishy hugs* Like Molly said, I think you’ve got a fantastic support network at home and here, of course. Keep your head up. I admire your attitude in dealing with this. *loves*
sprootles says:

June 28, 2008 at 2:02 pm

*More Squishy Hugs*

I know what you mean about it feeling good to finally ‘discuss’ things in LJ. It does help.

I’m sorry you have to deal with this, and at the same time I’m glad that you know what it is. That sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

Feel like a laugh? I started thinking, sheesh my fat is concentrated around my tummy, maybe I’ve got it, too? Then I’m like, “No, Amy, your fat is concentrated in the fact that you like to shove frozen ding dongs down your throat!” LOL!

Anyway, keep your head up.
canutius says:

June 28, 2008 at 5:38 pm

Well crap. That sucks, but at least it’s just a pain in the ass at the moment and not something worse. I’ll pass on adding more clichés and just add more hugs.

*HUGS*
adararosey says:

June 28, 2008 at 9:51 pm

I just wanted to say, I am here for you, listening. I know you have such a wonderful family and just wanted to add my support and positive prayers your way.
moonanddogstar says:

June 29, 2008 at 3:20 pm

I’m sorry to hear about this Mag, but I’m glad you have a diagnosis at last. *hugs*
dead_sexydexy says:

June 29, 2008 at 5:08 pm

*adds to hugs*
kaptainsnot says:

June 29, 2008 at 10:09 pm

Jesus that’s tough. It sounds like this, as bad and unwelcome as it is, can be turned around and be seen as an opportunity of sorts. This can put you on a healthier path, and it seems like there are medicines used to reverse infertility, which you don’t necessarily have at this point anyway. This sucks, but there are options available to you and nothing is being taken away yet. Endometrial cancer is scarier still, but I’m glad that now that you have been diagnosed, you and your doctors will be keeping an eye out for it. ♥
ozo_head says:

June 30, 2008 at 2:30 am

It sounds like you are definetly looking at the silver lining. You know you are very strong, and with Juan being as supportive and positive as he is, you will get through this.

The infertility thing is scary though, having that choice taken from you takes it to a whole other level. But from the sound of Memo’s comment, you have plenty of hope on whether or not you get to choose whether you and Juan have wanna have kids. You just gotta do what you gotta do, and things should work out. Let the doctors do their work, run their tests, re-check you, etc. Keep your head straight until the final news is in.
Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t achieved over night (or else la chusma would be a heck of a lot healthier!) but little steps at a time add up quickly to a lot of changes. Take heed from Memo, walking during lunch would make a big difference. If you can get some small weights in during the walks, it would improve your cardiovascular health (you just gotta be sure to swing your arms with the weights).

I know it’s also a bit cliche, but joining Weight Watchers might help too. When I did it, I lost about 20 lbs. I just got too lazy to continue.

Take it easy. You know how to find me if you ever need to talk (or just hang out)…..
1. anitza says:
  
  June 30, 2008 at 6:44 pm
  
  Yeah, the infertility thing, well, as someone else mentioned already, isn’t a locked in deal. But just being presented with the idea is enough to lose sleep over.
  
  I can’t stand the idea of Weight Watchers. I may change my tune later, but just the idea of assigning numbers to everything that goes in my body is enough to drive me crazy. That, or the premade meals, ugh.
  
  But I may change my tune. Who knows? And thanks.
ozo_head says:

June 30, 2008 at 2:30 am

It sounds like you are definetly looking at the silver lining. You know you are very strong, and with Juan being as supportive and positive as he is, you will get through this.

The infertility thing is scary though, having that choice taken from you takes it to a whole other level. But from the sound of Memo’s comment, you have plenty of hope on whether or not you get to choose whether you and Juan have wanna have kids. You just gotta do what you gotta do, and things should work out. Let the doctors do their work, run their tests, re-check you, etc. Keep your head straight until the final news is in.
Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t achieved over night (or else la chusma would be a heck of a lot healthier!) but little steps at a time add up quickly to a lot of changes. Take heed from Memo, walking during lunch would make a big difference. If you can get some small weights in during the walks, it would improve your cardiovascular health (you just gotta be sure to swing your arms with the weights).

I know it’s also a bit cliche, but joining Weight Watchers might help too. When I did it, I lost about 20 lbs. I just got too lazy to continue.

Take it easy. You know how to find me if you ever need to talk (or just hang out)…..
norus says:

June 30, 2008 at 7:03 am

1) PCOS does NOT make you infertile. It can make you less fertile, but even that’s not a given. There are ways you can help, which I’m sure they gynae told you – eg try and shift some of the weight, or take drugs when you’re ready to try for a baby – but please don’t go away thinking this will profoundly affect your ability to have kids. It might make it a longer process but it should be fine.

2) It’s probably metformin, apparently that really helps PCOS.

3) Why on earth would he not give you your birth control? That’s one of the best ways of staying on top of the symptoms of PCOS – eg the random periods and skin problems etc. I hope they give it back soon because you’re probably already noticing what a difference it makes.

4) It’s the abdmominal fat distribution, rather than the PCOS itself, that puts you at risk of all the diabetes/cardivascular disease stuff. Not that that particularly helps, since in your case the propensity to have that distribution is controlled by the PCOS, but it means that if you can shift that weight you’ll lose a substantial portion of that risk. I have the same tendency, and with no excuse… sucketh.

I want to stress that I’m not trivialising your diagnosis in the least; it must be difficult getting a whole raft of news like this all in a few weeks. I’m just concerned that you’re reading the worst into this when really it’s something that’s very manageable these days. And at least you have a name now for all those things that before were just things you happened to do. It’s up to 1 in 10 of us who have the physical finding of polycystic ovaries, apparently; not all of us get the rest of it, but the syndrome too is very common. It’s definitely not the case that 1 in 10 of us have trouble conceiving. I’m probably missing the point, and I see that you’re not thinking PCOS=subfertility necessarily. I’m not sure how I’d react if I got this diagnosis myself. I just hope you’re able to see that this is ok, that it’s not the end of the world, and that it’s something that you can control rather than the other way round.
norus says:

June 30, 2008 at 7:07 am

Oh and 5) Endometrial cancer, whilst still cancer and not to be shrugged off, as a rule presents early and has a good prognosis. I’d choose it over pretty much any other lady-cancer.
claresheppard says:

June 30, 2008 at 2:01 pm

^^^Thank God for Doctor Nor!

I’m a bit late in catching up with the flist but would like to register my support none the less. At least your doc caught it and you know what you’re dealing with.

*hugs*

x
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:23 pm

Thanks *hugs*
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Yeah, they say that women with PCOS tend to have sisters and mothers with it, although I dunno if they know the rate.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:27 pm

🙂
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Thanks Molly.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Thanks Molly.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:29 pm

Heh, not really, but thanks for showing up. See how I kept the TMI to a minimum just in case you showed up? lol

And thanks, those are all things that I have been thinking about and Juan and I have to come up with something that will work for us.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:29 pm

Yeah, I mean, just look around, you guys are great. 🙂
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:29 pm

Heh, no I know what you mean. Thanks.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:30 pm

lol *hugs*
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:30 pm

Thank you, one can never have too much of that.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:30 pm

Thanks lunita.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:30 pm

*hugs*
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Yeah, thanks!
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:39 pm

I never meant to come off as me being infertile. Just that from what the doc told me, it could complicate things and that there was a chance that I couldn’t conceive. Anywho… yeah, I am pretty sure that he put me on metformin. I should have already had it but there was some miscommunication between the doctor’s office and the pharmacy.

The birth control thing. I think he just wanted me to normalize? I dunno. But yeah, I am going to ask him about it at the next appt. From what I read, it seems to be a common treatment.

I dunno about shifting any weight since my body seems to put it wherever it wants. I just need to get rid of a ton of it. A whole other person, to be exact.

I don’t want to you to think that I am reading the worst into it either. I come from a POV that you expect the worse and hope for the best. Well, part of that is knowing the worst case scenario and working my way back from that. I titled this entry “The Silver Lining” because I really am hopeful and am looking at the positives like everyone else mentioned here. It truly isn’t the end of the world, I know that, and perhaps because you see so many other troubling things on a daily basis this seems so low on the scale of earth shattering, but because this is my lj, I decided to put out what I have been thinking about and living with for the past few weeks. It is important to me because it is me. This is going to require a serious life style change and I needed to get started somewhere.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:40 pm

That’s nice to know. Especially being diagnosed already, I would think it would be on everyone’s radar.
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 6:42 pm

Yeah. I almost mentioned it on Friday, but my grandpa being there just made me not want to. And yesterday, I dunno, I would rather just go over it once, and Sabi wasn’t there.

So yeah, the lifestyle change is the crazy tough part because like Alex says, if it was easy, we all wouldn’t be in this boat.
mrnicefrog says:

June 30, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Mag, although this cannot possibly be good news, I hope that it’s not as scary as it sounds right now and that everything turns out all right in the end.
Wishing you physical and mental strength to get the weight under control.
*hugs*
anitza says:

June 30, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Thanks froggy. *hugs*
Anonymous says:

July 1, 2008 at 12:39 am

dang anitza. that’s a lot to handle and i don’t quite know what to say. i haven’t been the doctor’s in years and reading your post is like a wake up call. i’m glad you’re staying strong and hopeful but what else would you ever be? it’s just your way. you’re a powerhouse and regardless of what god or whatever deals you, i imagine that you’ll always make the best of it and love will alway surround you. -trj
anitza says:

July 1, 2008 at 12:41 am

Thanks. I know what you mean about the wake-up call. I am like that too. I only found out because I wanted a refill on my pill and the doc took an extra two minutes to pay attention to me instead of just giving me a refill and leaving it at that.

I am of the “I’ve gotta be dying” sort to make it to a doc, but Juan is worse!
kiwisc says:

July 1, 2008 at 5:43 pm

muchos abrazos para ustedes!
anitza says:

July 1, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Gracias 🙂
jeffreydachmd says:

July 4, 2008 at 12:14 pm

PCOS

PCOS, the Hidden Epidemic

The fundamental problem with PCOS is anovulation and not making progesterone for two weeks every cycle.

This lack of progesterone leads to hormonal imbalance in the ovary, causes the ovary to produce testosterone and leads to the irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. This is aggravated by obesity and insulin resistance.

Progesterone is missing, therefore replacing it makes sense.

To read more, click here:

Understanding PCOS, the Hidden Epidemic by Jeffrey Dach MD

Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443
my web site

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