PCOS etc...

Hi... I'm not sure where to start... Hubby & I have been together for over 7 yrs... we've been married for 4yrs and have been ttc for almost the whole time we've been together... frustrating, upsetting, devastating... I don't think there are enough words to describe how I feel!!! I know of one baby due every month from next month thru to May... I love my friends and my family, but, sometimes I just don't want to know... I was diagnosed a year ago with PCOS when I changed GP. She told me that a gynae I had seen 4 yrs earlier had advised my previous GP about it and she couldn't understand why nothing had been done about it... especially with my previous GP knowing we wanted kids! I was also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the same time, due to the PCOS and weight gain (also due to the PCOS). I've met with fertility specialists but they want me to lose 50kgs first... I don't look my weight, but the scales say its so. I feel sometimes like I'm in a vicious circle... the only help I've been given by my doc is when she prescribes provera when I go too long without a period. The only other meds I'm on is Metformin for my diabetes... my diabetes has levelled out (and I wouldn't be surprised if it's not a problem soon), its the PCOS which is the biggest problem... I don't know what to do next.... anyone have any suggestions??? PLEASE let me know if you do... Thanx

I'm so glad to see your post. Infact the tears are springing to my eyes! My husband and I have been trying 4 years as well. I was devastated when my sister got pregnant just a month after she got married (devasted for me, happy for her of course - I had a cry in private, but we had already been trying for 3 years by then). Then she had a beautiful girl, and 3 months later she was pregnant again! I went overseas for a year and when I came back, my best friend had had a baby. So now I'm the last one standing!
I get so sick of people asking when am I going to have a baby, that I better hurry up before I run out of time. Every week it seems I bump into someone who asks, or if I meet someone new, they ask if I have any children. Just yesterday going through the checkout at the supermarket, the checkout operator asked what i was doing for the weekend, when I said no plans, she then asked if I had any kids! I know she was just trying to be friendly, but when I said No, then we sort of lapsed into an uncomfortable silence!
I too have to lose weight, I was devastated when told how much, as I have never been very skinny, even during my most active years in college, when I was in all the sports teams, I was never the weight then, that I've been told to get down to now! But I am trying, and have formed a weight loss group with friends and family, although haven't told them why, and have mananged to lose 5kg so far.
I switched my GP in my early 20's when my original GP, just kept saying that my periods would become normal oneday. My new GP sent me for a scan straight away and I was diagnosed then, and had a cyst removed.
I was put on Metformin - actually I asked my GP to put me on it, and I tried it for a year, it made me bloated, nauseaus and sick, but I stuck with it, to no avail. I took myself off it, and have decided to try and lose weight first, then try it again.
The facial hair is what gets to me these days, in the past I have spent over $5,000 in the course of year having laser treatment, which worked on that area, but now its growing in other areas, and I can't afford to spend thousands again.
But lets support each other if we can, I know 2 people who have PCOS, and have concieved, one has just fallen pregnant again - with medication of course - but she lost alot of weight first. I clling to this hope, that I will too, as she is the same age as me - 33. I'm in Welington by the way.

Hi to both of you!!! Thanx for replying... I've found a way to lose weight if you're willing to eat some really boring food for a while! I tried it earlier this year and lost 5% of my original body weight... then I had some major dramas go down... and lost the plot where my diet was concerned. I'm looking at starting back on the diet again in the new year, the ol' 'New Years Resolution' as such. I'm thinking I'll diet for a week then go back to normal for a week, just to have a little variety! Anyway, I lost the weight using Optifast... for a whole week you take either a shake, a soup or a bar for breakfast lunch and dinner, the only 'free foods' you can have are green veges ( so if you like salad you're fine), pumpkin, swede, peppers, basically anything that's not a carbohydrate, oh and 2litres of water a day... I lost 4 kilos in my first week. I'm upset that I never stuck to the diet, I realise now that I woulda been so much closer to my dream if I had only carried on with it! over 3 weeks I lost 8kgs!!! I'm definitely going back to the diet though... Oh do any of you watch "From here to maternity"? I watched last weeks programme and one of the mothers on the show had endometriosis... she had visited a chinese herbalist for assistance... sounded very interesting!   Oh Jen I'm in Hamilton, but, we'll all hav to keep in touch and support each other through this... we have to stay positive (as hard as it is when friends and family (or even complete strangers) are telling ya their good news and growing their baby bumps!!!) Best of luck to both of you!!! and if I find any new info you'll be among the first to know, especially if I hear of some sort of miracle breakthrough!!! Luv & best of luck!!! bex

Thanks supazo - is great to hear good news, and gives us hope! What was Spirotone? Haven't heard of that one before!
Hugs to you too Jencal! thanks for that! I've never actually told anyone what I've been feeling (oh no, here come the tears springing to my eyes!), that post I wrote, was the first time, I ever expressed anything to do with me and PCOS. Although my family and friends know I have it - they don't understand. And I've been afraid that if I think about it too much, I might spiral into some sort of depression I might not get out of. SO, I always just push thoughts to the back of my mind, never talk about it, brush my mothers comments off - "you better go thr Dr" "Your running out of time!" etc. And just get on with my life, do the things I want to do and enjoy. But I have prepared for the worst - just incase, so I don't end up too devastated, and planned a future without children.
That optifast sounds interesting bexmp! Where can you purchase that from? I'm afraid I might starve! Well goodlluck girls on the weight loss - lets check in now and again to post our progress!

Goodluck bexmp - yes I think its best to wait until the jolly season is over with! Can't serve lettuce and carrot sticks for Christmas dinner! lol. Lol when I read ..."you start off starving" haha! Yes I think it is a mind thing! Have to somehow tell my mind, that it doesn't want chocolate - thats my big down fall. So I won't buy any, or have any in the house. Then I'll visit someone, and they'll have chocolate biscuits - well its all down hill after the first nibble. I've been reading up about PCOS, and because its caused or associated with elevated blood sugar levels, the best thing is to follow a low glycemic diet - and of course all foods low glycemic, are the boring ones. But it says that it is the blood sugar levels that cause the symptoms - facial hair etc. Low glycemic is not just foods with sweet sugars in - but foods like apples and bread - carbs are high glycemic. So I did a little comparison, as its confusing. And out of a peice of bread, a potato, a peice of pumpkin, or rice - instant noodles are the lowest glycemic out of them all! But probably high in salt or something else! Oh its all too confusing! Anyway hope you will have a nice weekend! It looks like its going to be a hot one for Wellington!......for a change!

Oh thats good news Kellz! Happy for your friend, I wonder what the 2 other meds were!? Could you ask her? They might have kicked started something. I would be interested to know, so next time I go to my Dr, I can just tell her what I want to do! Other wise you can waste time, being referred here and there and everywhere! Thanks!

Hi guys! I'm am so sorry for what you guys are going through. Life can be so cruel. I get the whole friend thing as well. The moment we started ttc everyone else fell pregnant. When we found out we would never get pregnant without ICSI IVF, we were devastated. A week after telling family my brother phoned to say him and his partner were having a baby. I turned to my best friend for support and only days after a failed first ivf treatment she told me she was pregnant AND WORSE, so was two of her sisters that I am also close to. Well we got through that and got engaged and decided, hey lets throw a big party to celebrate us, because we deserve it, I found out during the party that YES another friend was pregnant. I totally broke down!!. Another friend managed to pick me up and make me feel a bit better. I remember saying I couldn't take any more news like that, but what do you know, my aunty decided to use our engagement party to announce her pregnancy.
Well one thing I do know for sure ladies, is that when we get pregnant, it will be so much more than just another pregnancy (if you know what I mean), it will be a lot more special and magical.
P.S. I had to loose 20kg before doing ivf. I have sureslim books and plans. I would be happy to copy and send them out to any of you who would like them. They are the quick loss program - totally healthy - and I lost an average of 4kg per week for the first couple of months.

Hi all... Sori I've been so slack in replying! I've been run off my feet lately... today I was walking around town (xmas shopping, spending all my money on everyone else!) and everywhere I looked were pregnant women or newborn babies or families with their toddlers.... I started getting a lil down then thought 'HEY!!! cut it out!!!! You'll get there one day!!!) and like Kazper said... when I do it won't just be another pregnancy... not only will it be a miracle to me, but it will be so so special to all my family and friends that are watching and trying to support me through all this mess, no, they don't understand, but, they are doing their best! So we have to all try our best to not get too down this xmas... and keep our hopes and dreams alive and try again in the new year!!! Best of luck ladies!!! I hope the new year brings us everything we've ever wanted and our dreams of being a mummy comes true!!! Luv Bex

The new girl at work was moaning about having to go home and look after her baby after work. And then came THE QUESTION "Have you got any kids?" "No" I replied. "Your'e so lucky" she said....................

Hi everyone,

I haven't yet been diagnosed with PCOS, but I'm convinced I have it. I've always had an irregular AF – I sometimes go months without one, and I also have several coarse, black hairs which continue to sprout up on my chin and upper lip. Apart from that I have no other symptoms, but my mother is convinced my sister has it and my grandmother has type 2 diabetes.

You're probably all wondering why my sister and I don't just go to the doctor and find out once and for all – well, we have been. My sister lives in a small rural town and the doctor there keeps telling her she doesn't have it. She has very heavy, painful periods sometimes occurring every 2 weeks, plus she gets fuzzy, facial hair. She had a cyst removed from her ovaries a few years ago but yet her doctor has never run any scans or tests to check for PCOS.

As for me, I went to my doctor 6 months ago in Auckland to express my concerns. They pretty much brushed me off and told me to come back again in a few months if there was still no sign of AF. I thought, bugger that, so I decided to go straight to a gyno. One scan, one internal, and one blood test later, I had to wait for AF before I could get a 2nd blood test. A bit hard to do when it's basically non existent!

When it finally came, it was a Saturday and I was out of town. Monday lunchtime I rushed in to get a blood test, but AF had stopped – it only lasted 2 days. So I may have to do it all over again. Anyways, last week I booked myself in to see the gyno to get the results and get this – there's a 5 week waiting list! $600 later, too.

Just put me on Clomid already!

A quick question, how many of you gals with PCOS have had high grade lesions on your ovaries? That's another thing I've had.

PS. Sorry for the rant!