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Re: Posted in wrong category
From: angie (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 27 Jan 2001 00:56:44 -0600 (CST)
Sorry, I posted to the wrong category. This doesnt really apply to
diets. I was so excited to read that so many others were sharing, I
posted in the wrong category. Sorry! I am on the low-carb diet, and
have lost a few pounds, but slowly. My husband started when I did and
has lost over 15 pounds, and even cheats! Angie
At Sat, 27 Jan 2001, angie wrote:
>
>I spent many years trying to get pregnant without being diagnosed with
>PCOS. My OB-GYN wanted to put me on birth control which I tried, but
>didn't get any results. I have had absent or few periods since I began
>menses. The few periods I had would last 2+ weeks and be very heavy,
>cramps, diarrhea and caused me to miss school and work. This all began
>when I was approximately 12-13. My physician at the time told me to
>take birth control, but I had many side effects, so stopped. Not having
>a period was great as a teenager, but I married at 19 and wanted to try
>to have children around age 20. We tried for years going to several
>different OB-GYN's who recommended that I loose weight, try basal body
>temp charts (useless without a period). I finally found a OB that was
>willing to explore the entire situation. I had a work-up and a
>hystosalpingogram (dye in fallopian tubes) to see if my tubes were
>blocked. My husband had a sperm count done. Everything checked out
>okay, so the physician tried me on clomid up to 250 milligrams and
>artificial insemination. I had to take provera to have a period, hcg if
>the temperature charts showed that I may ovulate, and then artificialy
>insemination. This was all totally useless. The physician would check
>my levels to see if I ovulated, make me wait to see if I would have a
>period (usually a month), then start over. She finally told me that she
>could do nothing else. I found out about reproductive endocrinologists
>from a wonderful lady I babysat for while in college. He was a 45
>minute drive away. I regret that I wasted years before going to a
>specialist, but I didn't know. Everyone I knew was getting pregnant
>without difficulty. The first day we walked into the office and met my
>physician, I knew I was in the right place. The specialist examined my
>records, me and did blood work. He was able to tell me immediately that
>I had PCOS and there were treatments available. I had progressively
>gained more and more weight and was up to 204 pounds. He tried clomid
>and dexamethasone one cycle only, and told me that I was clomid
>resistant and we would not waste any more time on that. I was given
>prover to have a period,and was started on Metrodin which is injected
>into the muscle daily for a certain number of days during the cycle. My
>husband actually gave me the injections which was an adventure in
>itself. The first cycle I did not ovulate. The physician has you come
>in every other day for labs and ultrasound to monitor during the cycle.
>If the cycle was not working and my ovaries were not responding
>properly, we stopped and started again. There was no waiting for a
>month to see if I would get a period that never came. This situation
>was very expensive and my insurance did not cover it, but well worth the
>expense. My husband was at ease and felt like we were at least giving
>our best shot. It took until the first cycle for my eggs to mature to
>an adequate size, I was given hcg injection to make me ovulate, and
>became pregnant on the first cycle that I ovulated. I only had one egg
>to mature to the proper size to ovulate. Some women have multiple eggs.
>I was told that my age 27 was a good age, usually with positive results.
>I was started on progesterone suppositories and monitored until I was 16
>weeks pregnant and transferred to a regular OB-GYN. I developed
>pre-eclampsia during my pregnancy, but otherwise no problems. I
>delivered naturally at 37 weeks, and I have a wonderful 3 year old son
>now. He was worth every penny. An added benefit of the pregnancy was
>that I actually lost weight! I didn't gain any weight during the
>pregnancy, and lost 22 pounds progressively, without trying after the
>birth. I maintained this weight loss for the entire year that I nursed.
>It did progressively come back even with dieting, but I guess thats part
>of the PCOS. The point of this message is just to tell any of you
>trying to get pregnant, don't waste your time with OBGYN's go directly
>to a specialist who knows how to manage the disease. I now have another
>baby who is 18 months old. We conceived him the same way, except used
>Fertinex which I could inject into my own arm. It was a newer drug.
>This time I did not respond as well to the drugs and my dosage was
>increased. I was 30 at this point, two years made a little difference
>for me. My doseage was increased and I did become pregnant. This time
>I had two eggs the proper size. I became pregnant with twins and
>develped ovarian hyperstimulation which was very, very painful. The
>physician did frequent ultrasounds and I was out of work for almost 5
>weeks unable to move a lot. My ovaries were huge and painful.
>Unfortunately, one of the twins was not growing as fast as the other,
>and I ended up bleeding at 11 weeks and losing of the babies.
>Fortunately, the other continued to grow and we have another precious
>son. He was delivered naturally at 36 weeks. I also lost weight during
>and after the pregnancy, but again gained it back after stopping breast
>feeding at 12 months. I know everyone's situation is different, but I
>truly believe a reproductive endocrinologist is the best bet whether
>trying to conceive or just manage PCOS. My physician is great and I
>plan to see him again to try to conceive once again. I am now 32, but
>he tells me that 35 and under is a good age with pretty good results.
>Many insurers now cover infertility treatments. I regret that I did not
>work at a company that paid this expense. The fertinex injections were
>$60 per injection and I had two a day during the inductions cycle plus
>the labs were outrageous. The ultrasounds were $262 per time. I ended
>up charging my second son, but he is paid for now. Anyone trying to
>conceive has my prayers. It is definitely different. I hope that this
>message will encourage someone. I wish that someone has told me to go
>to a specialist sooner, instead of telling me to go to weight watchers
>and that would cure me. Physicians now a little more about PCOS today,
>but endocrinologists deal with it every day. Good Luck. - Angie
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