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Re: New here with a few questions (this is long)
From: Alina (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 4 Jul 2000 09:52:31 -0500 (CDT)
Hi karen -- I wish I could write you a long letter back, but I can't and
just want to say hang in there. As for the competing diagnosis of
endometrial hyperplasia, I am no physician but I wonder whether this
might be a symptom of the PCOS, and not an alternative diagnosis. When
you don't menstruate regularly, the endometrium (lining of the uterus)
doesn't get shed, and the hyperplasia (too much growth of it) might be
related to that. I suggest you talk to the doctor who's doing the
workup about this. Also, I too have a mother who is overweight,
apple-shaped, and has "blood sugar problems." Her mother and both of her
sisters were insulin-dependent diabetics. You're doing all the right
things to try to eat a healthful diet. It's hard to be overly rigid
about carbohydrates, but try to keep them to a low, at least try
eliminating simple sugars, if you can. (Easy for me to say; I haven't
been all that successful myself.) Anyway, one of the things I think has
helped me quite a lot is that, quite inadvertently and coincidentally, I
have always loved to exercise and been quite active. You don't say in
your posting whether you do any exercise on a daily basis but, whatever
you do, try to add 30 minutes a day of walking to it, either in one shot
or in several shorter ones, and keep intensifying it as you get
stronger.
Take care -- Alina
At Tue, 4 Jul 2000, karen wrote:
>
>I'm not sure where to begin, but I'm wondering if I have PCOS. I didn't
>even know about the disease till after I got a copy of my pathology
>report after a hysterectomy 7 weeks ago. One of the diagnosis was
>multiple cortical follicular cysts, with a comment of polycystic
>ovaries. There is also a note about the ovaries having cortical stroma
>being dense and germinal inclusion cysts were identified. I'm still
>trying to understand the report as there are other diagnosis also, one
>being endometrial hyperplasia. When I began to see what was meant by
>polycystic ovaries, I found a web site that gave many symptoms. I
>discovered I could answer a positive yes to 11 of the 18, and a possible
>yes to 2 others.
>
>Symptoms I can say yes to are: 8 or fewer periods in a year; no periods
>for extended time of 4 months or more; irregular bleeding, as times
>excessive (this was the main reason of surgery); adult acne; excess
>facial hair; skin tags; excess weight, especially around the middle;
>sudden weight gain; family history of diabetes; migraines; times of
>rapid pulse. So, now I'm wondering if this is something I have. In all
>the years that I suffered first with no periods, then to flip flop and
>go to non stop periods for 9 months, no doctor even mentioned this as a
>possibility. I even went to an endocrinologist about 3 years ago, when
>I was having symptoms and he didn't catch it. Could it be he didn't run
>all the tests that should have been run to look for it? I was mainly in
>there to check my thyroid levels.
>
>I look at my mother who as 65 now has full blown diabetes, overweight,
>and female problems for years. My grandmother was the same way. Neither
>could ever control their weight, thought Lord knows they tried. I've
>gained about 50 lbs in the last 4 years, and I've cut back on eating. I
>kept track of calories for months and only eat between 1500-2000
>calories a day. I tried a version of the Atkins diet and did lose 10
>lbs, but fell off when I craved the carbs so badly. Was this PCOS
>talking to me, and I didn't realize it? I have no regrets about the
>hysterectomy, after all the bleeding and anemia I went through. I'm on
>estrogen now, and seem to be doing fine. I'm not suffering through
>menopasal symptoms like some do. I'm 42 by the way. If I went back to
>a doctor, since I don't have my ovaries, are there still tests that can
>be run to check for this. I do check for diabetes every few years since
>it runs in the family.
>
>I'm just searching right now and would appreciate any feedback.
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