Re: not being a victim!!!!
From: Angela (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 23 Sep 2000 14:18:25 -0500 (CDT)
I wanted to address some of the content in this e-mail because from my
research I honestly think that some of it is simply not true. First of
all, PCOS is a very SERIOUS condition. Being fat is the tiniest part of
the side effects. Those of us with PCOS face substantial increased
risks of developing diabetes, heart disease and endometrial cancer. When
I was first diagnosed I was told it was "just" an infertility issue. Now
researchers know that is simply not true.
(I have written a book on the subject which can be found at
http://www.pcosbook.com if anyone is interested in checking it out.)
How much of a risk you ask? One source I researched found that 40% of
all women with PCOS will develop adult onset diabetes by age 40. That
should frighten you as it did me!
Another comment we all hear frequently is that eating makes us fat
because we eat too much. There are a couple of issues going on here.
First of all, a woman with PCOS will have to exercise 3 times MORE than
someone without PCOS. Why? Because PCOS is related to a condition
called Insulin-Resistance. This means that our bodies produce too much
insulin. It is difficult for glucose to enter the cells and the body
responds by producing even more insulin! (This is all related to our
metabolism). Over time this can lead to the development of diabetes.
That is why low-carb diets are encouraged.
In addition, think about what happens when those cells don't get the
glucose they need. They send a message saying they are "starving" and
we crave more carbohydrates to try and feed them. It is a vicious
cycle.
My point is that there are medical reasons why we crave carbodydrates
and why it is difficult for us to lose weight. Please don't come down
on yourselves. You will always have to maintain a different eating
pattern than other people.
I agree that we can fight back but hating our bodies is not the way to
do it. Accept that your body is different, love yourself for being
willing to go the extra distance and invest in books that can help. My
book does address these things but I don't want this to be a marketing
letter. Feel free to e-mail me if you are interested and I will be
happy to respond.
Best of luck to all of you who are struggling.
- Angela
At Mon, 11 Sep 2000, anonymous wrote:
>
>Hi Stacey - Bravo - you have hit the nail on the head!
>
>>I’ll go one step farther and risk angering many here... I only speak
>from my personal situation. I’m fat. I made me fat. Not the PCOS.
>I’ve known since I was a little girl that I was thinner and happier when
>I didn’t eat candy and moved more. My personal laziness made me a couch
>potato and gluttonly made me eat things I knew where especially bad for
>me. I didn’t know about the effects of carbs on PCOS at 12... but I
>knew that some people could eat crap and not gain weight, but I wasn’t
>one of them. Yes, the PCOS is to blame. But I must take personal
>responsibility - diet and exercise is the key. It sucks, but it’s the
>truth. In a fair world I should be able to suck down the same milk
>shake my husband does and not gain weight. That ain’t the way things
>are. I met a 16 year old boy with Down Syndrome the other day who’s so
>incredibly excited that he’ll be able to drive soon. He doesn’t listen
>when everyone tells him that because of the DS, he’ll never be allowed
>to get a driver’s license. That ain’t fair either.
>
>I’m the lucky one. I can control my condition. That boy can exercise
>and diet til his bones stick out, and he still ain’t going to be able to
>shake the effects of Down Syndrome. He’ll never be able to have his
>dream of driving a car.>>
>
>Hello to the person who took such offense to my posting about PCO not
>being a terrible disease in comparison with what many are afflicted with
>-
>
>Why are you vomitting>? Is it because of the Met? You should eventually
>develop a tolerance to it - it took me about 6 weeks or so to be able to
>not feel ill with it. If not, you have my sympathy but you should
>probably see your doc again.
>
>Look, all I am saying is that we,(meaning the entire Western world!)
>have developed this "victim" attitude but in reality, PCO is not a
>terrible disease. I know it is definitely not great nor is it something
>that just goes away but hey, we can take medication, we can go on low
>carb (or whatever)diets, we can exercise - we can not sit and blame
>every ache and pain on PCO. Let's face it - if we are heavy - that
>probalby has a lot to do with many of the problems but that is not just
>PCO (witness the many PCO who are not overweight). O)f course,
>infertility is a terrible plight (I have been there) and I don't think
>any amount of sympathy in this area, is too much (enough said there)
>
>No one would like it better than me, to be able to blame my weight, ect
>on something but that's not the case entirely. I am heavy but I eat too
>much for me. Yes PCO makes loosing weight harder for me, period. I
>take respopnsibiliy to know that if I eat the same thing as my thin
>friends and hubby, I will gain weight. So live with it, for god's sake!
>We can do something about it! I am a strong woman who knows what I have
>to do - I can take power and control over this and I can win but this is
>not the case with so many others where there is nothing they can do.
>I am not Michael Fox and fighting Parkinsons (he also subscribes to not
>defining yourself by your illness), I am not a little 2 year old girl
>fighting for her life with Leukemia, I am not having my foot amputated
>because of my severe diabtetes - I have a treatable condition which I
>have the power and resourses to do so.
>
>My original point was actually that i get tired of hearing about how any
>symptom experienced by some people with PCO automatically becomes a PCO
>symptoms when in fact, it may not be. The main crux of my point is that
>we lose credibility when we do that - PCO does not cause many of the
>symptoms which I have seen attributed to it over the years. It just
>can't - and the problem is that women who go around believing it does,
>are leaving themselves at risk by Doctors who get tired of hearing about
>it and then become apathetic in their treatment.
>
>The case of women with Fibromyalgia is a perfect point. EVERYTHIng
>under the stars gets attributed to it and at some point, physicians,
>families and the public tune out and stop listening. The genuine
>symptoms get ignored.
>
>I know of a woman who was diagnosed with Fibro, brought a whole host of
>symptoms (many, many symtpoms over the years) to her doc and he patted
>her head and said there, there, and then 4 months later had to have
>tumor removed which has left her permanently disabled. this is the
>risk!
>
>I don't want to start a whole barrage of emails flying back and forth
>but I had to get this off my chest. We have to take responbility for
>our own selves and the most important thing is to NOT DEFINE OURSELVES
>BY A CONDITION WHICH IS ONLY A PART OF US! This is all I have to say. I
>appologise for everyone for the length of the posting - I won't do it
>again, I promise!
>
>Holli
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