 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
||||
Just got diagnosed: My storyFrom: Catherine (anonymous@obgyn.net)Wed, 31 Oct 2001 21:58:54 -0600 (CST)
Hi Everyone! My name is Catherine and I am 34 years old. I would like to share my story with you all because your stories have helped me a lot and I would like to do the same for someone else. I started to really not feel quite right in my early 20's (and if I really look back, it could have started in my teens). I am 5'9" and my normal weight USED TO BE 145 lbs. (ha, haven't seen that in well....years). Throughout my 20's I kept seeing doctors saying I didn't feel well: cold, tired, gaining weight like mad, hair falling out, etc.. They all said "well, you are overweight, go on a diet and you will feel better". I tried over and over to lose this darn weight. I gained a lot...over 100 lbs. I was on the pill for seven years (from 17 to 24 years old). I went off of it because it never quite agreed with me. From that point on, I felt that I had something in me (kept telling the doctor that I was carrying the Christ Child...joking...but serious that something was in me). They did a pelvic exam over and over throughout my 20's and said "Christ isn't in there". When I was 28 I went on Phen/Fen and felt great. I lost soooo much weight and felt semi normal. I went off of it when it was found to be dangerous and stopped menstrating. As a matter of fact, everything got worse. I was freezing cold, my weight was coming on like never before, I was depressed, etc. I finally got diagnosed at the age of 31 with Hashimoto's thyroid disease. I took the thyroid medication and thought I would feel "great" but didn't. I kept telling my doctor to keep looking with me. During this time I kept saying that my left side hurt: left buttock, left leg, left back, etc. She insisted Christ wasn't in me and I told her that he was...LOL. I demanded a CT scan and there he was....about a half foot by a half foot big. I had a dermoid. I still didn't get diagnosed with PCOS until this past year. I am lucky in the hairy dept. I am a very nonhairy person, however, I have noticed a little hair on my upper lip that has sprouted in the past few years. I have VERY oily skin on my face and head and also have Rosacea to top it off. I can't forget to state that I have acne. I am still obese, but getting rid of it by doing a low carb diet/exercising/taking Glucophage. The Glucophage was just added into my mix last week. So far it's tolerable (only taking 1,000 mg so far). What baffles me is that they had to surgically remove my huge dermoid ovarian tumor a few years back and no one ever told me "hey, you have PCOS". I have also been diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency and have to take shots every day. Funny, the doc looked at me and said "you don't look like you have GH deficiency because you are tall". I made him do the stimulation test anyway and sure enough....I failed. Thank God I don't have a pituitary tumor...just fluid sitting on my pituitary which is inhibiting the production of GH. All of my doctors are amazed that I am not diabetic. I am obese, have hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistant, PCOS, thyroid disease and growth hormone deficiency. OHHHH, and all of my aunts and uncles on my dad's side has either diabetes or insulin resistance. Both Grandma and Grandpa on Dad's side also had Type II diabetes. On the bright side, I still menstrate every 28 days and always have (except right before starting my thyroid medication a few years ago). I ovulate every month and I have a strong feeling that I am fertile. PHEW! This weight will come off with my hard work because I am very determined to get my life back to normal. The MAIN thing I can say to anyone out there who is reading this is that you should listen to your body because it WILL tell you what's going on, read all about what you have, insist on tests/procedures/etc. when doctors say "no, it's not necessary" and a REALLY REALLY REALLY important note: YOU MUST RETAIN COPIES OFF ALL TESTS DONE OR I WILL ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL SLIP THROUGH THE MEDICAL CRACKS AT SOME POINT!!! I am not a negative person, however, it's happened to me many times. By getting copies of every blood test/ultrasound/etc., I have saved my own life over and over. Too long to get into that....this is already long. Getting a proper diagnosis can be difficult....just keep plugging away though. I wish all of you the best of health and happiness. Please drop me a note if you want.
-- Catherine :)
|
|
Return to ![[ PCOS Discussion Forums ]](../../images/pcos_at_obgyn.gif)
Technical Problems: webmaster@obgyn.net
Last Updated: Mon May 19 17:00:49 2008