PCOS... what?

PCOS? What is PCOS?

PCOS stands for poly cystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS is an imbalance in a woman's hormones that cause symptoms like irregular periods, facial and body hair growth, acne, weight gain specifically in the belly area, insulin and blood sugar problems, and dark patches in the skin.

One hormone change will trigger another hormone change. Typically the ovaries will produce a tiny amount of male sex hormones, in PCOS the ovaries will produce more male sex hormones which will cause you to stop ovulating, get acne, and grow extra facial and body hair. Insulin resistance is a common problem with PCOS, where the body has a problem using insulin. When the body doesn't use insulin well, blood sugar levels go up, and eventually can cause diabetes. 

PCOS is caused by hormone changes that can result from many factors and it tends to run in families, being passed down from the mother or fathers side. Most women grow small cysts on their ovaries, hence the name poly cystic ovaries. The cysts are not harmful, but are the leading cause of hormonal imbalances. 

Key treatments for PCOS are exercise, healthy foods, and weight control. If you have PCOS, then you probably laughed at the previous statement. Most women with PCOS struggle with their weight. Due to insulin resistance, blood sugar problems, and hormone imbalances, losing weight can be extremely difficult. The more weight is gained, the worse PCOS symptoms get. It can be a very vicious cycle. 

A common medical treatment is birth control pills, which help regulate cycles and lower androgens (male sex hormones). Some doctors will prescribe a diabetes medicine called Metformin, which helps keep blood sugar levels regulated, helps with weight loss, and helps regulate cycles. 

Every women's journey with PCOS is different. What I have gone through is not what the next lady has gone through. This is a little insight of what I have been through over the last 12 years:

 At first, I had no idea how it was going to affect me. I truthfully didn't care. At 14, I cared about not having to deal with Aunt Flow every month. My doctor put me on Metformin, but my stomach couldn't handle it. My doctor then suggested starting me on birth control pills, but my strong Christian mother didn't think that was appropriate *EDIT* a little clarification... I have a pre-existing heart condition that I have had since birth.One of this side effects/risks of the birth control pill is blood clots. Out of concern for my heart and running the risk of blood clots, my mom decided that birth control pills were not the right option for me. Thanks, mom, for the heads up ;-) For the next 6 years, my PCOS was just "monitored". I was active in sports, was maintaining a healthy weight, and my cycles were semi regular. 

After high school my life slowed down. I got a desk job and didn't have scheduled sports to attend. I noticed my weight start to go up. I tried joining a gym and watching what I ate, but it didn't seem to help. At this point I was only having a period every couple of months. I still wasn't worried about getting it under control, I just was tired of the pudge that I seemed to be putting on.

Then, I got married at age 20. I saw my gynecologist and explained to her that in the last couple of years, I probably only had 2-3 periods. She didn't seem surprised, but she explained how unhealthy it was and how many problems it could cause in terms of my fertility. I wasn't aware the difficulties it could cause when trying to get pregnant. I wasn't worried about getting pregnant until right when she said I would have problems. Then it became this uphill battle that would consume my life. It's that age old saying- "You don't want something until you are told you can't have it". I'm not saying that I didn't want to have kids before, but I didn't ever question whether we would have kids- until I was told it may not be as easy as blinking your eyes. Oh, what I would give to blink a baby into my arms!

My doctor suggested we try Clomid. Oh boy, clomid! Other than feeling like I was on a personal journey to the center of the sun, I didn't mind clomid. I have heard from other people good things and I had high hopes. Clomid helps induce ovulation. In order to take clomid, you have to have cycles. So, to kick start my cycles I took provera. Provera is a progesterone that helps bring on your period. After three rounds of provera and clomid, we were told it probably wasn't going to work and to start looking into seeing a reproductive specialist!

Then began the process of seeing specialist after specialist!