Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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!

'bout time...

I have been told by a few people that I should start a blog. Me? Start a blog? Is my life that interesting that I could turn it into a blog that someone besides myself would actually read? Maybe. Maybe not. As of lately, I definitely have a ton on my plate. So, 'bout time I write it all down and possibly help someone along the way.

A little about myself:  
I am first and foremost a wife to a man, Chadwick,  that has been my rock throughout life's roller coaster.  We were married in May of 2007. I could not be anymore blessed than I already am when it comes to my husband. He is just simply the best. 

We have a very fun-loving pup named Contessa, but we call her Tess. She is a 6 year old black lab/dalmatian. She has been our baby for the last 4.5 years. We love her and our life definitely wouldn't be the same without her.

I was born and raised in Michigan. Chadwick and I relocated to Nevada in February 2012 for work. My heart misses Michigan, but it was when we moved out here that our lives really took off. There was a reason why God moved us across the country away from our families and everything we have always known. This is a concept that has been a learning process for sure. Why the heck would I move from the beautiful lands of Michigan to the dry deserts of Nevada? I asked myself that question a lot when we first moved, but it hasn't been that bad. It is views like this that make life more bearable out here.

I am an artistic person. I always have myself wrapped up in some sort of creation. I love sewing, photography, cooking, paper crafts, music, and so on... I make all my household cleaners. Laundry soap, dish soap, all purpose cleaner, and orange clean. Recipes and blog posts are sure to follow. It was one of the reasons I started this blog, right? To make people impressed with how all-natural and green I am, right? ;-) As a stay at home wife, creating a naturally clean home is something that I take joy in. Not only is it better for you and the environment, it is so much cheaper! Let me tell you, I am all about saving money.  Here is my homemade orange clean. It is a very sad day when I run out of this. It is my go to cleaner for so many things. Plus, it is SO easy. 

Now onto the biggest reason why I started this blog: PCOS! Infertility! Surrogacy! Inducing lactation! Gastric bypass! My journey over the years struggling with all of these things starts with this:

When I was 14 I was diagnosed with PCOS. At 14, I had no idea how it was going to affect me over the years, and even at *gasp* 26, I still am shocked at how I am affected. Over these last 12 years, I have had every PCOS sympton known to man. I have had the weight gain, the acne, the facial and body hair, the dark patches on my skin, the ovarian cysts, the practically non-existent cycles, the insulin resistance, the hormone imbalances... need I go on? At first, I wasn't too upset. It meant I didn't have to deal with Aunt Flow like the rest of the girls I knew. Who wouldn't love to not have to worry about if someone can see your pad, if you were going to bleed through, if you had gym class that day, and all those other awkward and embarrassing things that every 14 year old girl dreads? Even in my late teens, I wasn't too concerned about it. I cared about the spare tire I had around my waist more than anything. It wasn't until 2007 and my wedding vows were said that I started to wonder if there were going to be more issues that I originally thought. I mean, babies come when you skip a period right? Well, if you aren't having periods, then how can you skip one? Hmmm. Off the doctor and thus begins the journey that almost 7 years later, we are still blindly making our way through.

It is hard, it sucks, some days I feel I cry the whole day. The hardest part is the unknown and the not understanding! One thing I do know is that I serve an amazing and compassionate God that has far more for me than I could ever fathom, especially in my times of trial. I know there is a rainbow for me at the end of this storm!