Hi, my name is Lisa. I'm a 27 year old female who was diagnosed
with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) in March of 1999. This page is an attempt
to help other women who may be going through some of the same things I have been
going through......This is my story:
It started when I was approximately 18 years old. I started
having irregular periods, but didn't think too much about it. I had been going
for my yearly physicals and the doctors never seemed concerned, so why should
I have been?
As the years crept by, my periods went from once every three
months to once a year if that. I was put on birth control to regulate my periods
and I was told, "You just don't ovulate." When I asked why, she told me, "Some
women don't." HUH???? Over and over again, I would ask, "WHY???" and always got
the same answers. I was also told that my chances of having children were slim
to none. At that point, I felt like someone had torn my heart out. I'm a woman,
I was MADE to produce babies which I SO wanted to do some day.
As time passed, I was gaining weight, approximately 60 lbs from
the time I got out of high school until I was 27. I was also showing several of
the other symptoms of PCOS, however, I didn't know they were "symptoms" of anything!
I started getting facial hair and actually losing hair on my head.
To me, the hair growth was the most humiliating thing in the
world. Monthly trips to the salon for waxing and to top it all off, I was allergic
to the wax. When this first started happening, my boyfriend at the time would
tease me. He'd say, "What is up with that hair on your face?" He'd then laugh.
That broke my heart...over and over again. But what about new boyfriends?? Have
you ever had a your boyfriend grab your chin to kiss you and you pull away because
you didn't want him to feel the hair on your chin that you've tried almost everything
to get rid of??? It's not pleasant, it's heartbreaking :-( Something had to be
done, I couldn't live like this anymore. And to keep this all in from friends
and family because I was embarrassed wasn't good for me either. No one knew how
much pain I was really in.
In March of 1999, I asked the PAC at my doctors office again,
"What is wrong with me???" The first time I asked her, she just said, "Well, when
you decide you are ready to have children, we can do some tests to find out why
you don't ovulate." I went home and thought...."this is nuts!" I made another
appointment and asked her about what I had seen on TV...PCOS. I told her I wouldn't
wait, I'd had enough and something HAD to be done and I wanted to know EXACTLY
why all these things were happening to me. She said, "Well, we can do some tests."
Well, the tests were done and showed nothing....NOTHING!! I
thought, "Well, what now". She decided to send me to an Endocrinologist who in
turn did more tests which came back showing nothing. However, he looked at me
and said, "The tests came back showing nothing, but I'm convinced you have PCOS.
You are the perfect picture of it." I had tons of symptoms of PCOS. I left the
office that day in tears....something was wrong with me!! It wasn't just in my
head!
I started taking Glucophage which is a diabetic medication.
From June to October, I had lost 10 lbs and had normal periods. Can't say I really
enjoy the periods though :-) I have new hair growth on my head and soon, my facial
hair should lesson and go away totally. I've also been told that I have a pretty
good chance of having children :-)) I can't tell you how good that feels!! I'm
on a road to recovery! I can't wait until I see more of the symptoms disappearing!
Thank you for listening to my story of PCOS. And if you are
suffering from any of the things I mentioned, PLEASE, don't just sit back and
let these doctors take the easy way out. Keep searching, no matter how long or
how much money it takes. Someone will listen eventually and if they don't, go
to someone else!
To learn more about PCOS and it's symptoms, please click on
the "Next" icon down below. Click on the "Links" icon to go to other pages that
will more fully describe PCOS, the symptoms, Q&A's, complications and treatments.
Recently I did conceive a child. I was sent in to have my pregnancy
levels tested and was supposed to have them tested again in 48 hours. The day
after my first set of tests, I started spotting. The doctor got me in for an ultrasound
right away. There it was, an empty sack. The sack measured at 5 weeks.
The doctor said it was conceivable that I wasn't as far along
as he originally though which was eight weeks. The doctor suggested I have the
other set of tests done before we gave up too much hope. The day after the ultrasound
the nurse called me and said my pregnancy hormones were also saying I was 5 weeks.
I got my hopes up thinking maybe I'm really was only 5 weeks.
After spending the whole weekend hoping and praying yet still
spotting. I got the call Monday morning. My hormones had dropped and I was going
to lose the baby. I had three choices; miscarry on my own, have a D & C or have
another ultrasound on Thursday and then if need be, schedule a D & C.
I talked it over with my husband. It was a hard decision, but
I chose the D & C. I decided I could not go through the labor nor could I wait
and wonder when I would miscarry and where I would be. I just couldn't do it.
Still hoping the doctor was wrong, I went in for my ultrasound.
The sack was getting distorted and still, no baby. Talk about a broken heart!
My D & C was scheduled for 9:30 the next morning. I had to be there at 8:00 am.
My husband and I arrived right on time. I was admitted and
prepped. They did blood tests and asked me a lot of questions then wheeled me
in for surgery. It was cold in the surgery room and very scary. I just kept looking
around as they strapped my arms down and put the gas mask over my nose and mouth.
The last thing I remember is one of the nurses rubbing my hand and saying, "Don't
worry, we are going to take good care of you."
I awoke to people yelling my name...."LISA...LISA TIME TO WAKE
UP....LISA!" I started to feel the cramping. Oh man did it hurt! About all I could
do is moan, it was like I couldn't talk or move. The nurse asked if I was cramping
and I told her I was. She gave me some pain meds that helped a bit.
I vaguely remember being wheeled back to my outpatient room.
I do remember seeing my husband and feeling relief. He smiled at me ever so sweetly
and said, "Hi baby". I was so glad to see him!
As we drove home that afternoon, I knew I had made the right
decision. Maybe it wasn't a right decision to some people, but to me, it was the
one I wanted. The whole thing hurts, I really wish I could have carried our baby.
I often wonder what he or she would have looked like.
The doctor told me that me losing the baby had nothing to do
with the PCOS and I believe him. As for now, I hold on tightly to the fact that
I did get pregnant! That was a big hurdle! I'm back on my Gloucophage and we plan
on trying again in January. I have high hopes, I know we can do it again! 
Well, it's been since January of 2001 and I still haven't gotten a period. I had two in January. I've gained so much weight, my feet and ankles are swollen and I'm very tired. What is going on? I saw the PA at my new doctors office. I didn't like her!About all the PA could say was, you need to lose weight. I really hate that she said if I'd lose weight I'd get pregnant. Yeah, they took blood tests to try to find out what was going on, but she really got on me for my weight. I'm sure she's never had to work a day in her life to keep her nice skinny figure. I wonder, does she have any clue what PCOS is about? I also wonder, does she have any idea what overweight people actually go through. Maybe I should give her this URL.
Ok, it's been a while since I've writen anything. It's now February 2003 and still no baby. I have been seeing a wonderful Endocrinologist in the city. I found out that my Gloucophage dosage was too low, that the doctor I was seeing should not have taken me off when I got pregnant and that he should have put me back on the same mg as before I got pregnant, but he put me on 1500 mg LESS! My Endo has increased my dose and the first month I did create a follicle the first month, but the size would not increase with the shots. He gave me two months to try to conceive with the Gloucophage alone. I've been on Clomid for the past two cycles. He said at my last visit that we have one more round of Clomid at the highest dose and if that doesn't work he'll have to do a Laparoscopic Ovarian Cautery or as it's also grossly refered to, drilling.
As far as I have researched, the "drilling" is done by making at least 10 different holes in each Ovary. This will help lower the testosterone levels and most women who have this done start ovulating on their own. It is thought to help with the many other symptoms of PCOS as well. I almost wonder why they didn't do this in the beginning. I will welcome the surgery for all the benefits.
