So, I went back to the gynecologist and got the results of all the crap she took out of me and tested and it turns out that I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which used to be a disease, but now has been downgraded. She gave me a bunch of stuff to read and a bunch of prescriptions–iron to counteract my anemia, the Pill to bring my hormones back into whack, and something, the name of which I forget, to fix my insulin issues.
I read everything the doctor gave me, but I’m hoping Rachel will enlighten me some, too.
So, that’s that.
She asked me if I had any questions and the only one I could think of is if I’m secretly chromosomally male, and she laughed and said I was the first person to ever ask her that, but no, I wouldn’t get out of my problems that easily.
Tiny Cat Pants 
A bunch of links to patient-friendly info:
JAMA patient page – http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/297/5/554.pdf
familydoctor.org – http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/620.html
womenshealth.gov – http://www.4woman.gov/FAQ/pcos.htm
mayoclinic.com – http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome/DS00423
-University of Chicago Center for PCOS – http://www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/pcos/index.html
emedicine.com – this is less patient-friendly, but informative – http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2173.htm
And there are more links at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ovariancysts.html
[“more” will make sense after B fishes the first comment out of moderation]
I have been borderline PCOS for a while, but it has not impaired my fertility in any permanent way.
You can handle this! And you’ll feel better all over.
My 14-year old niece was just diagnosed with this. I think my brohter and his wife are really struggling with it because this is the niece who is also autistic. It’s like what else can go wrong…. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers, my friend.
My best friend has PCOS, and to be honest, this diagnosis isn’t entirely surprising. You and she have a lot of the same issues.
By the way, once they got this shit figured out and she got on all the right meds, she lost a ton of weight, so there’s a fab side effect.
My friends found out that she had PCOS when she was trying to get pregnant. After just three weeks on Metformin (the diabetes medication), she conceived. So, I believe this is a pretty easy problem to get sorted out. Good luck!
All I can say, though, Ivy is I’m fine with the weight loss as long as I don’t lose the tits. I’d be crushed if the boob freckle became the upper chest freckle.
Though you don’t know me, I’ve been a semi-regular reader for awhile, and I’ve got PCOS. Yeah, don’t worry too much. I haven’t noticed a big difference in my life before or after treatment. And though some of the doctors seem to think that metformin (which is probably what they’ve got you on for the insulin resistance) will make you lose weight, it never did that for me, or any of my other Polycystic friends.
Hang in there.
Well, my friend’s boobs are still very fabulous, so I’m thinking you’re okay there. :D
Another great resource is Soul Cysters.
I’ve seen women with PCOS get pregnant (they were trying) in the first cycle or two off the pill, while they had been previously unable to conceive due to the PCOS. But it only seems to last those one or two cycles.
The pill will help cysts to resolve and prevent new ones from forming, and it will induce bleeding on a predictable schedule. I can definitely see where it will help your symptoms. But it’s a treatment for the symptoms, not the disease, and will not “put your hormones back into whack” like the doctor told you.
Sorry for the rant; I know this can be just semantics, but it’s a pet peeve of mine to see the pill bandied about like a magic cure-all potion.
Also, have you ever been on the pill before? Let me know if you have any questions.