My diagnosis - PCOS

Ok so here we go...

2 wednesdays ago i had a gyno apt for a pap. my doctor talked to me about getting back on the pill because she worries that i'm not ovulating and thus not shedding the lining in my uterus and this could lead to cancer later on.

she also told me she thinks i have PCOS which is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This freaked me out. Because it sounds like some kind of cancer. Its not. It a hormonal disorder. Your body builds up an insulin resistance which causes your body to make excess insulin and ( I may not be explaining it right, just google it) this causes weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Also women with PCOS have trouble ovulating and conceiving. If left untreated it could lead to Diabetes.

Here's a list of symptoms of PCOS, all of which I have:

-Swelling of intestines (i always feel lumps in my stomach, especially when i'm full)
-obesity
-weight gain (mostly around the abdomen)
-problems losing weight
-few to no periods
-heavy irregular vaginal bleeding (had a very very heavy period for a month in april)
-acne
-depression
-male pattern baldness or thinning hair
-dark skin patches (i have them on my neck)
-facial hair
-redness, itching, swelling

this is amazing to me. they say this disorder is most likely inherited. there's a huge chance my mom or sis have it.

There is no cure. There are ways to treat the individual symptoms. the birth control pills, or progesterone will help regulate your period and ovulate. losing weight is the best fix for this condition.

for the very first time, instead of someone blaming everything on me being fat, someone finally said hey its not your fault. you have a disorder thats working against you. and for the first time i felt like a normal person and not some kind of monster.

it was such a relief to know that all these things i've been feeling aren't just "something that some people get", no they all have an explanation. it made me feel so much better. because it gave me hope. hope that things can change.

i'm very lucky that my doctor caught this now before it turned into diabetes. very very lucky. thank god.

now i know that a diabetic like diet (glycemic index, low carb) is what i need to lose the weight. all these years i've stayed away from that diet. thinking it was a fad and i couldn't stick to it. i've always done low fat diets. and that wasn't working for me. god it all makes so much sense now.

so the next day i started going to the gym. i've gone every day since then. its been a little over a week. and i've been trying to eat lean proteins, good fats, fruits and veggies, and if i do eat carbs i keep it minimal and whole wheat. i'm already seeing my body change. i wasn't sure if i had it because i had to get blood tests. i was waiting to hear the results. doc called yesterday. she said the tests were clear but no one test can determine PCOS. she says that from what she can see, i have it. and i totally agree.

I'm contemplating going on a special diet plan specialized for diabetics and ppl with pcos. if i can afford it. if not i'll just keep doing it on my own with the new info i have. bottom line is, this is it. i need to get healthy. my life depends on it. and i want to have a baby in the next 2 yrs. so i will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

i have so much hope now!! i'm so happy. lol.