Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, PCOS

The past few months have been really challenging for me. I got really ill and over the course of the many doctor visits and tests that were run I realized that it’s been almost 2 years since I really listened to what my body was telling me. Rather, I’ve just learned to live with the variety of symptoms I was having and pressed on. I was engaged, trying to figure out how to move close to the kids, didn’t have health care, then getting married, moving, working….

I had 2 miscarriages in about a year. I have had ongoing pain in my right chest and ribs. It’s at the point that I can’t even sleep on my right side and Joe can’t put his arm around me because the pain was so much at night. And tired. Holy Moley tired. I’ve had a heck of a time losing weight and I feel dizzy and disoriented sometimes after I eat. I had blood tests done but they didn’t show I had diabetes. And I started to think I was just falling apart. So I ignored everything since I couldn’t solve it. So, after a year or so, I went back to the doctor. The result of the last batch of tests is that I have two major things going on.

First, I have scar tissue on the lower third of my right lung. This creates a dynamic of not letting my lung work too hard and taking very strong anti-inflammatory drugs and hopefully in about 6 months that problem will be mostly gone although it might never really go all the way away.

Second, I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome. With PCOS, I have cysts all over my ovaries which may or may not be cancerous. I have a much higher chance of getting Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, being infertile as well as having cancer in the uterus or breast. PCOS is incurable but can be controlled through diet, medication and lifestyle.

Strangely, since finding out what the problem is, I have had strong sense of calm and being centered. Joe has been such a help and support to me. I have hope to control the imbalance that has been so prevalent the past year or so. And although there are things that are uncertain like if the cysts are cancerous, I feel very empowered. PCOS is inherited and will be passed to my kids. My daughter in particular has a very high chance of seeing this syndrome fully manifested if she isn’t careful starting right away since she has hit puberty. My boys have the chance of going bald early, which is pretty much the only way it shows up in boys, and I see that already with Devon who is 16.

There is some information out there if you know where to look. One of my favorite sites is this one: www.pcos-support.org . These are also good: www.soulcysters.net
www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com
www.4woman.gov

Tally Ho.