Just steppin' aboard
ANuSeason
Posts: 16
Hi I am so glad I went on the community board and found someone that posted about PCOS and then someone suggested this link. I am grateful I followed it ! 
I usually use my iPhone to log and do all my stuff. When I do get on the computer I am get to see so much more that MFP has to offer. I don't think I have access to going on the community threads etc. from the phone.... I really don't know that... but anyway I joined MFP in the Beginning of February this year.
In the past 3-31/2 years I have put on about 120 pounds give or take... I have had issues with bingeing... I have been told by doctors for a long time I would guess it started when I was in my late 20's (ohh you have a small cysts or two blah blah nothing to worry about you are on birth control they will go away) honestly pretty much that is how it went at many of my check ups. They didn't seem to concerned so I wasn't either.
Well this past several years I had been having EVEN more issues with acne (always did but not as bad... on my back,shoulders ) also my hair was shedding a lot... to the point I was so aware of finding strands of it all over my clothes, in my car, in the drain or even cleaning out the brush a lot . and when I got in the shower it would like just come out from root and wrap around my fingers and when I say clumps.... I had several freak out moments
When I was about 32 years old I had a blood clot that traveled to my lungs and broke off . I was out of it the majority of my time when I was in the hospital. What it boiled down for me was I can not take birth control EVER.
Fast forward, I started having intense pains ( it was always there like tolerable just thought it was ovulation or cramps whatever) but I just got married this year and then the pain got very very obvious! I about flew to the ceiling a couple of times.
I went to the OBGYN she did tons of blood work, looked at the excess of hair, skin, weight gain, thinning around the hairline in front area. She ordered an pelvic ultra sound...( the ultra sound,ugghh I was crying. I knew it wasn't the lady doing the exams fault so I turned my head to not make her feel bad... I get embarrassed to show that side of me... I am sure it is silly ...but that is how it is for me ...)the test showed the ovaries where 15 on one side the other one was 13.5? (now I had no clue what that meant... she said they are very enlarged. She told me that I have to started on Metformin 500mg 3X day ASAP.(I cant take b.c. from DTV issues)
No joke as I was sitting there I was like in a Charlie Brown class room ... I got home to tell my husband ....I told him what is going on and all I could get out of that visit is these three things oversized, 13-15 or something, ASAP, and ohh yahh insulin resistant ... my brilliant husband was asking me all sorts of questions and I was like I don't know.... she sounded urgent in a sense. looking back I should have brought him with me! (shakes head)
I tried the metformin for three months. It made me sick ( I am not downing or telling anyone that if they were prescribed that medication this will happen to you or I am against anything..) I am telling my story, journey thus far, and experiences I have been thru so far. I just stopped the metformin told doctor... I really couldn't function with the medication (even tried the lowest dose/ still a nope
)
since then I saw doctor they went down to about 11-12? so I have had some progress(she said) . anyway I had to cut bangs because my front was starting to recede on both sides (couldn't flip it one way or another) I actually like the bangs now. Ohh the Spironolactone I started taking helped me tremendously .. skin is in great shape... jury is still out for me if I am noticing anything else... but tank tops here I come! uggh the sweating I have done these past summers because I cant dip in the pool or sit outside because of how I felt with my skin
the first two weeks I joined MPF I was eating 1400 calories or something like that (have no clue how I got to this amount lol) anyway I have several support friends on here I really got blessed with having. One person helped me and mentioned that is very low and she showed me how to let it calculate and now I eat around 1800 cal a day. reading around here I see people setting the amount of carbs sugars ect.... I am really clueless about this (heck I am feeling away around in the dark with all this) I have been making very good choices for myself and we have been eating a lot of protein and veggies and fruit.... I don't drink no juices but I would love to hear input or an idea where to find information on how many grams a day I should be aiming for....
I am hit or miss on here but I am grateful to have found this support site and see others peoples journeys and learn from each other.... I have seen on the main site many people get offended or whatever with each other about a person saying this or that. I have a feeling this place is not of that sort of thing. Please know when I speak about anything ,anything it is about my experience. How does my mom say it "take it with a grain of salt" or as I say "take what you wish and leave the rest"
Again I am so happy to have found this message board! Know I will pop in here when I can (I am a everyday logger with diary ) I tend to write books lol ... Glad to have found this board!
Dee
I usually use my iPhone to log and do all my stuff. When I do get on the computer I am get to see so much more that MFP has to offer. I don't think I have access to going on the community threads etc. from the phone.... I really don't know that... but anyway I joined MFP in the Beginning of February this year.
In the past 3-31/2 years I have put on about 120 pounds give or take... I have had issues with bingeing... I have been told by doctors for a long time I would guess it started when I was in my late 20's (ohh you have a small cysts or two blah blah nothing to worry about you are on birth control they will go away) honestly pretty much that is how it went at many of my check ups. They didn't seem to concerned so I wasn't either.
Well this past several years I had been having EVEN more issues with acne (always did but not as bad... on my back,shoulders ) also my hair was shedding a lot... to the point I was so aware of finding strands of it all over my clothes, in my car, in the drain or even cleaning out the brush a lot . and when I got in the shower it would like just come out from root and wrap around my fingers and when I say clumps.... I had several freak out moments
When I was about 32 years old I had a blood clot that traveled to my lungs and broke off . I was out of it the majority of my time when I was in the hospital. What it boiled down for me was I can not take birth control EVER.
Fast forward, I started having intense pains ( it was always there like tolerable just thought it was ovulation or cramps whatever) but I just got married this year and then the pain got very very obvious! I about flew to the ceiling a couple of times.
I went to the OBGYN she did tons of blood work, looked at the excess of hair, skin, weight gain, thinning around the hairline in front area. She ordered an pelvic ultra sound...( the ultra sound,ugghh I was crying. I knew it wasn't the lady doing the exams fault so I turned my head to not make her feel bad... I get embarrassed to show that side of me... I am sure it is silly ...but that is how it is for me ...)the test showed the ovaries where 15 on one side the other one was 13.5? (now I had no clue what that meant... she said they are very enlarged. She told me that I have to started on Metformin 500mg 3X day ASAP.(I cant take b.c. from DTV issues)
No joke as I was sitting there I was like in a Charlie Brown class room ... I got home to tell my husband ....I told him what is going on and all I could get out of that visit is these three things oversized, 13-15 or something, ASAP, and ohh yahh insulin resistant ... my brilliant husband was asking me all sorts of questions and I was like I don't know.... she sounded urgent in a sense. looking back I should have brought him with me! (shakes head)
I tried the metformin for three months. It made me sick ( I am not downing or telling anyone that if they were prescribed that medication this will happen to you or I am against anything..) I am telling my story, journey thus far, and experiences I have been thru so far. I just stopped the metformin told doctor... I really couldn't function with the medication (even tried the lowest dose/ still a nope
)since then I saw doctor they went down to about 11-12? so I have had some progress(she said) . anyway I had to cut bangs because my front was starting to recede on both sides (couldn't flip it one way or another) I actually like the bangs now.
Ohh the Spironolactone I started taking helped me tremendously .. skin is in great shape... jury is still out for me if I am noticing anything else... but tank tops here I come! uggh the sweating I have done these past summers because I cant dip in the pool or sit outside because of how I felt with my skinthe first two weeks I joined MPF I was eating 1400 calories or something like that (have no clue how I got to this amount lol) anyway I have several support friends on here I really got blessed with having. One person helped me and mentioned that is very low and she showed me how to let it calculate and now I eat around 1800 cal a day. reading around here I see people setting the amount of carbs sugars ect.... I am really clueless about this (heck I am feeling away around in the dark with all this) I have been making very good choices for myself and we have been eating a lot of protein and veggies and fruit.... I don't drink no juices but I would love to hear input or an idea where to find information on how many grams a day I should be aiming for....
I am hit or miss on here but I am grateful to have found this support site and see others peoples journeys and learn from each other.... I have seen on the main site many people get offended or whatever with each other about a person saying this or that. I have a feeling this place is not of that sort of thing. Please know when I speak about anything ,anything it is about my experience. How does my mom say it "take it with a grain of salt" or as I say "take what you wish and leave the rest"
Again I am so happy to have found this message board! Know I will pop in here when I can (I am a everyday logger with diary ) I tend to write books lol ... Glad to have found this board!
Dee
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Replies
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Welcome to the group! This is a great group for support of all kinds, most of my friends on MFP are from this group. I'm glad that you are eating more calories. I don't always get that many calories but because I am not hungry not because I don't allow myself to eat them. I'm sorry you got sick off of the Metformin I was really happy to get on Metformin has helped me tremendously with my symptoms. I do watch my carb and sugar intake, I do not go extremely low with the carbs I tend to get between 90 and 150 grams a Day. The carbs come from veggies, one serving of fruit, and gluten free whole grains such as Quinoa, Brown Rice, Wild Rice. I have cut out the majority of processed carbs.
Good luck with your journey!0 -
Thank you for your welcome! When I joined MFP I was concentrating on portion control and making better food choices. I have been getting a bit over board with a few things I myself am aware of... when I saw the post about PCOS I thought hummm ... I really need to look totally into this part of my health....
I honestly don't know on how much sugar carbs fat to be eating a day... I have been just eating what the site says. I also some days I cant eat all the calories I try(I just don't want the starvation mode thing going on) also I thought to myself ....hummm if I start out at a low calorie amount and as I loss weight how do I cut my calories as that happens if I already on the low end....
I have to tell you I have been reading my head off in this discussion board... so many ideas suggestions what works for this person or that... I completely am grateful for that because it gives me things to look into to see what route I want to go/try.... I am feeling around in the dark on all this... I am telling you I have no clue...
the portion control (with my bingeing past ) has helped... I slip up here and there but I am also working on being more gentle with myself... I have been a very faithful logger but this past Friday I didn't log because I was in the hospital ER( since Friday I still haven't been feeling well and I have lost desire to log... I still am eating like I did with measuring but just feeling uggh... I will get back on ).... I have had to rule out gallstones(losing my insurance at end of month so couldn't wait till things got worse than it started getting) well the outcome of this was no gallstones (shewww I was scared of surgery I really never had surgery before)
well Every time I eat it seems my stomach gets really really hard, just under my ribs feels like the ribs are sitting on top of my stomach.... it hurts and I have been having issues with that big time! I sure wish I could get help with the right doctor or direction...do you know the ER people gave me something to numb my throat and stomach lining and sent me home....
sigh I have to go make some appointments this week I have very little faith in doctors these days.... I was told by my OBGYN when she told me I am insulin resistant because of my fast results were quite high(by the way I started to track my own levels after that.... got a tester.... for several weeks I have been ranging around 117-120 in the morning and the last time I ate was 7 pm the night before. I have been working on not eating past that..... well my OBGYN said since I will be starting metformin that it should correct itself...
Anyways going back to my journey thus far with PCOS I went to see my regular MD (only after I seen my fast levels seemed a bit high...I think from what I have read and talk to other diabetics ) and way the doctor she got really agitated when I brought up my concern about the fast every morning was high... she said to me "how do you know that" I told her I was tracking it for a few weeks so I have something to show you and so we can go from here..... she told me to Stop tracking... and I DO NOT have diabetes / insulin resistance is different..... I felt really dumb.... I just asked to see an endocrinologist to rule it completely out (she made it seem that I want to have diabetes).... uhhh no not particularly.... I thought it seeing one I could see a nutritionist to help me figure out what I should be eating, amounts ect.
then since that wonderful go around seeking help from that doctor I was suggested by a friend(she doesn't have PCOS just has had good success with MFP) because logging and being aware of food and learning helped her. It has helped me tons with portions and awareness.... I love it, truly!
I am overwhelmed but still keeping stead fast I really want and need this for my health, and to not so controlled by food....it is getting better... but I have been feeling so bad physically in my upper stomach part....
well another book lol
I appreciate being friends with people we are here to learn, get ideas from each other..... I love this message board people do this... having people in my personal site I love the support system ect. No judging but encouragement and suggestions(being emailed or seeing someone else's diary or comment on their news page... has helped me grow in this walk and quest for health...
I truly (meaning nothing to others that do that but to me I don't understand) if you are friends on each other site why don't you show your diary or what not... I don't look at it as judging or whatever... I see it as a tool to get ideas and encourage each other.... I always ask how can I comment encouragement words or something when there is nothing to comment on ... am I making sense ohh I don't know? I know when I started this I made my diary public I was stress out sooo bad (food has been my secret/binge but by me showing it helped me bring it to light and take it out of the secret giving it less power..) well I respect everyone's walk we are all different... I just never understood that and I don't know what to say to a person on that portion of the site? without having something to comment on/ support on... kwim? I have no idea where that came from lol (defiantly not to anyone specific just my thoughts I have had and I guess just had lol shrug)
well another book sigh
( I had my words jumbled up I couldn't understand myself haha hence the edit) I may have a few edits on here as I go just fyi0 -
welcome to the boards i to started in feb. this year after my friend who was diagnosed with pcos 6 yrs ago told me to see yet another doctor about my symptoms i been having for passed 10 yrs same as you pretty much i always been told by doctors before that everything is fine and i should just lose weight.
I had the massive hair loss (still do) when you run your fingers trough the hair they come out covered in hair, i have to clean my brushes every 3 days or i can trow them away after a month. I have massive hair grow on the upper lip, chin, side of my face, belly and inner thighs. Didnt get a regular period for 10 yrs and so on and so on.
So in feb i went to a new private clinic that is specialiced in pcos and first thing my doctor did was make an ultrasound and put me on a low carb diet. I eat about 60-140g of carbs a day where 40 come from my breakfast rest fruits or some whole grain bread during the day. I cut out pretty much all sweets, candy, chocolate and replaced it with fruits and nuts. I still eat a candy bar once in a while but then i have to go to the store to buy it and only buy 1 at a time.
I just upped my metformin dose from 2x 500mg to 3x 500mg this week its working okish for me get a strange feeling in my tummy usually 2-3 days after i up doses but then i am fine.0 -
Thank you so much for the warm welcome.
I am on the fence right now when it comes to insurance. I am losing it at the end of this month.(we are trying to figure out how and if we can afford Cobra that is offered for me thru my old job I had to quit... another option is we may be able to get insurance through my husband’s job...not sure about a few details..)
Praying about that... as I am reading I have seen several people talk about a PCOS specialties. How would one look into that ... meaning for example ...if I need a medical internist then I look under internist how would I know who specializes in PCOS oppose to an OBGYN? (I hope I don't sound stupid lack of a better word... but I truly am trying to see how to get the best care for me possible) it seems my OBGYN thinks birth control and metformin are the only ways to treat PCOS(Don't get me wrong she is a wonderful person and is a very good OBGYN... it is just when I told her I tried everything to try to help my body get used to the metformin from cutting down to the lowest and trying the increase, giving 3 months a try. It was rough I sure wish I would have been able to tolerate it because it did shrink my ovaries and ease the MASSIVE discomfort.
(Above is my reply to you …I typed out for you a week ago just a day after you posted your reply and warm welcome. I had to copy and paste it because I didn’t want to lose what I wrote because at the time I was typing it I was really struggling physically. So I kind of backed off from things) I became very frustrated with that( meaning my backing off of MFP) because I have been so diligent with logging everything, staying on track, making the best choices for myself, and steadily losing weight. It all came to a stumbling block and I had to step away from this and deal with my health. (it has been a bit stressful and all since I am on a deadline with losing insurance. We are now thinking we have to figure out how I can get the money to do the cobra for just one month)
Well I am back and grateful for being back. I am usually on my site a lot (because I use my cell phone a lot and can’t get to the community/ group site on there.) I have to use a regular computer to get on here. So I will jump on here once in a while and read and try to learn more about PCOS.
I haven’t gained any weight (still at the same weight as I was a week ago.)I look like I did though my stomach is so swollen and hard as a rock just on the top below my ribs, not my lower belly, I just started really noticing it as I have been losing weight (firm with little give) . It just happens when I eat. It is painful at times. It got really bad this past week. With me about to lose my insurance I have been thru the ringer with doctors (trying to handle that happens) the pain got really bad I was throwing up a lot and I went to ER on Friday. They ruled out something’s but still having the problem. I am very frustrated with things. I told hubby I am going to get back on track with things I can control and just deal with the rest.(I am waiting on one thing, a biopsy to come back) well I am back on MFP and have missed it and everyone.
Thank you for the warm welcome again!0
