Seeing as it's 6 a.m. on a Saturday and I've been awake since 3:45, I obviously am preoccupied with this week's PCOS diagnosis. I am now in the hard-core researching stage, and I'm loving the fact that today I can go to my local library to pick up A Patient's Guide to PCOS: Understanding -- and Reversing -- PCOS. Because all the branches of my extensive local library system only carry three books about PCOS -- this one and then two other books that look rather out-dated -- I'm also considering purchasing PCOS and Your Fertility from Amazon. This book may be a nice complement to the book I'll check out at the library because this one combines anecdotes from patients and the author's personal experience to supplement the story.
I have been enjoying the fact that I can preview so much of each book I've been finding on Amazon -- I absolutely love this site feature. While scanning through about 20 books so far online, I've started to formulate a few observations, but there is one that stands out most particularly in my mind: I do not sound like the typical woman suffering from PCOS.
But before I go there, here are the things that make me typical:
1) I have the most tell-tale sign, irregular cycles.
2) I have high levels of testosterone (I still hate saying that).
3) I have been battling acne ever since I went off the pill.
And then there are the differences:
1) The first most obvious difference between me and the majority of PCOS sufferers is that they are overweight. Approximately 50 percent of women with PCOS are even labeled obese. My entire life I have been fortunate to have normal weight/I've watched myself to help maintain a healthy weight. (I give these two distinctions because while I may be genetically predisposed to be on the thin side, I am not just "lucky" in this regard -- I've also worked for it with careful eating habits and exercise through most of my life [until when I thought exercise could hinder my ability to conceive and I took a 5-month hiatus].)
2) Women with PCOS also write about how their diagnosis helped them finally understand their lack of energy. In previews I've read from PCOS and Your Fertility, the author asks you to check your energy level by asking if you are tired after a brisk 10-minute walk or if you're out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs. If we're using this as the measurement tool, then I can say I have plenty of energy. Even if the measurement was more rigorous, I guess I've always felt like I have more energy than the average woman I know.
3) A lot of women with PCOS report being incredibly moody and having severe mood swings. Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit, but I think I'm about as un-moody as they come. Yes, I have my moments like we all do, but I don't face extreme emotional ups and downs (except for, you know, the week I find out I have a serious medical condition).
So far I can relate to all PCOS sufferers when it comes to irregular periods. Even then, at this point, I'm glad to know that I am not like some women who go from 6 to 12 months or more without getting a period. I cannot relate to the weight control issues, lack of energy or moodiness. A lot of what I'm reading in book excerpts has to do with regaining normal menstruation by changing your diet. The main issue here is that I already abide by the general PCOS diet directions. There are, though, some people with PCOS who go so far as to follow a completely gluten-free diet. I definitely am not gluten-free, so that's something else I'll continue to investigate. Before I can really consider a gluten-free diet, though, I really want to know if I have insulin resistance. Some but not all women with PCOS are insulin resistant, so if I'm normal in this regard then going gluten-free probably won't help me restore regular ovulation. Looks like I have my first post-diagnosis question for my doctor.
No comments:
Post a Comment