Hello from a Newbie! My Brand New PCOS Diagnosis

Ashlee8809

Hi All!

I used to be a fairly regular poster over at "WeddingBook" (was that what it was called?), MommyHood, and The Nest when they were Facebook apps back in the day. Hubby and I got married in 2009 and in 2011 we were trying to conceive without luck for about a year. At that point, we decided to just put those plans on hold since we were still pretty young. Now I'm in my late 20's, about to finish grad school, and back!

During our first attempt at TTC my periods were very irregular, but blood work showed nothing too out of whack. Plans changed, I went back on birth control and everything was normal until stopping birth control last July. I had one period July 2013, and then NOTHING for a YEAR. Clearly something was up. After another round of blood work showed high testosterone, I was referred to an endocrinologist. She did a full work up, and after ruling out other hormonal issues like a pituitary tumor or renal problem, I was officially diagnosed with PCOS on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014. I'm pretty textbook: high testosterone, very overweight especially in the middle, amenorrhea, hirutism and acne, and although my glucose levels are great, I have acanthosis nigricans coloring on my neck suggesting my pancreas may be overworked.

Since the diagnosis, I've been on a diet plan. We're going to see how this goes for 3 months before moving into the reproductive treatment options (likely clomid). The plan is 1500 calories a day, low-GI, and trying to do just 30 minutes of activity seven days a week. So far, down 8 pounds, so there's that! Not sure if it's just coincidence, but last week I started spotting. Pretty big news, since this is the closest thing to a period I've had in over a year. I started on medroxyprogesterone yesterday and will take it for 10 days to trigger a real and apparently terrible period. Should be fun.

I'm glad to finally have some answers and a path forward, though I know that path will be difficult. Looking forward to good conversations, ideas, and support in this forum. Let me know if you have any questions or just want to chat!

Best,

Ashlee

LindseyM2012

Welcome. I'm sorry you're dealing with PCOS (me too), but it sounds like you've got a great plan that you're committed to. That's wonderful! Another board member just brought back the Getting Healthy Check-In on Mondays, so hopefully you'll find some good supports here. :-)

Ashlee8809

Oh great! I'll check it out. Thank you

catlover790

Welcome! Great job on the weight loss!

I didn't notice much difference from induced periods, so I hope it's not too bad for you!

Good luck!

BunnyBerry

Welcome! Hope the lifestyle changes make a big difference for you.

Ashlee8809

@NariaDreaming Thanks for the warm welcome! Yes, thyroid tests have been included in my blood work, and came back normal. And yay for science nerds! I am one as well (undergrad degree in molecular bio, and work at a CRO that does sequencing).

AnnaClaire256

Welcome to 3T! I'm a PCOS girl, too. There are lots of us over here so you've come to a great place for support. Sounds like you're already kicking ass with the weight loss! Good for you!!

Ashlee8809

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone!

Teenie16

Welcome! Congrats on the weight loss! Those pounds go on a lot easier than they come off. Wishing you great success in both areas!