PCOS...

In my previous post, Karen asked me what PCOS is. Funny enough, when I first said it, I assumed (wrongly) that most people knew what it meant as it is now quite a common affliction amongst women.

Anyhow, PCOS (sometimes known as PCOD) is short for Polycystic Ovary Sydrome/Disease. It's not a life-threatening disease, and most times it may not be all that big a deal. However, to directly quote from wikipedia:

The principal features are weight problems, lack of regular ovulation and/or menstruation, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones...While the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly correlated with PCOS.

The above should explain most of my problems and hormonal imbalances. I've always had it ever since I got my period - or rather lack of my period. I'm like a dog - I bleed once or twice a year naturally. And that too when I'm under extreme stress.

Before, I decided not to treat it much because I couldn't give a rat's ass about my period, fertility and all that. I didn't want kids, and still don't want kids. Plus it costs a bomb to treat, with all the tests, meds and what not. And I got sick of mom cribbing about how my weight is making her pay through her nose for my treatments and how I should stop eating so much. So I stopped mid-treatment.

But now I can't afford to not go through with it. I'm working and hence can pay my way - plus whatever coverage I get through my company's health insurance plan. I'm not going through with it because I want kids. It's because I'm getting very close to getting stuck with diabetes - the extremely permanent and rather unpleasant one. And I don't want that because my father's side of the family all get diabetes after a certain age. And I'd like to prolong that as much as possible.

PCOS probably came from my mother's side. Most of the women on my mum's side had some variation of it or another, although nothing as severe or long-stretched as mine, or even as permanent. My sister had a mild form of it - which is why it took so many years and miscarriages to finally have my nephew. Although the reason why it's worse is my fault. But I've put on so much weight - well, not so much, but enough to get me a double chin. And I need to lose it. And I can't - or rather, its just going at too slow a rate for me to permanently lose it. I just keep gaining it back and more.

And one of the nasty side effects of all this is my mood swings and depressions. Not sure if my imbalance is the culprit, or the medications taken to counteract the imbalance. And the stuff happening/happened in my life doesn't exactly help my situation.

Currently, I'm 5'6", have a broad and big bone structure (when leaner, I could say I have an athletic build), and currently weigh in at 95kgs/210lbs. To be at my ideal BMI for my height and build, I need to go down to 65kg/140lbs. When I am leaner, I will take off the extra pressure my weight exerts on my ovaries and give them 'room to breathe'. From what the doctor explained, my ovaries are jammed up by too many eggs maturing at the same time. And by gaining weight, I'm squeezing my ovaries more, jamming them up further.

I am currently on a variety of pills to suppress the excess hormones I'm producing, make sure I get my period regularly and to make sure my blood sugar doesn't go on overdrive because of insulin resistance. *sigh*