Diagnosis and tools

Let's talk a little about diagnosis of PCOS.

PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Diagnosis:
I knew I had this even before seeing a doctor. Basically you need to have 2 of the following symptoms:

✅Irregular cycle (random or often missed periods, lack of ovulation)
✅Excessive body hair (caused be extra testosterone in the body)
✅Carrying weight in your mid section (you look pregnant when you aren't, it's great)
✅Ovarian Cysts

I am lucky enough to have all 4! Yay! 😐😆

Once my Obgyn confirmed my diagnosis you automatically get slapped with the second diagnosis of Infertile.

A common myth is that once you are diagnosed as infertile that means you can never have children. WRONG. Many people with PCOS have babies every day. Infertility is basically a wonderful way for insurance companies to not have to pay for your doctor visits and medications connected with PCOS. They typically code this differently, unless you live in a state or have amazing insurance that will cover this process. Please don't get me wrong, there are woman out there who are classified as infertile and will never have babies, PCOS is not one of those instances.

Now things I know about me specifically.

✅I don't ovulate
✅I have weight to lose
✅I have been TTC for 4 years (without physician help)

We will be starting infertility treatment this coming month.

Tools I will be using along the way:

✅Weight Watchers - I have done this before and lost weight on it. Many doctors agree it is the best program for lifestyle change. It is not a diet. You can eat whatever you want you just can't go over your Points Plus for your day/week.
✅Couch-to-5K - I really used to enjoy running and this program starts you off slow and works up to a full blown 5K.
✅Plexus Slim - This is an up and coming drink mix, also called the "pink drink". It has all natural ingredients in a powder that you mix with water and it helps curve your appetite away from craving unhealthy, fatty foods. It also helps regulate menstrual cycles. This drink is pricey so I find that it doesn't work for me, we may ditch it.
✅Fertili-Tea - All natural tea that helps to increase cervical mucus for ovulation, regulate menstrual cycles, etc. It tastes TERRIBLE, and you need to drink it 3 times daily. I have done this before and it did regulate cycles but the taste was too bad - hot mint (yummy).
✅And lastly - Prenatal Vitamins

Let's do this!

Amy

Let's do this!

Let's start over. I'm Amy :)

I enjoy 80's movies, vintage video games, spending time with my hubby and hound, and ALL things Pyrex.

This blog was once dedicated to sharing my love of Pyrex, but as I write this I know my priorities have changed. I have changed. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Pyrex collection, but my focus has turned for a bit. Many of you know I left the Pyrex groups and sold a large portion of my collection, few of you knew the reasons why.

Starting today, I am going to share my journey with infertility. What a debbie-downer, right?

Wrong.

For four years my husband Lee and I have been TTC (Trying to Conceive). I want to share his with people in hopes that it won't be such a taboo subject. It is real, it's emotional, it's draining, it's frustrating, this list goes on and on.

The worst part of infertility is the people around you that don't understand it. I want this to change.

Today's food for thought...

The smallest, most innocent  comment about not having children yet to someone who is TTC can ruin their entire day. Pregnancy announcements on Facebook are enough to make you bawl for hours. People talking about how their children "annoy" them or they couldn't wait to send their kids off to grandparents to get away from them for the day makes us sad. Please don't get me wrong, make your announcements, send the kids away for the day ... Just be mindful that there are people who wish more than anything to be annoyed by a child.

Now that I have vented my initial frustrations, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow begins my PCOS journey - and I plan to kick it's ass.

Amy.