PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome - Day 1

Today is my first day living the PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) lifestyle.

WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder. 

I tried to find a good definition for it, but it's all over the board.  Some women just have symptoms, but no cysts on their ovaries, and some women have cysts with no other symptoms.  But it's ALL over the internet with a TON of information. 

DISCLAIMER:  At this point, I am not TECHNICALLY diagnosed with PCOS.

Yesterday I went into a new GP Doctor for issues that I thought might have to be with my gallbladder.  However, being a new doc, he was very good asking me questions about EVERYTHING - all aspects of my life, my family history, etc.  Here are the indicators that he (we) believe I have that point to PCOS:

- my mother had a history of ovarian cysts
- my father (and other family members) have diabetes related to weight
- we believe that I have a cyst near my right ovary (which marked the pain in my side, making us think "gallbladder")
- I have fought with my weight ALL my life.  Even though my usual "diet" is healthy, full of fruits, veggies, low-fat, etc.  I drink non-fat milk, I eat low-fat foods, try to get them low-sugar when I can without using stuff like aspartame and other artificial "sugars."  I DO drink pop, but have really cut down over the years and I drink a ton of water a day.
- I exercise 2-5 times a week (usually depending on work schedule & kids' schedule)
- I have a few "stubborn hairs" on my face that I have to pluck, wax, whatever (thought that was normal...and it is for women of MENOPAUSE! I'm in my 30's.....)
- no matter how "good" I am with my diet and exercise, I have never been able to lose a significant amount of weight.  Except....
- the ONE time I lost a decent amount of weight was when I was on the Atkins (i.e. protein, low-carb) diet.  I did it as a "diet," not a "lifestyle" and so that make sense that all the weight (plus some) would come piling back on....  But it was the ONE diet that WORKED.  But of course!

So my new doc did a bunch of blood work (currently waiting for results) and I have an internal and external sonogram scheduled for tomorrow morning before work.

How do I KNOW (or think I KNOW) I have this?  Other than the indicators above, do you know when you just KNOW?!?  That, and God put a friend in my life yesterday just at the right place, right time.  My friend K* came over to cut my son's hair.  Per usual, we were catching up with each others' lives and I told her about my dr. appointment earlier in the day.  She said: "oh yeah, I have PCOS.  I totally know what you're going through."  That was a God-moment.  I knew that God allowed K to come over THAT day, THAT time (I wasn't supposed to be there when she was cutting my son's hair and had already written a check for her).  I picked her brain, along with all the information I got online and just kept nodding my head.... "uh huh, that's me.  Uh huh....yep."  She told me about her treatments (which her doc took the hormone angle because she and her husband at the time were trying to have kids), and told me what my treatment might look be like (which corresponded to what the dr had eluded to).

So...what am I going to do differently today?  First, I'm going to make sure my carbohydrates are eaten in the morning, and try to track how many I'm consuming.  I'm not really a meat-eater...*sigh* which is one of the reasons why Atkins wasn't a lifestyle change for me.  But I CAN reduce/eliminate carbs, beef up my fruits & veggies (good carbs because they have fiber), and add more of the protein I DO enjoy - eggs, sausage, taco salads, etc.

I don't know what my diet will look like after I get put on medication to help with my "back up" of insulin, but I'm a proactive person, and feel like I need to do something NOW.

...to be continued...

* Names removed to protect the innocent.