So, if you recall, this all began in the summer of 2005. By the time I had my first appointment at RVH more than a year had passed and it was now late October, 2006. By this time I had read all that I could about hypothyroidism as well as PCOS and was pretty sure that I had a combination of both. I admit that I have a bad habit of self-diagnosing; however I cannot remember when I have been wrong in my diagnosis. I told the doctor about all of my symptoms and what I felt was wrong. He seemed to agree because he proceeded to run a bunch of tests on me that all relate to PCOS. He also referred me to a new endocrinologist that he works with so that all of my information would be together in one file.
A lot of the initial tests were routine blood tests along with a glucose tolerance test (because PCOS begins with insulin resistance). I also had a Hysterosalpingograhpy (HSG) (which I would not wish on my worst enemy because it HURT a LOT) and what I thought would be a routine ultrasound.
When I had this same ultrasound a year prior, they were able to see one cyst on my ovary. This time, they saw 20 on one and 22 on the other. I had gone from 1 – 42 in one year! I hadn’t seen the results from my other tests yet, but this was confirmation enough that I had PCOS – the “string of pearls” as they are called.
I met with both doctors for a follow up and sure enough, I had PCOS and I have been in treatment ever since. Over the years I have had varying doses of Synthroid for my thyroid problems (currently at 0.150mg), Metformin to treat the insulin resistance (850mg 3 times daily) and I recently began taking iron supplements twice a day because my Anemia seems to have returned. I also have a glucose meter because at one point the endocrinologist had told me I had become a type 2 diabetic but he was being slightly melodramatic and after meeting with the metabolic clinic dietician and nurses they confirmed that I was NOT diabetic. I had used the meter religiously for a few months before meeting with them and not ONCE was my sugar even CLOSE to high. I still test now and then but it is very infrequent and nothing shocking yet!
I had another ultrasound done this past summer (2009) and I am now up to about 50 “pearls” which isn’t so bad considering I had gone from 1-42 in one year and 42-50 in the following three years. I also had a Hysteroscopy done (which they tried to do without painkillers the first time which caused me to vomit and nearly pass out from the pain so I had to go back a month later and do it under the happy effects of nitrous oxide – laughing gas) and the results of that were all clear.
So, what’s next? Stay tuned…
(Note: DH has also been tested, although not nearly as much, and he's fine.)
