Daily Adventures With Children

Last night my son, Brennan (5), decided to put a bean in his ear.  I don't know how long the bean was in there.  He didn't say anything until bedtime.  He casually mentions, "There's something in my ear."  At first I thought maybe he just had some water in his ears because he had just taken a bath.

Brennan says, "I put a bean in there."  Then he starts laughing.  At first we thought he was joking.  Then I realized that he probably wasn't joking.

I said, "Brennan, is there a bean in your ear?  Tell the truth because this is important."

He mumbles, "Yes."

After shining a flashlight into his ear, we discovered there was indeed a bean in there.  I was able to use a pair of tweezers to remove the bean, so fortunately there was no ER visit last night.

After removing the bean, my husband looks at Brennan, holds up his right hand, and says, "Hail Gallaxhar!"  Brennan smiles.

The Cameron says, "You're supposed to say, 'Hail me."  Brennan thought that was funny.

For those of you who don't get the joke, these quotes are from the movie, "Monsters Versus Aliens."  There is an evil alien named Gallaxhar who creates a bunch of clones of himself to take over earth.  Every time one of the clones sees another Gallaxhar pass by, they raise their hand and say, "Hail Gallaxhar."  When the salute the real Gallaxhar, he will reply in a bored voice, "Hail me."  The reason why this movie is relevant to this situation is because Gallaxhar drinks and eats things through his ear.

My husband has an odd sense of humor.  Fortunately, so do I.  My kids are going to have a weird sense of humor growing up in this house.

This is just one of the mishaps that can happen on a weekly, or even a daily, basis when you have kids.

On Christmas Eve last year, I decided to bake some sugar cookies and let the kids decorate them for Santa Claus.  It was right before bedtime and the kids had their pajamas on.  As soon as we were finished decorating the cookies, everyone was going to bed. 

I let the kids use plastic butter knives to put icing on their cookies.  I ran out of plastic butter knives, so I gave Jordan a plastic spoon to decorate his cookies.  All was going well.  The kids were having a good time. 

Brennan asked me to help him decorate his cookies.  While I was helping Brennan, Jordan says, "Can I eat it?"  I told him he could.  I hear a loud crunch, but I didn't think much of it at the time.  I just remember thinking that I didn't think the cookies were that crunchy.  I look over to see Jordan chewing happily. 

I look down at his plate and realize he still has the same number of cookies he had the last time I looked.  So, what did he eat that was crunching so loud?

The answer:  His plastic spoon he was using to decorate his cookies.  I guess he thought the spoon was edible since it was covered in icing at the time. 

I said, "Jordan, did you eat this spoon?"  He looked at me kind of sheepishly and I knew that was my answer.  Mom Emergency Mode (MEM) kicked in and I took him to the Emergency Room. 

He took it all in stride.  He wasn't afraid at all.  Even through the X-Rays he didn't cry. 

Meanwhile, I'm a nervous wreck imagining damage to his stomach and intestines, internal bleeding, and other horrible situations that could occur from digesting hard plastic. 

After a couple of worrisome hours in the ER, the doctor did not see any large pieces of plastic in the x-rays and determined that he would probably be fine.  We just had to watch him for fever, vomiting, blood in his stool, etc.  I took him home and put him in bed.  I was up multiple times during the night checking on him.

We did put out the cookies and milk for Santa, though.

Santa took a quick bite from each cookie and had a few drinks of milk before moving on to the next lucky home.

The next morning after his first bowel movement, I discovered many tiny shards of plastic.  The plastic spoon passed through with no problems.  I was so thankful and relieved.

The kids all enjoy watching me put on make-up (on the infrequent occasions that I actually take the time to do it these days).  Summer is 4 and loves all things girly.  She loves to dress-up like a princess.  She likes to wear those loud, little plastic heels.  She likes to wear the plastic jewelry.  And she loves to pretend she is putting on make-up.

A few months back I bought her a child's lip gloss in a little heart-shaped plastic container.  I figured that should make her feel like she was putting on make-up like Mommy.  Within an hour, she had put the entire contents of the container on her face.  She looked like she stuck her lips in a vat of Vaseline.  I told her no more lip gloss until she could learn moderation.

A few weeks ago, I got a call from her Headstart teacher.  Summer likes pretending to wear make-up so much that she took the markers at school and gave herself a complete makeover.  They had taken the markers away from her earlier in the day for trying to use them as make-up.  She snuck into the markers again and made herself beautiful. 

My first inclination when the teacher told me this was to laugh.  I think the teacher was a little taken aback by my laughter.  I assured her that Summer would be punished for defying her teacher and I would talk to her about not using markers as make-up, but the mental image of her looking like Bozo the Clown would not leave my mind.  I only wish the teacher had taken a photo.

I did talk to Summer about not using markers as make-up and told her she was still too young for make-up.  She got time-out and lost her TV and electronics time for the day for defying her teacher.

I have lots of fun art supplies for the kids to use.  There are crayons, markers, chalk, colored pencils, coloring books, paints, etc.  I had let the kids write on their chalk boards earlier in the day.  Summer decided to keep a piece of chalk for herself because later that afternoon, she came out of her room looking like this:

I had to giggle, but I tried to hide it from her.  Again, we had the discussion that she is too young for make-up and she shouldn't use crayons, markers, chalk, or anything else as make-up.

Being a mother involves a variety of emotions on a daily basis.  Happiness, pure joy, anger, frustration, sadness, exhaustion, etc.  Children can be funny, interesting, frustrating, sweet, and little monsters within the span of a few hours.

And I feel so blessed to be able to experience these adventures every day.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Not even a nap.

Fat Shaming And Weight Discrimination

In this country it is illegal to discriminate against someone based on their race, religion, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation.  However, it is still perfectly legal to discriminate against someone because of their weight.  How is this possible?  Why are overweight people excluded from the protection of the law? 

I read a blog post from Shrinking Kenz where she discussed how she and her mother were publicly humiliated by Southwest Airlines employees because of their weight. 

Nothing will tear down an overweight person like publicly fat shaming, making fun of us, or drawing attention to our weight.  A Southwest Airlines employee in Phoenix, Arizona publicly humiliated me in front of hundreds of other passengers.  I was so mortified by the experience that I never reported it or even discussed it with anyone.  After reading Kenz's post about her experience, I decided to talk about my experience.

A few years ago, my husband and I traveled via Southwest Airlines from Louisville, Kentucky to Phoenix, Arizona.  We travel to Arizona almost every year to visit family in Tucson.  Before travelling, I looked up Southwest Airlines policy about overweight passengers.  Their policy essentially states that if your hips will fit in the seat with the armrests down, then you don't need to purchase another seat.  My hips fit in the seat, but the seat belts don't always fit and I sometimes need a seat belt extension.  I had flown from Louisville to Phoenix with no problems.  However, while we were waiting for our return flight from Phoenix to Louisville, the end of my vacation turned into a nightmare.

I was sitting in a crowded area at the boarding gate in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  My husband and I were chatting about our vacation when a thin blond woman approached me.  She was a Southwest employee.  She loomed over me momentarily and then bent over and started talking to me like I was a child.  She announced in front of everyone "You will probably have to buy another seat because you won't fit in just one seat."  I WAS MORTIFIED!  I tried to be calm and I said, "I fit in the seat.  I flew out here a week ago on Southwest and I didn't have a problem."  This didn't appease her.  Her response was, "That doesn't matter.  It is MY determination on whether or not you will fit in the seat.  I get to decide if you need another seat or not."  Then she began telling me that I would have to pre-board so that she could see if I fit in the seat or not.  I told her again that I didn't have a problem when I flew out the previous week and I knew I fit in the seat, but she kept telling me it was "her decision" on whether or not I could fit in the seat.  It didn't matter what had happened the previous week. 

At this point I was crying because I was so embarrassed.  Then she made me get up in front of everyone and walk on the plane with her so she could "see for herself" if I fit in the seat.  After meeting HER requirements, she didn't even apologize for humiliating me in front of all of the other passengers.  I cried the entire flight home.  All 4 hours of it.  I was so humiliated.  I was just devastated.  (It turns out after reading a follow-up post by Kenz, a Southwest representative told her that if you were allowed to fly without purchasing a second seat on a flight, then they couldn't require you to purchase an additional seat on a return flight.  Apparently, the employees at Southwest aren't even familiar with the company policies and they make their own determinations based on their own biases about overweight people.)

What made the situation even worse is that everyone looked at me as they got on the plane.  There was a very large man sitting at the gate with us and she NEVER SAID A WORD TO HIM.  He was much taller than me and much rounder than me, but she never approached him about having to purchase another seat.

It wouldn't have been so devastating if she had approached me quietly and asked me to come to the ticket counter or to step aside somewhere to discuss the situation.  Instead, she leered over me like she was disciplining a child and her voice got louder every time I tried to explain that I had flown out the week before with no problems.  It was the most humiliating experience of my life.  I was so upset by the ordeal that I couldn't even work up the nerve to call and report her behavior.  I just wanted to forget about it.  The only problem is I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.

I'm not trying to get anything from Southwest by posting this.  I won't fly with them anymore.  I'd rather pay more to fly on another carrier than to risk being humiliated again.

I'm just trying to bring awareness to the last legal form of discrimination in this country: weight discrimination.  It happens every day in this country and its time for it to stop.  Obese people have feelings too.

I know that there are jobs that I didn't get because people made assumptions about my work ethic based on my weight.  Or maybe they just don't like fat people.  You can see the look on their face and know that no matter how qualified you are for the position, YOU WILL NEVER GET THE JOB.  And unless they say "You aren't going to get this job because you are fat", there is no way to prove they are discriminating against you.  And even if they did say that to you, technically the law doesn't cover weight-based discrimination.  You can only hope to get it covered under the disability discrimination law, and that is probably unlikely to happen. 

I experienced so much bullying as a child because of my weight.  There was a boy that would make fun of me every morning as I walked to the bus stop.  There was a girl that told me she wanted to fight me just because I was "fat."  There are countless stories like these in my life.  I have been overweight since I was 9 years old. 

I know this happens to people every day in this country.  Its not okay to discriminate against people because they have a disability.  Its not okay to make fun of people who have an alcohol or drug addiction.  Why is it still okay to make fun of someone who has an endocrine disorder or a food addiction? 

Food addiction is the same as a drug or alcohol addiction.  People overeat to soothe emotional pain.  If you make fun of an overweight person or lecture them about their weight, all that happens is that they turn to eating to soothe the emotional pain they are feeling.  It is my opinion that a food addiction may be worse than a drug or alcohol addiction.  With drugs and alcohol, you can quit them completely.  You can't just quit eating.  Imagine being a drug addict and someone telling you to only take 3 hits a day.  Could you stop at 3?  Well, that is what a compulsive over eater has to deal with.  A compulsive over eater can't just stop eating completely.  They have to try and limit themselves to 3 small meals a day. 

People who have diseases hypothyroidism, which slows down your metabolism (which I have), and an endocrine disorder like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which makes your metabolism almost non-existent and turns food directly into fat (which I also have) tend to struggle with their weight.  I have struggled with my weight since I entered puberty.  I've tried just about every diet and exercise regimen out there.  I have never been able to lose more than 30 pounds.  For years I just thought I was crazy.  How was it possible that I didn't eat any more food than a normal weight person and be physically active and still be morbidly obese?  It just didn't make sense.  A few years ago, I finally found an answer to this disturbing mystery.  Approximately 30% of women with PCOS can gain weight even with normal caloric intake and exercise.  I try to eat healthier foods in small portions, but because of my thyroid disease and PCOS, it still makes losing weight very difficult for me.  Please take a moment and click on the links above about these diseases and educate yourself about what other conditions may factor into keeping someone obese.

Please stop making fun of or telling jokes about overweight or obese people.  It is hurtful and humiliating to them.  It is just another form of bullying and discrimination.  We are people too.  We deserve the respect that everyone else is afforded. 

I know that there are people who are discriminated against because of their race or sexual orientation despite the existing laws to protect them, but it is generally not socially acceptable to do these types of things.  People frown on it and therefore it doesn't happen as often.  However, it seems that it is still socially acceptable to make fun of fat people because its their own fault, right? 

Well, it isn't always their fault.  Sometimes they have a disease, a disability, or a medication that causes weight gain.  If someone is overweight because of a food addiction, you don't know what has happened in their lives to cause them to turn to food to soothe the emotional pain they feel.  Don't just assume that obese people are lazy and eat all day.  That may not be the case at all.  And even if it is, they may be depressed or emotionally hurting and that is the reason why they eat.  Help them, don't hurt them by fat shaming them, making fun of them, cracking jokes about fat people, or singling them out in front of hundreds of people in a crowded room.

There was a story in the news recently about people fat shaming Kelly Clarkson.  Why does it matter what she weighs?  Her weight does not change the fact that she is an amazing singer.  She is a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice.  I don't care what she weighs or what she wears.

There are so many things that a normal-weight person has probably never considered about an overweight person's life.  You are constantly on the watch for situations that may embarrass you.  If you think you could encounter an embarrassing situation at a party or an event, you don't go to said party or event.  Then there are every day things like;  Turnstyles:  will I fit through it?  Rollercoasters:  Will the bar go down and will my passenger fall out because the bar isn't down far enough for them?  Seatbelts:  Will it be long enough for me?  (I've found that rear seatbelts in most newer cars will not fit me.)  Airlines:  Are they going to make me buy two seats?  Will I have to request a seatbelt extension?  Wooden Decks:  Is the wood rotten?  Will I fall through?  Chairs:  Is it built sturdy?  Will it hold me?  Clothes:  Is it going to be tight?  Will I find the right size?  (I always shop at Plus-Sized women's stores now.  I've found that even if a department store says it's my size, it most likely will not fit.  Most of the things seem to be cut smaller in regular department stores.  I never buy anything without trying it on first.)  Work or Volunteer Uniforms:  Will they have a size large enough to fit me?  There are so many situations that we are constantly evaluating on a daily basis. 

I'm turning 40 this year.  It has taken me this long to realize that my weight is not the most important thing about me.  It's not important at all, really.  There is so much more to me, and everyone else for that matter, that is much more important than what we look like on the outside.  I know that I will always be self-conscious about my weight, but that's okay.  I'm working through it one day at a time. 

We've been programmed by society to hate ourselves if we don't meet their standards of beauty.  What is sad is the photos we see in the magazines and the actors on the screen have been photoshopped, airbrushed, have teams of make-up artists, costume designers, wardrobe assistants, and hair dressers to make them look beautiful.  No one can live up to those type of standards.  I long for the day when I pick up Cosmopolitan or Vogue Magazine and see average women on the cover.  Women come in all shapes and sizes.  Why should only one type of woman be represented in our media?  It's outrageous! 

We need to love ourselves as we are.  We are beautifully and wonderfully made by God.  He knows every hair on our heads.  He knit us in the womb.  We cannot let society determine our worth.  We are priceless creations.  WE ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Anxiety And Depression With PCOS

When I was 15, my Sophomore year in high school, I went through a horrible depression.  I felt very alone.  When I went to school or when I was with my family, I would pretend that everything was okay.  No one saw what was really going on.  No one saw how I would look in the mirror, hating my reflection, and cry for hours.  No one saw me sitting with a knife to my wrist just wishing I had the courage to actually act on the thoughts of suicide running through my head.  I felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair.  It was such a terrible time for me.  Then one day I woke up and decided I didn't want to feel that way anymore.  I was just starting my Junior year in high school.  I now know that I didn't just decide to start feeling better and it happened, something chemically changed in my brain and the depression went away.

When I was 21, I went through another period of depression that lasted a few months, but not nearly as severe.  I wasn't suicidal, I just didn't want to do anything.  I sat around and watched TV all day and did nothing. 

Fortunately, I have not suffered any severe bouts of depression since that time.

I have, however, had problems with anxiety.

In February of 2011, I was at work doing routine things, when all of a sudden I got so dizzy that I thought I was going to pass out.  Then my arms started tingling and my palms started sweating.  I had to call my husband to come and get me from work.  The next day I went to the doctor and she told me I had a middle-ear infection and prescribed antibiotics.  I took my antibiotics and everything seemed to be fine.  A week later I was sitting with my husband watching a basketball game on a Friday night.  I started having the dizzy spells, tingling, and sweating again.  Plus, I was feeling a tightness in my chest and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath.  I tried to ignore the symptoms, but it wouldn't let up.  I got concerned that perhaps I was having a heart attack, so I had my husband take me to the emergency room.  They did an EKG and a CT scan of my head and they didn't see anything.  The doctor said that I probably had vertigo and prescribed Dramamine.  I continued to have these dizzy spells on and off so I just kept taking the Dramamine.  This went on for a few months.  I was beginning to suspect that I was having anxiety attacks, but since I had never experienced anything like this before, I really wasn't sure.

In August of that same year I started having the dizzy spells, tingling, and sweating more frequently, but I just tried to ignore the symptoms.  One day I was driving home from work and the dizziness hit me so hard that I thought I was going to pass out.  I pulled into a parking lot and called my Mom so someone would know where I was if I actually passed out.  Then the tingling arms and sweaty palms started.  I also got a tightness in my chest and started having chest pains.  Once I got a little less dizzy, I drove to pick-up my husband at work and I had him drive me straight to the ER.  They did another EKG and a chest x-ray, but they didn't see anything.  They decided to admit me so they could monitor my heart overnight.  I spent a very uncomfortable night in the hospital being monitored, trying to eat terrible hospital food, and having my blood drawn every few hours.  The next morning I had a consultation with a cardiologist.  He said he thought I was having anxiety attacks, but he wanted to be absolutely sure to rule out any underlying heart condition.  So, I had an echo cardiogram, wore a halter monitor for 24 hours, and had a PET scan.  After all those expensive tests, my cardiologist determined that there is nothing wrong with my heart and I had developed an anxiety disorder.

This was a very strange turn of events for me.  I'm a very calm person by nature.  It feels like such a betrayal by my body when all of a sudden I'm scared out of my mind, dizzy, sweaty, tingling, and thinking I'm going to die.  It makes absolutely no sense.  I could just be sitting there reading a book and everything is fine and the next minute I'm having an anxiety attack. 

Sometimes I would just have visions of terrible things happening.  I would be walking down a couple of stairs and envision slipping and breaking my leg or bashing my head open.  Everyday tasks became daunting because I would fear getting hurt or falling.  I would also fear being alone.  If I started having an anxiety attack, I didn't want to be alone for fear that something would happen to me and there would be no one there to help me.  I also had a fear of embarrassment because of passing out or evening dying in public.  Obviously, I can't be embarrassed if I'm dead, but it didn't stop the thoughts from passing through my head.

Even when I wasn't having an anxiety attack, it felt like my bones were being rattled all of the time.  You know how you feel when you get really gold and get the chills?  Well, that's how I felt every minute of the day.  It was very disconcerting.

My PCP told me anxiety can be brought on by hormone fluctuations due to my PCOS.  I was so dismayed by the recent turn of events.  I kept saying to my doctor, "It just doesn't make sense.  I don't get worked up over things like this.  I'm a very calm person."

She replied, "Sweetheart, you can't rationalize your way out of anxiety.  It just won't work."  She prescribed Paxil and Xanax.  I take a 20 mg Paxil every day and a half a Xanax as needed for breakthrough anxiety attacks.  It took a while before I could function normally and my bones didn't feel like they were being rattled.  I still may have a breakthrough anxiety attack when I get very tired, but its nothing that a half a Xanax can't handle. 

I hate that I have to be medicated to function, but I know I'm not alone.  There are millions of people out there who suffer from anxiety disorders.

It's so hard to describe to people who don't suffer from anxiety or depression.  Until you have lived through it, you can't possibly understand it.  You can describe it to someone, but it isn't the same.

I know that my husband would get frustrated from time to time when I would be in the midst of an anxiety attack.  He would tell me, "You're fine.  Just calm down."

Just an FYI to those who don't suffer from anxiety, telling us to calm down won't work.  It will only frustrate us.  Don't you think if we could make the anxiety go away, we would?  We want to calm down.  We want to feel normal. 

I feel very blessed that my medicine is able to control my anxiety.  Some people aren't so fortunate.  They try medication after medication and nothing seems to control the symptoms entirely.  If you are one of those unfortunate people, just hang in there.  One day, something will work. 

Pregnancy Tests

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see a woman in one of my PCOS Support Groups post a photo of an obviously negative pregnancy test with the caption, "Does anyone see a line?"  Someone from the outside looking in would probably think, "Is she blind?"  However, I have been the woman holding that pregnancy test, hoping against hope to see a faint line on that pregnancy test.  This is just one of the realities of having PCOS and trying to have a baby.

On February 14, 2000, my husband and I decided it was time to start a family.  We had been married for 2 years (it was our anniversary), we were renting a 2-bedroom house across the street from my parents, we had steady jobs, and we were financially stable.  It seemed like an ideal time to start a family.  I stopped taking my birth control that evening.

I've always had irregular periods so it was difficult to know if/when I was pregnant.  In May of 2000, something odd started to happen.  My nipples were itching like crazy, every day, all day.  I didn't make the connection to pregnancy.  I just thought it was dry skin, so I would liberally apply lotion multiple times a day.  It didn't really help the itching though.

One day I was at work and I was about to pick-up a large box full of lawnmower parts.  My subconscious said to me, "Don't pick up that heavy box, you're pregnant."  I stopped dead in my tracks.  Where the heck did that come from?  And was it true?

On my way home from work that day I stopped at the drug store and bought a pregnancy test.  I took the test and it was positive.  We were so excited.

Two weeks later I was at work and it felt like I had started my period.  I went to the restroom and I was bleeding.  My husband took me to the hospital and they told me I was probably having a miscarriage, but they wouldn't know for sure until they tested my hormone levels the following morning.  I went in the next morning to give blood.  A few hours later, my OBGYN called to tell me I was having a miscarriage.  It was the most devastating experience of my life.

My husband and I continued to try to get pregnant, even after my PCOS diagnosis in 2001.  I know exactly what these ladies in my support group are going through.  I kept my medicine cabinet stocked with a pregnancy test (or 2) at all times.  My periods were never regular, so if I went more than a month without a period, I would take a test.

I would always take it first thing in the morning as that is when the HCG hormone level will be the highest.  I would take the test and try not to look at it during those 2 minutes you are supposed to wait.  I would try to keep myself from hoping that I would see 2 lines, but I usually failed.  That hope would still be there.  Finally, I would look at the test.  1 line.  Always 1 line.  Every couple of months it would be the same thing.  The hope, the fear, and then that 1 damned line on that pregnancy test.  I continued this torturous routine for 9 years.  Finally, I realized that pregnancy was just not in the cards for me.  I decided adoption would probably be my best opportunity to become a mother.

There were several times over the past years that family or friends would know someone that was considering giving their child up for adoption and would mention it to me.  I would begin getting my hopes up and then it would fall through. 

Trying to have kids with PCOS, whether through birth or adoption, is always a roller coaster.  Many women get frustrated, depressed, or angry at the world.  I would always get sad if I had to walk through the children's department at a store.  I would get angry when I would see irresponsible people having baby after baby, or when I think about all of the babies being aborted in this country every day (approximately 3000 babies are murdered each day in the U.S.), while my husband and I had no child in our arms.  Our child would be loved and cared for and not considered an inconvenience. 

We were finally able to adopt 3 beautiful children from Foster Care last year.  It was a 14-year journey for us to become parents.  There were many times I was scared motherhood would never happen for me.  I just kept praying and had faith that being a mother was part of God's plan for my life.  I just knew in my soul that I was meant to be a mother.  I was right.  It just took longer than I ever thought it would.     

So, to all of my Cysters out there struggling with infertility:  have faith, keep praying, and keep trying.  I know it's scary, frustrating, depressing, and you hate seeing 1 line on that pregnancy test.  I know all of these things.  I've experienced all of these things.  However, I never gave up.  Neither should you.

Does PCOS Cause This (Add Symptom Here)?

Most of the time, the answer is YES.  PCOS has so many symptoms (many of which are listed at the top of my blog).  I am a member of a couple of PCOS Support Groups on Facebook and every day I see someone pose this question. 

Does PCOS cause acne?  Does PCOS cause fatigue?  Does PCOS cause depression?  Does PCOS cause infertility?  Does PCOS cause anxiety?  The questions go on and on. 

I can only imagine how difficult it is for women who have recently been diagnosed.  I knew very little about this disease when I was first diagnosed.  I never imagined that so many of my issues could be a symptom of PCOS.  One website discussing PCOS may list symptoms another website doesn't list.  It's all very confusing.  I have provided quick links on my Blog (on the right-hand side of the page) to some of the resources I have found most helpful. 

The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone.  If you have recently been diagnosed, I would recommend joining a support group.  I think some of the best information and advice I have received is from fellow Cysters (that is what we call one another).  They live with this disease every day. 

If you join any PCOS support group, you will see countless stories of women going to their General Practitioners (GP) or even their Gynecologist and be told incorrect information regarding this disease.  Most doctors know very little about PCOS and understand it even less.  I have seen posts from women who have had their GP tell them it is a made-up disease and it's just an excuse for women to use if they are overweight.  A piece of advice:  if your doctor says some nonsense like this, FIND A NEW DOCTOR!

PCOS is very real.  Don't let anyone tell you differently.  We have to fight to be heard.  Doctors need to educate themselves about this disease.  I read an article about PCOS in 2001 and realized I had many of the symptoms listed in the article.  I went to my OBGYN and requested to be tested for the disease.  Her reply was, "You probably have it, but I'll test you."

I probably have it?  Why didn't you mention it before?  This doctor knew I probably had this disease but never bothered to even mention it to me.  Why?  Of course, this is the same doctor who would lecture me about my weight during my entire examination, EVERY YEAR.  Like I don't know I'm fat.  (By the way, I have a different OBGYN now.) 

If there are any doctors reading my Blog, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:  Fat people know they are fat.  They also know what you are supposed to do to lose weight (which doesn't work for me).  It's fine to mention it once and recommend some ways to help us lose weight.  You don't have to mention it every time we see you.  Lecturing us over and over will not help us in any way.  As a matter of fact, if someone is overweight because they have an addiction to food, most likely they will leave your office and go straight to the nearest fast-food joint to bury the emotional pain. 

You can call me many things and I can brush most of it off.  But if someone starts talking about my weight, it hurts me to the core.  I started gaining weight as soon as I hit puberty.  I was able to lose some of the weight with a severe diet and lots of exercise when I was 15, but I'm not 15 anymore.  I went through a severe depression when I was 16 and started emotionally eating and gained everything I lost back plus some.  Since that time I have tried just about every diet and exercise regimen out there and nothing has consistently worked for me except not eating.  So, talking about my weight will not help me.  It will only hurt me.  I know I'm fat.  I've been fat since I was 9.  It isn't like I don't try and lose weight.  However, having PCOS has made it amazingly difficult to lose a significant amount of weight.  Don't lecture me.  And if you have some amazing diet that has worked for you, it doesn't mean it will work for me.  Everyone is different.

If you suspect that you have PCOS or you have recently been diagnosed with PCOS, there is help out there.  There is no cure, but we can manage most of our symptoms.  Join a support group.  These Cysters have seen and done it all.  They are a great resource for information about the disease, diet tricks, supplements that work, etc.  They are also great at just being there when you are struggling.  Many of them have been where you are at one time. 

This is my preferred support groups on Facebook, but there are many out there:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/pcosgrouphelp/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/344589048925066/