Those who are waiting to TTC

bigzippy

FERRY-ACROSS-MERSEY wrote: »

Have just read the info on PCOS, can i ask did you have many symptoms? as i was reading the info i was thinking this sounds a bit like me.. worrying...

You can ask me what you like FAM

My story, I hope it helps :
The diagnosis came about initially because I was having pain (which is not to do with the PCOS btw) and went for a scan. The sonographer found PCO (polycystic ovaries) - you can find images of what that would look like compared to 'normal' ovaries on Google.

While investigations into the pain are ongoing (loooong story and not thought to be to do with my reproductive bits) I asked GP to refer me to a gynaecologist re the pain and the PCO found on the scan. Gynae ordered blood tests to be done on CD(cycle day) 2-5 which checked hormone levels, and asked about my cycle history. It would seem that the pill I've been on (primarily for really heavy painful periods) has masked the signs of PCOS, and my memory is shocking so I barely remembered what my cycles were like before the pill...I do remember 3 month gaps, and 3 week periods though, but really, who pays *that* much attention when you're neither TTC nor attached and DTD (doing the deed )?

Anyway, the irregular periods (eg.I've just had a 70day cycle and I'm currently on CD57 with no signs of ovulation - btw, if you want to see my FF (Fertility Friend) chart you can see it here) and the PCO on the scan are enough to confirm PCOS (as opposed to just PCO, you can have PCO without the accompanying symptoms/issues).

I also asked my GP to test me for insulin resistance, as I had read that it can go hand-in-hand with PCOS (they sort of egg each other on) and they found that I do indeed have Impaired Glucose Tolerance. Because of this my gynae has put me on Metformin -which is actually a diabetes treatment, in the form of a tablet. The theory is that the way your body treats sugar has an affect on how your body produces hormones. The extra weight (because of the glucose response) PCOS sufferers tend to experience also doesn't help the PCOS.

I have gotten much spottier since coming off the pill, which is a symptom of PCOS, but this has improved with the Metformin and a change of diet. I'm not particularly hairy (a symptom) nor have I lost any head hair - in fact I have really thick hair!

So, the upshot is, that yes PCOS is crap BUT if you do have it there are options and treatments. They reckon that losing 10% of your bodyweight, if you are overweight, is enough to make PCOS sufferers start ovulating again. There is Metformin to help with the glucose response. And if you're still not ovulating, there is Clomid to help with that.

Another ray of hope is that while PCO/PCOS is also not incredibly uncommon, but women can and do conceive without even knowing they have it. The general consensus tends to be that it's not impossible to get pregnant, it "just" tends to take longer...:cool:


I didn't mean that to turn into an essay!! I hope you're not all asleep!

HTH

FERRY-ACROSS-MERSEY

bigzippy wrote: »

You can ask me what you like FAM

My story, I hope it helps :
The diagnosis came about initially because I was having pain (which is not to do with the PCOS btw) and went for a scan. The sonographer found PCO (polycystic ovaries) - you can find images of what that would look like compared to 'normal' ovaries on Google.

While investigations into the pain are ongoing (loooong story and not thought to be to do with my reproductive bits) I asked GP to refer me to a gynaecologist re the pain and the PCO found on the scan. Gynae ordered blood tests to be done on CD(cycle day) 2-5 which checked hormone levels, and asked about my cycle history. It would seem that the pill I've been on (primarily for really heavy painful periods) has masked the signs of PCOS, and my memory is shocking so I barely remembered what my cycles were like before the pill...I do remember 3 month gaps, and 3 week periods though, but really, who pays *that* much attention when you're neither TTC nor attached and DTD (doing the deed )?

Anyway, the irregular periods (eg.I've just had a 70day cycle and I'm currently on CD57 with no signs of ovulation - btw, if you want to see my FF (Fertility Friend) chart you can see it here) and the PCO on the scan are enough to confirm PCOS (as opposed to just PCO, you can have PCO without the accompanying symptoms/issues).

I also asked my GP to test me for insulin resistance, as I had read that it can go hand-in-hand with PCOS (they sort of egg each other on) and they found that I do indeed have Impaired Glucose Tolerance. Because of this my gynae has put me on Metformin -which is actually a diabetes treatment, in the form of a tablet. The theory is that the way your body treats sugar has an affect on how your body produces hormones. The extra weight (because of the glucose response) PCOS sufferers tend to experience also doesn't help the PCOS.

I have gotten much spottier since coming off the pill, which is a symptom of PCOS, but this has improved with the Metformin and a change of diet. I'm not particularly hairy (a symptom) nor have I lost any head hair - in fact I have really thick hair!

So, the upshot is, that yes PCOS is crap BUT if you do have it there are options and treatments. They reckon that losing 10% of your bodyweight, if you are overweight, is enough to make PCOS sufferers start ovulating again. There is Metformin to help with the glucose response. And if you're still not ovulating, there is Clomid to help with that.

Another ray of hope is that while PCO/PCOS is also not incredibly uncommon, but women can and do conceive without even knowing they have it. The general consensus tends to be that it's not impossible to get pregnant, it "just" tends to take longer...:cool:


I didn't mean that to turn into an essay!! I hope you're not all asleep!

HTH

Lol its not an essay its very informative and helpful!

ok so now i understand it a lot more and what happens if you have PCOS.

the best bit is that you can still conceive naturally which is absolutely brilliant!

i have some 'symptoms' (from self diagnosis - im a bit of a hypocondriac! Lol)

i have really thick hair just like you, i also have very hairy legs - after shaving the hair grows back within 10 hrs and i have to shave again - not fun on hols!, even epilation doesnt work - adverts say 'hair free legs for 14 days - ha! as if more like 3 days max! - sorry to everyone else reading this!
the website where i read the info on PCOS also mentioned a hairy line on your stomach - i have one (its awful) lol.
funny you should mention the pain, i also have pains in my lower abdomen, its like a sharp stabbing pain and comes on without any reason. i have had investigations into that - had a camera up there and they didnt see anything and the pain was dismissed as they couldnt find anything. i didnt have an ultrasound tho, maybe i should have done. i think i wil go back to GP and mention the pain again...
i have been on the pill a long while ago, came off that because could not tolerate the hormones - turned into a monster! so i then went onto the injection for 1.5 years had to come off that because turned into a monster again. then i did not use anything at all, after the injection my periods took 9 months to come back. and they were 3 days instead of 7 like it used to be from the first day i got my period aged 14. anyway, after that i started injection again last August and had to come off 2 months later because i turned into a monster yet again. i only went onto the injections becaused i liked not having a period. so ever since i came off that injection in november we havent been using anything at all.
as far as i can remenber i had irregular periods up until the first set of injections after i stopped they because shorter and regulated themselved.
the website on PCOS also mentioned excess fat around your middle which i also have, in fact i carry all my weight from waist down. oh and ive always had spots. oh and i have raised prolactin levels which aparently have something to do with PCOS...

so i guess i should go to my GP and see if we can sort some tests out... i try not to think of the fact that i have been off injections since november and we dont use anything - i am not pregnant, not that we are trying but still..

thank you for your story! it has helped me lots!

mine has turned into a bit of an essay too...

glimmerofhope

Hi All
Been a seriel lurker on here since the thread started
Lots of useful info
Big Thankyou to the lady who posted about the free book from Tommys - was waiting for me yesterday when I got home from work.
Had a good read through and made OH read through.
I had realised last week that I had never had my rubella so have an appointment at the doctors on tuesday. We have a holiday booked in July to a music festival so have decided we are going to wait until after July for me to come off the pill and allow my body to get back to normal.
Do can you add be to the list for Aug 2011
Thanks all
Glimmer

bigzippy

FERRY-ACROSS-MERSEY wrote:

funny you should mention the pain, i also have pains in my lower abdomen, its like a sharp stabbing pain and comes on without any reason. i have had investigations into that - had a camera up there and they didnt see anything and the pain was dismissed as they couldnt find anything. i didnt have an ultrasound tho, maybe i should have done. i think i wil go back to GP and mention the pain again...

Pain is not generally a symptom of PCOS, unless it's during ovulation? They reckon I have something called Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Interstatial Cystitis - in theory unrelated to PCOS but I think it's another one of those conditions where if you have one you're more likely than the average person to have the other, iyswim?
Regardless, I'll be having a cystoscopy (which I'm not looking forward to!) and such soon.

so i guess i should go to my GP and see if we can sort some tests out... i try not to think of the fact that i have been off injections since november and we dont use anything - i am not pregnant, not that we are trying but still..

While I'm with you on the "try not to think of the fact..." thing, I would also suggest that you tell the GP that you've been "trying" from that date, because if there were to be an issue conceiving, they will make you wait at least 12months from beginning to TTC before looking at your fertility. (I don't think I'm explaining myself very well now though I'm afraid. I hope you know what I mean?)

thank you for your story! it has helped me lots!

No worries Let us know how you get on with the doc... I'll likely still be lurking

pollyhelen

hi all

I thought i'd drop in and say hi again! Happy saturday everyone. I've started collecting some books - am waiting for my tommy to arrive, most excited about that one. My friend has given my today 3 books, gina ford, baby whisperer and baby bliss, but i dont really want to jinx it by reading about babies, more about conception and pregnancy at the moment. I havent collected anything else except for knowledge - as much as i can! We are v excited as my (same) friends baby is staying with us tonight - he is 7 months and sleeping soundly at the moment, so we are proud non-parents!

The other thing i have done is started a budget in a very mse way - starting to work out what everything will cost. I figure if we have no luck then i wont cry toooooo much deleting this! but it is a good bit of planning all the same without actual physical things!

On the ttc front we are trying at the moment a bit, but waiting for ovulation - hoping that is next week but first cycle off the pill. Had bad symptons/side affects this week - boobs were killing! and so tired but now all ok so hoping that i might just roll into normal enough cycles - no idea what mine were like in the dim and distant past when i was a teenager either!!

hope some of that is interesting for someone?

bigzippy

pollyhelen wrote: »

On the ttc front we are trying at the moment a bit, but waiting for ovulation - hoping that is next week but first cycle off the pill.

Feel free to bob into the TTC thread too pollyhelen If this isn't your month I hope AF settles down into a nice normal rhythm for you shortly Well done on the budgeting, don't let it put you off

FERRY-ACROSS-MERSEY

bigzippy wrote: »

Pain is not generally a symptom of PCOS, unless it's during ovulation? They reckon I have something called Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome/Interstatial Cystitis - in theory unrelated to PCOS but I think it's another one of those conditions where if you have one you're more likely than the average person to have the other, iyswim?
Regardless, I'll be having a cystoscopy (which I'm not looking forward to!) and such soon.


While I'm with you on the "try not to think of the fact..." thing, I would also suggest that you tell the GP that you've been "trying" from that date, because if there were to be an issue conceiving, they will make you wait at least 12months from beginning to TTC before looking at your fertility. (I don't think I'm explaining myself very well now though I'm afraid. I hope you know what I mean?)


No worries Let us know how you get on with the doc... I'll likely still be lurking

I know exactly what you mean about GPs making you wait 12 months - me and OH have decided that we will say we started TTC from when i came off injections so we dont have to wait too long.
hope it all goes ok for you with the cystoscopy, cant imagine what it must feel like, not pleasant... hope you are under general and not local!
good luck with it!

clearing_out_my_pockets

To those who have PM'ed me about the facebook group, I have now responded to your PMs.

Anyone else - if you want to join the group you can PM either me or euro with your facebook email address. We'll then need to send you a facebook friend request as we can only add friends to the group.

I've made euro an admin as I'll be offline for almost three weeks from the end of the week...

bigzippy

FERRY-ACROSS-MERSEY wrote: »

hope it all goes ok for you with the cystoscopy, cant imagine what it must feel like, not pleasant... hope you are under general and not local!
good luck with it!

Thanks It is a local though

Kalama

Btw, was it the lass in Kenya that was asking how the Tommy's books arrive? Mine came yesterday (which I thought was really quick!!) and they just came in a plain white jiffy-type envelope - completely innocuous

Yep - it was me! Thanks for that - means I can order one with peace of mind that the whole office won't see it!

I am tucked up in bed with the laptop as I am a complete grotbag-snot monster. Have spent the weekend spluttering my way through a pathetic amount of chores. I did manage to get a fair but of study done though.

I did my weigh on Saturday and I appear to have dropped 2 lbs since the previous week - which I'm reasonably pleased with seeing as the lurgey stopped all exercise from Tues onwards. I am really missing the exercise - can't wait till I can breathe again :rotfl:

We've seen a house we really like. OH has said that if it is still on the market when I pop back in August I can go see it (it's been on since Sep '09 so here's hoping!). We've also started looking at furniture companies and doing a spreadsheet of everything we are going to need to work out costs. I am loving it - it's like the buzz of shopping but without the pain to my wallet!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend - it was dead gloomy and chilly here.