Good News!

Brandon and I saw the fertility specialist on Friday. I went completely prepared to hear one of two things : 1)I couldn't have children, or 2) that we would have to resort to fertility procedures that I am not interested in, like In Vitro, which is what Jon and Kate Gosselin did....no, thank you.

We got much better news than I thought! Don't get too excited...I'm not pregnant. However, she did a vaginal ultrasound (no fun) and officially diagnosed me with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is basically where because I am insulin resistant (I have low blood sugar, not diabetes), my testosterone level is too high. I make eggs just fine, but the testosterone level prohibits them from ever releasing from the ovaries (therefore, I don't ovulate). This makes little sacs of eggs on my ovaries. This is why I've never had a period without the help of the pill. It also explains a lot more than that.

• 86% of women with PCOS are obese because of the hormone imbalance. It is virtually impossible to lose weight on your own when you have this condition. This is what has caused my weight to skyrocket, and why it has been so hard to lose it. NOTHING has worked, even when I am as disciplined as one can be. That makes me feel better...I have something else to blame :)
• It is more than likely what my mom had (she had the same problems as me).
• It explains why I ALWAYS feel hungry, even an hour after a big meal. It's always been kind of a joke with me and Brandon because we'll eat, and an hour or so later I'll say "you're not going to believe this." He follows with, "you're hungry?" The insulin basically makes my brain think it's hungry.

• Obviously, it explains my inability to get pregnant.

Now, the good news:

While PCOS is not curable, it is very common AND TREATABLE! This doesn't necessarily mean I WILL get pregnant, but my chances are much better than I thought! She has started me on Metformin, which is a diabetic med to level out my insulin levels and testosterone. So far, I have had some nasty side effects, but nothing unbearable, and they should subside. However, I am already noticing a huge change in my appetite. I'm hardly ever hungry. I ate two eggs yesterday morning, and didn't have another meal until last night, and I had to make myself eat that so I could take my meds. This morning, I have spent the last 10 minutes trying to get down a yogurt. I'm just not hungry. This is appealing to me, but at the same time, I have got to make myself eat. She also said that Weight Watchers probably isn't the best diet for me because we tend to focus on how many points a food is, not how much protein is in it vs. carbs. She said that the key for me right now is to exercise for 30 mins a day, and to eat a LOT of protein, and cut back on my carbs/sugars. I am also supposed to eat 6 times a day. Doesn't have to be 6 meals, but 3 meals and 3 protein-based snacks will do. So, I'm quitting WW for a while to see what happens with the meds, some walking, and a high protein, low carb diet. That sounds so much more manageable, anyway.

So, I'll take the metformin for a month, and then I'll start the fertitlity drugs again. I am hoping and praying they work this time! My goal is to try and lose 15lbs by the time I start the fertility meds. That's 5% of my weight, which they say can drastically increase my chances. (do not do the math....you don't want to know)I feel like there is hope! :) God is good. Maybe in a few months I'll be writing the "I'M PREGNANT" blog!