I'm here!
Hang in there with your respective "reboots" Rana and 2fat2jump!
I am right there with ya!
WHERE I WAS
We had some more deaths in the family. So I've been off with that. Distant relatives for me, but closer to my Alzheimer Dad.
It is nobody's fault but I am SOOOO tired of death. In less than 2 years it's been like 4 people. Mom pointed out that we have some elders in the high 80's so there might be more coming.
So it has been about helping Dad cope more than anything else. It REALLY upsets him when people pass on -- esp his "peer group" because then he becomes afraid he's next. Sigh. He's been a handful and
just on a roll with the constant chitter chatter about his death phobias, confusion, and upset.
It isn't like I can have a conversation with him about death and comfort him that way. It's more like he feels some yucky things and he runs around the room trying to express/park his feelings somewhere but he cannot park it in the right garage. So he flits from one thing to the next all agitated.
Like in his Alz head he goes:
- Is it happy? I will make disruptive jokes and laugh really loud (which startles the small kids). No. It is not happy.
- Is it mad? I will stomp and shout and pick fights. No. It is not mad.
- Is is scared? I will be suspicious about my food wondering what is in it and my people wondering what they are out to get me for. No. It is not scared.
Wears us out.
PCOS IN PERIMENOPAUSE SUMMARY
As short as I can, I will recap my year and bring to date.
In Feb I felt CRAZY with hot flashes and night sweats and more so my endoc did me a favor and ran sex hormone labs. The biggest news showed a very obvious less than 0.1% progesterone. She suggested I find an OB who understands PCOS. I started taking Emerita cream and that helped take some of the edge off.
I saw herbalist in March. That helped some too -- evening primrose, vitex, ashwaganda.
I spend some time hunting for OB/GYN that knew PCOS. (That's been a bust for me before, I get my Pap smear done by my GP.) Eventually saw my new OB/GYN in June and her June labs showed a bump up to 0.6 progesterone, but that is still low so she sent me off to compound pharmacy. I need stronger.
Then I had to find one of those and set it up.
Late July (last week) -- I talked to pharmacist who wants to study my labs but from first consultation she pointed out Synthroid could be responsible for some of this wacky symptom stuff I was describing.
I had already unintentionally paused taking it because I took a short top of July vacation and forgot it. I felt better. When I got home I called to tell the endoc and ask by phone if I can switch to something else (Armour?) because Levoxyl did not have me crazy. And being OFF the synthroid was a relief. She suggested I leave it alone till next labs and we can talk then. Because labs were in Aug.
So between vacation discovery and pharmacist, I've decided to just quit it until my next endoc labs. But I moved it to top of Sept. Like another month. Then it will REALLY show what it is like in my system without it on the labs. I plan to discuss this some more with the endoc in person. I need a thyroid solution that doesn't ADD to my crazy symptoms.
For now focus on the perimenopause and hormones.
Anyway, at this point the compound pharmacist will tell the OB what her treatment suggestions for me are and if the OB signs off on it, then I get a prescription cream/pill/plan thing to help. I hope that happens this week.
I've been reading a lot about
progesterone deficiency. It's been illuminating and helping me figure out my way here. I see a lot written about PCOS people wanting to get pregnant but I'm past that age and stage of my life. I am over here at THIS place -- and I don't see a lot on PCOS perimenopause and easing that transition.
I know the info is out there... just trying to find stuff that actually helps me talk to my doctor is more challenging.
I am still in shock -- I can sleep ok for once, I wake up cheerful and rested. I had NO idea the Synthroid was responsible for exacerbating so much.
I even did a workout this morning... and LIKED IT.
So... we will see.
It's been a long road with the PCOS thing, and I hate this regain. But it is what it is, so I too reset my signature marker, adjusted a realistic year's goal and here I go again. I will take it in stride and and keep moving it along! Do NOT give up!
Hubby is also dealing with andropause now and it pisses him off to see middle belly gain from nowhere, hot flashes, headaches and whatnot of his own. I try to be supportive and understanding because he's just been awesome with me and my wacky. But I will admit that I envy him sometimes -- dude only deals in this recent 20 lb gain from his hormone wacko. I face more like 120 lbs!
My daughter got her first period this summer. I keep praying she takes after his side of the family and will not be dealing in PCOS crap in HER life. Crossing fingers. Time will tell.
CURRENT MANAGEMENT PLAN
2000 mg Metformin ER (for the insulin resistance)
2 caps vitex
2 caps evening primrose
over the counter Emerita progesterone cream (help deal with the hot flash, cycle upheaval. Might change soon)
multivitamin, cal-mag, fish oil, Vit D, Vit B12, inositol -- general supplements.
diet (not sure what to do with this -- DH now has requirement so trying to figure out what fits ALL the family members)
exercise (3x a week,
anything) <-- I am going to focus here because that seems easiest to deal with right now.
hugs
A.
Summer (June/July/August) PCOS Support Thread?!
