Hello. I'm Ashleigh. I'm 22 and I have PCOS, but getting that diagnosis was not easy.

I was 110 lbs my whole life. I'm 5'3" so that was a really good weight for me, even possibly a little thin. But I was healthy and happy.

At 19, I met my husband and began struggling with my weight at the same time. Within a year he and I had married - and I had also gained 50lbs, despite diet and exercise. I had started growing facial hair, stopped ovulating, was "groggy" and having sugar highs and lows all day every day. I had also become the pee-pee Queen - I couldn't go more than 45 minutes without feeling as if I was going to pop a valve.

I felt like a complete failure. I saw that my mom is overweight (5' 6" and 207 lbs) and just saw myself headed straight down the same path. I didn't know what to do or how to stop it. Then someone on a TTC board asked me if I might have PCOS. After extensive research, I was convinced I did.

The doctors were another story. I would show them my stretch marks, complain about the weight gain, and they would say "it's from having kids." When I said I don't have any, they would blame it on getting married and tell me I just needed to suck it up and lose weight.

Finally I found a GP who ran some tests and said I had PCOS. But she retired a month later, and her replacement said that diagnosis was "sketchy at best." I was devastated. Then I went to a women's clinic, showed them the photos of my weight progression, told them about my symptoms and how blood sugar issues run in my family, and they said "Oh yes, you DEFINITELY have PCOS!!"

I was put on Metformin (glucophage) 500 mg 3x daily and that has enabled me to work on losing weight and have success. My husband deployed in January and I went from 160 to 138.5 in 3 months. But then - I bounced back up to 142 and have plateaued. I have had no support through my journey other than a few women on my TTC board, and I am beginning to feel lost, especially with my family and friends sabotaging me at every dinner and invitation out.

I am here, seeking support, help, and friends. Together, I know we can all do this.

Some pictures of my weight gain progression:

August 2003. 18th birthday, 110lbs:


Sept. 2004(with my cousin) - still 110 - the weight starts piling on shortly after:


October 2004: 125 - starting to think something is wrong


October 2005: 160, my top weight, and I was miserable



and here I am now, in my first bikini since my honeymoon (I weighed 135 then, 142 in this picture) Looking better, but still considered unhealthy.

Well, as a fellow Marine wife and PCOS'er, welcome! Where you guys stationed?

I'm glad you've finally got a proper diagnosis. Gotta love it when you've done all the legwork and they still tell you no...*sigh* Where they military doctors? I've been a military dependant all my life, so it's the norm for me. But people say compared to regular docs, military doctors are sorely lacking in things like compassion.

Welcome to 3FC; it's a great place for inspiration, especially on your blue days!

Yes, they were military doctors. (go figure) I finally got the help I needed when I switched to Tricare Standard and started seeing civillians. I can get same day appointments now - can you IMAGINE?? None of this "Sorry, we're booked, we'll have the duty nurse call you." Whatever. The duty nurse never calls.

We are stationed at cherry point. A lot of people hate it, but I like it here!

uggh i hate base dr they are clueless when i was trying to get pg with my first and wasnt having cycles and the weight gain and the hair was getting worse they kept tellingme lose weight theres nothing wrong with you even with not havng a period without taking provera finally i got ticked and put my foot down refused to leave till they did blood work on me they did and said my hormone levels were off then sent me for an ultra sound and found out i have pcos for sure.

my hubby is airforce we are in south carolina.

i ahd the best reproductive endicrinologist thank goodness for referrals out

www.ivfwecare.com

the insurance paid for my fertility drugs injections did that for 2 cycles so my copays varied on what the med was we didnt have an ivf just the meds and then they told us are best time to do the baby dance and first cycle failed went back to do it again and was hyperstimulated then went back the third time at my birthday and got pg that cycle. )

my 2nd son was concieved after i lost 124 pounds on weight watchers and the only thing i had to have to keep the pregnancy was progesterone the first 3 months and then i have also deformed uterus and an incompetent cervix so had to have my cervix stitched both times

but, it can happen with weightloss your dreams of a family can come true..

i dont trust the base dr we call it themedical hobby shop..

Wow sounds like my story! I so glad I found this site! If you are interested here is a link to my story. PCOS is soo frustrating.


http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...43#post1819443