[Pumpkin RD]

Hi,
I'm new here and I hope it's ok for me to do a bit of wittering on about myself for a moment

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18 years old. I was overweight - very overweight - and had terrible problems with excess hair and absent periods. Before my diagnosis I was sent from one doctor to another, with no one seeming to know quite what was 'wrong' with me. I eventually saw an endocrinologist who diagnosed PCOS.

The appointment was probably one of the most upsetting days of my life - not because of the diagnosis (one of the alternatives being bandied about was a pituitary tumour ) but because of the way the doctor spoke to me. "Go away, lose weight" was pretty much all he had to offer, and in a tone that can only be described as dismissive and smug. I was pretty depressed because of the various symptoms, and whilst it was true that I was overweight, the off-hand way he spoke to me really knocked me back. I supposed I was also shocked that he was insinuating that my problems were my fault for being overweight. I spent most of the next week in tears.

It's strange how the mind works, but I was so angry with the doctor's dismissive attitude that I decided I would lose weight, if nothing else to prove to him that I could. I know, it's ridiculous

I won't say it was easy, because it wasn't. But since that appointment I've lost nearly 100lbs. Lots of exercising, watching what I ate and training as a dietitian all helped! I've gone from 217lbs to 120lbs.

Anyway - to cut a long story short (perhaps too late!). I've recently got married and moved house, and changed to a new doctor's surgery. My GP was surprised when I said I had PCOS and asked to do some tests. An ultrasound and blood tests found no sign of PCOS. Normal ovaries, normal hormone levels. My GP and I both reasoned that losing weight has normalised my hormone levels by reducing how much body fat I have.

So even though that smug doctor (I'm still miffed at him!) upset me all those years ago, I do feel thankful to him for spurring me on to do something about my weight. Although I do wish he'd been nicer about it! I can't say that weight loss will work for everyone. But I can say that it's made a huge difference to my life.

Rambling over

[KrazieStarz]

congrats!! that sounds amazing!! i know how upsetting it can be to have someone be mean about the weight and make u feel ashamed and whatnot but what im wondering is...do u think that was his plan all along? maybe he knew that by acting that way, you would get angry and be more determined to get the weight off..no matter what it was...u did it!! and i bet you feel so proud of yourself and extremely happy that u did.

[t0rn]

That is an amazing story Very happy for you for making it all that way! Congratulations. I think it's great that you took that anger and channeled it into losing weight, 'cause most people probably wouldn't.

[Rana]

Congrats!!!!

[mountain walker]

Hi there,
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 months ago. I knew my weight was a contributory factor (all that oestrogen in my fat!). Does anybody know if having PCOS makes it harder to lose weight?? My gynae was lovely about it. Spelt out the risks of being overweight very clearly without judging.I am terrified of developing Type 2 diabetes so the PCOS diagnosis has actually helped motivate me.
Have a good day

[PghGal]

Wow, that is awesome.

I've noticed changes in my own PCOS-ness since losing weight. I've still got a long way to go, but already my periods are back and acne is much improved.

My MD told me that PCOS is a tricky syndrome to tackle, particularly because it manifests differently and responds differently in people. Apparently with weight loss, they symptoms can "disappear" altogether for some people, for others, not so much.

Thanks for sharing your story. It gives me hope.

Mountainwalker - I don't have empirical evidence to back this up, but from what I have read and heard, PCOS does make weight loss more difficult. That said, it IS possible -- just slower than in "normal" women. I've lost about 70 pounds in the last year, and I am not "on plan" 100% of the time. I have good days and bad days. The trick for me is to allow splurges and not deprive myself of the foods I truly enjoy. They are PLANNED and I ignore the scale for a couple days afterwards. Honestly - just whatever you do, don't give up!

[mountain walker]

thank you so much for the positive vibes!

[astrophe]

And yes -- losing some weight will change the hormone thing dramatically. Congrats!

A.

[Runic]

Ug, I hate how dismissive doctors can be. Before I found out I had PCOS, I went to a doctor who basically told me the same thing.

I was having really abnormal periods and sometimes not menstruating for several months at a time. I didn't have insurance so I went to a clinic. The doctor just told me to lose weight and added "It's summer. You have no excuse. Just walk or something." and looked at me with disgust. She didn't do any tests or give me ANY information. It wasn't until years later, after going to the ER because I was bleeding through a pad every 10 minutes (and the ER did nothing for me... just sent me home after a few hours) that I saw a doctor who did some tests and told me I had PCOS and actually started to help me.

The doctor who dismissed me certainly didn't help me get motivated to make any changes—I'm glad that worked out for you though. I just don't get how being overweight gives anyone the right to treat you with such disrespect.

[precious anne]

wow! my ob gyne told me the same thing - lose the fat- but not with the smug~ I guess I'm lucky or not look at what that smug led you to.

Congratulations! You are inspiring...there is hope for me then. I've re-started my journey this month, and everything's looking up. I just got my period and this is my 2nd consecutive month! hoorraaay for periods!

[Violet73]

Congrats on the weight loss! That's awesome! Did you stick with a certain calorie or carb count?

Sometimes we need tough love. Sometimes we need someone to kick us into gear and tell us to do something in a harsh way. I think more doctors need to do this instead of trying to find a pill to solve our problems. While I would have been ticked at that doctor too, he probably has saved you from years of bouncing around and never truly losing the weight you needed to.

I worked with an orthopedic surgeon who was pretty blunt. If people came into his office weighing 300 pounds and complained of knee pain he would tell them to lose weight and your knees won't hurt. Very simple.. right??? haha... Anyway, he was very thin, but he ran every day, even having had back surgery in the past.

Sometimes we need to hear what we don't wanna hear to set us in motion. Even in a smug way