This post is about my journey with PCOS and what I have done in my journey to get to present day. Its a little long, so grab a mug of tea and get comfy.
Like I mentioned in my into post, I was officially diagnosed with PCOS (polycyctic ovarian syndrome) about 2 years after the birth of my second child. I really didn't think much of it, why not? I wasn't having periods! Those were always painful for me and I did not miss them at all. So, around age 29, I noticed that I was really piling on weight. It did not make any sense. I ate fairly well and exercised. Then all of a sudden, I was looking pregnant. Nothing I did worked. My doctor was even stumped as to why I was gaining weight.
Along with the weight, my emotions were ALL OVER the place. I was sad, distant, withdrawn, basically a nut case. I was even starting to miss time, forgetting things. This was really starting to scare me. One day, I was so overcome by my sadness and despair that I couldn't stop crying. I called my dad immediately. He went through my high school depression with me and was the only one that I trusted to "deal" with me. He came and got me and my girls and took me to his house. We left the girls with my grandma and went for a drive. I can't let my girls see me that way. I felt in that moment that I could not be an effective mother and that made me feel so helpless. I expressed this to my dad and he reassured me that me asking him for help was a step of strength and not to doubt myself.
During all of this, my husband is present. He wasn't the rock and voice of reason that I needed. He would name my personalities as he experienced my roller coaster of emotions. When I was being a crazy bitch so to speak, he named me Sharon. He is just someone that is not very empathetic. I do not blame him at all for that. He dealt with a lot growing up and is still growing to be the full rock that I need.
So, I called the doctor, made an appointment. We spoke and I was evaluated. I was prescribed Zoloft. At the same time, my best friend at the time going through a divorce was also prescribed Zoloft. It was reassuring that we were prescribed the same thing and could give the other a pill if we forgot to take them since we worked together. Soon, I became numb. I wasn't happy or sad, just existing. Something had to change.
At 30, I did what everyone else does when needing life altering answers... I GOOGLED! I googled pcos and depression. I came across a website that suggested a gluten free diet. I read the forum post about how all these women did it and dropped weight. Many said that they felt awesome. So, I figured why not? This is the very start of my whole REINVENTION.
When I told my husband that I was going to try gluten free, he looked at me like I was crazy! I went through the cupboard and through away everything with gluten! If momma was going gluten free, the family would too. I refuse to cook two separate meals and make more dishes to wash. I started buying gluten free items and experimenting with gluten free pasta. Pasta is my weakness! I love love love just about any pasta dish. Rice pasta is gross! Its too gummy! It took about 6 months to find a good blend, but I prefer the pasta blends that have quinoa in them. Corn pasta is ok.
In the beginning, I was very strict with gluten. Within three months, I was able to come off of the Zoloft!!! I found that gluten triggered my emotions and mood swings. I wasn't losing weight, but my mood swings were in check without antidepressant medications! So, for the past two years I have stayed about 90/95% gluten free. The wheatier something is, the more it triggers my mood swings.
I was feeling better by being gluten free and not having as much inflammation. I am a full believer that gluten free diets can be a fad and not for everyone, but it has helped me on my journey to managing my PCOS. As I thought about how I was able to eliminate a pill by diet changes, what else could I do diet wise to help with my symptoms. Next, I went to label reading and ingredients.
I starting researching and realized that I needed and it made sense to go as all natural and organic as possible. SO, as I did when I went gluten free, I rounded up all my pantry items that were not natural ingredients and donated them to a food bank. I discovered that A LOT of my gluten free items WERE NOT that great after all! Lots of artificial crap was in them to make them taste good. This was another battle with my husband who LOVES junk foods! I started teaching the kids to read labels. My rule for grocery shopping is if they can't pronounce the ingredient then its probably bad! This saves us a lot of fussing at the store. They can recognize artificial colors and will grab a box off the shelf, look at the label, and put it back with a long face, lol! I do get many compliments from parents watch my kids. Some do give me the stink eye every now and then, but as I walk by their cart, I cringe by just by looking in their cart and knowing what all those chemicals in their food are doing.
After my natural and organic food detox began, I was getting less headaches and seeing a decline in some of my symptoms. I also noticed that Chloe, my oldest child was not having as many emotionally charged outburst. I tested my theory and let her have junk one weekend and oh my! I wanted to drink myself to sleep and run away! Needless to say, I am very vocal about what people give my children. We have been all natural and organic for a little over a year now.
In March of 2014, I was introduced to essential oils. I fell in love! My inner hippie was jumping for joy! I was able to replace my migraine medication and kick my morning coffee habit! I have also replaced ALL over the counter medications! I was also introduced to coconut oil. What can I sat about coconut oil? I put that on EVERYTHING! I started oil pulling and have taught my kids to as well. I have been able to heal cavities with oil pulling and essential oils.
If going all natural with food has done this, what about the rest of my body? Around October of 2014, I went natural with toothpaste, deodorant, hair care and dish & laundry detergent, cleaning products. I love the rock crystal deodorant! The first one that works and I do not smell like a goat! I definitely have seen a dramatic change since doing this. After a month, I started having some cramping and what I call "mini cycles". It was like my body was waking up!!! My memory was getting a little better.
This brings us up to present day. Just over the past few months, we have been more strict about the meats we buy and as much organic as possible. I refuse to buy packaged sandwich meat with preservatives and so on. My husband is FINALLY on board with buying grass fed, no hormones/antibiotics.
The past year has been hard on me. Where I have made great progress, I have had some set backs. I am starting to get what the doctors call "hormone surges". My body is over making what I wasn't making and it was throwing my body out of whack. Imagine have vertigo, amnesia and some affects of a stroke and not having any strength. Kind of like that. I was hospitalized a few times through out the year. Right now, I am having problems sleeping and dealing with extreme fatigue at times. I am currently waiting on test results from my thyroid and for vitamin deficiency. Depending what the results say, we may need to test for narcolepsy since it does run in my family.
When my blood work comes back, my sugar, cholesterol and all of that comes back textbook perfect! This is what makes each case of PCOS so hard to treat. Each woman who deal with this has different symptoms and reacts to therapies differently. I am currently taking a water pill that blocks testosterone. It seems to be working. I am not growing dark hair all over as I was and my mustache is manageable. Seriously, I just said that. I also started taking a supplement twice a day a few weeks ago that is suppose to help with my insulin resistance. I hope to start seeing some results within a few weeks. I am so tired of looking pregnant. I have grown to call it my "perma pregnant belly" or "old man gut".
Jess
This is about my journey and evolution that started when I turned 30. I changed everything from my thought process to how I live my life.
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