Some quick health things

[jhameia]

Nothing serious.

Went for a follow-up with the doctor. From my blood tests, the ultrasound, and my irregular periods, she's given me a diagnosis of poly-cystic ovary syndrome. The PCOS doesn't mean a whole lot, except I'm at higher risk of diabetes, sleep apnea and infertility (which, surprise surprise, are also things my mother has to deal with) (no wonder she and Dad took two years to conceive me). Doc B is putting me on Yaz, an oral contraceptive, sigh. I asked her why I can't just get back on the NuvaRing, and turns out oral contraceptives have stuff in them that counter the elevated testosterone levels (I'm not sure why this is a big deal). But at least I'm on BC again! It'll be nice to have regular periods once more. Other than that, my bed has been helping me sleep incredibly well, and when I want to have kids I just have to make sure I see a doc sooner than later.

I've been taken advantage of free food ALL WEEK, you guys. Sara Ahmed came on Wednesday to speak. I went to both her talks, and my class also had a seminar with her. It was quite amazing. I think I have mentioned this. Then there was a talk on Friday. My department is hiring new tenured faculty, so the candidates are giving talks on their research projects. Then grad students get a meet-and-greet with the candidates. At the grad pub. On the department's tab. And then at the end of the day, i was trying to get work done, and instead went for drinks and food with some of the PhD students and my supervisor. I wasn't going to, and I'm usually pretty good at turning them down, but I can't turn my supervisor down!

I need to go for another bloodtest, a more sensitive one for blood sugar (will have to fast for this one, sigh). I've also not been to the gym at all... well, on Monday, but that's it. I'm trying to amp up to 3 jogs a week, dammit.

To read for this week, Yann Martel's Self. So much for reading ahead! And tomorrow, revising a fourth draft of my MRP proposal.

Comments

[polymexina.livejournal.com]

I have PCOS too. Did she talk to you about its impact on your metabolism and insulin resistance?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

She mentioned the insulin thing, but not the metabolism problem. Although, it kinda does make sense now why I'm having so much trouble losing weight than I used to before...

[polymexina.livejournal.com]

That's what I was thinking. Google insulin resistance and see if the patterns (particularly re: hunger spikes) match what you've experienced

[februaryfour]

Another friend has PCOS and apparently it's to blame for a whole host of problems. There's a PCOS message board somewhere that has people dealing with PCOS; would you like me to ask her about it and send the link your way?

[februaryfour]

Also, said friend is pregnant, and her doctor was talking to her about stuff:

one of those issues is my glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes which I have most likely failed (I have PCOS, right, which makes you insulin resistant, and getting gestational diabetes with that combo seems to happen to everyone with it, sooner or later; the high-risk OB I saw for a consult says he gets 110 lb skinny Indian ladies who get it this way too; it's not really weight dependent so much as metabolic).

I don't understand any of it, having never had PCOS or been pregnant.

[polymexina.livejournal.com]

the forum she's thinking of is probably soul cysters

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Well, on the off-chance I do get ridiculous complications from PCOS, I might as well know!

[februaryfour]

From her e-mail:

www.soulcysters.net is the big one, with a lot of archived threads that were really helpful when I was going to the doctor for help conceiving It has some issues with reliability though, and sometimes the website is just down. It may have changed in the last few months though...

And then there's www.unitedcysters.com, which is the one I've been hanging out on for the last few months, when soulcysters became unbearable to try to load. A whole message board thread of us evacuated there. It's considerably less active than soulcysters was, but I like the ladies there and the fact that I don't have to read everyday to make sure I'm on top of stuff.

She's also offered to talk to you, if you want. She's eiriene here on LJ, and if you contact her just let her know I sent you her way. (She's also a retired literary agent, so you might have more to talk about than PCOS...)

[februaryfour]

She actually sent a long e-mail; I'm going to PM you so I don't clog up your comments. <3

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks!

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that the doc found out what is causing you problems. *hugs*