This is my latest design for a Valentines Day card! I love Valentines!.... Not because it's a day of love, but because of the fond memories I have of blowing up over a 1000 heart shaped balloons for the holiday at my old job.
Friday, January 7, 2011
PCOS, What is it?
It effects 5 to 10 percent of women worldwide. Even though it's name tells you that it is an ovary problem, it is actually an endocrine disorder. The ovary symptoms were among the first problems doctors discovered with the syndrome. Instead of the body producing progesterone, to finish up the maturation and release of an egg, it makes and uses excess amounts of testosterone, which causes the egg to never be released from the ovary. The egg fills up with fluid and becomes a cyst. Doctors aren't exactly sure why but they believe there to be a correlation between pcos and diabetes because the majority of pcos women develop or have someone in their family that has diabetes. ( but who doesn't these days?!)
Symptoms vary greatly because any one of the 7 organs making up the endocrine system could be outta whack! So this makes it difficult to study and help everyone but the main ones are:
-Mood swings
- Foggy minded
-fatigue
-pelvic pain
-heavy painful periods ( what the egg doesn't release but there is still a period?) yeah, when estrogen levels drop or the uterine lining becomes so heavy it collapses you have a "period" that lasts 8 to 14 days, but the good news is you don't have one every month!
ha! but again, everyone varies.
-hair loss
-hair growth
-bladder infections
-irregular bowel movements
-obesity
-insulin sensitivity
- Also, at high risk for diabetes, heart disease, and ovarian and cervical cancer
Symptoms vary greatly because any one of the 7 organs making up the endocrine system could be outta whack! So this makes it difficult to study and help everyone but the main ones are:
-Mood swings
- Foggy minded
-fatigue
-pelvic pain
-heavy painful periods ( what the egg doesn't release but there is still a period?) yeah, when estrogen levels drop or the uterine lining becomes so heavy it collapses you have a "period" that lasts 8 to 14 days, but the good news is you don't have one every month!
ha! but again, everyone varies.-hair loss
-hair growth
-bladder infections
-irregular bowel movements
-obesity
-insulin sensitivity
- Also, at high risk for diabetes, heart disease, and ovarian and cervical cancer
PCOS and Breastfeeding
I'm totally spaced out all the time, and nauseous! It sucks! I'm so dizzy, I can"t drive, let alone walk down the 3 flights of stairs to get to my car from the apartment. . . . I began to think that maybe I have developed agoraphobia or something, but when I feel good, I'm outside taking a walk or running errands.... so that can"t be it! Just wishful thinking, I guess. ( If it were agoraphobia, I could get over it!) Whatever it is, it's just as debilitating. I wish it would just go away, so I could enjoy life.
I have also been getting a severe pain in my left side. It starts inside the front of my hip, then extends up my back and down into my groin. The pain is so severe... worse than labor pain! There's no organs there, except for the ovary, intestines and kidney ( ok, there's a few) so I thought it might be a kidney stone. I mean the pain felt like something was burning and melting and about to burst out of me! I keep scheduling doctors appointments and then don't go to them because by the time I'm suppose to go, the "episode" is over.
One day the pain got so severe, I decided to go to the ER! I thought to myself," Hey, the pain is occurring right at this very moment, so maybe they will find something!" They ran a few tests and I was at the ER all day. (The nurse was a complete wreck! But that's a completely different story in and of itself! OMG! Which I will tell later!) The dr comes in and tells me I was severely dehydrated and probably had a virus! A VIRUS!?!?! That has lasted for 7 months! I don't think so! Then before I could say, Doctor?" he was out of the room. I was so drugged up on morphine and dizzy, I couldn't think fast enough or clear enough to do anything about it at the time.
So what does this have to do with PCOS and breast feeding?
Well, first of all, what is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? PCOS LINK
Here's the gist if you don"t wanna go to the link: Symptoms vary greatly because any one of the 7 organs and glands making up the endocrine system don't function at their optimum level at various times. This makes it difficult to study. No one knows what causes it.
So my hormones are crazy! My baby Chunky Monkey gets plenty of milk, but I am dehydrated all the time. The reason I think there is a correlation between the way I feel and nursing is because I feel worse after feedings and when you breastfeed the organs and glands that make up the endocrine system are busy releasing hormones. It doesn't matter how much water I drink, I feel like I have a hangover from hell! I've cut out all alcohol and caffeine and thought I was maybe drinking too much water a day, but the er doc said I was dehydrated!!! I don't know what to do!!! I'm thinking this is the cause of the spaced out dizzy headache vomit feeling ( Shikaka, I'm repeating myself because I can't think!)... and am hoping it is the cause of the side pain. ....Either way, feels good to write about it.
Alexander is 9 months now, so I am trying (key word trying) to wean him, but there is no guarantee I will feel better if I do this. ...I am a very stubborn person`. Doctors told me I would probably never have a child without medical intervention- I proved them wrong!! (WOOO HOO, go me! My precious little miracle, accident!) Then they told me I wouldn't be able to breastfeed because of my hormones, inverted nipples, and Alex's palette was shaped oddly- Apparently Chunky Monkey is stubborn like his mama, because we have been breastfeeding like champs! and I don't want to give it up because of my gimp body! That's like saying the Doctors were right! I know, I know, I have been doing it for 9 months, that's probably good enough and I should be proud. But I want to stop when I am ready, not when my body is!!! That is the story of my life.... My stupid body always gets in the way!
But I am proud.... I just have to convince my son it's time to stop! I wonder who is more stubborn? ha
oh, drinking pedialyte helps somewhat, but it has sooo many calories!
I have also been getting a severe pain in my left side. It starts inside the front of my hip, then extends up my back and down into my groin. The pain is so severe... worse than labor pain! There's no organs there, except for the ovary, intestines and kidney ( ok, there's a few) so I thought it might be a kidney stone. I mean the pain felt like something was burning and melting and about to burst out of me! I keep scheduling doctors appointments and then don't go to them because by the time I'm suppose to go, the "episode" is over.
One day the pain got so severe, I decided to go to the ER! I thought to myself," Hey, the pain is occurring right at this very moment, so maybe they will find something!" They ran a few tests and I was at the ER all day. (The nurse was a complete wreck! But that's a completely different story in and of itself! OMG! Which I will tell later!) The dr comes in and tells me I was severely dehydrated and probably had a virus! A VIRUS!?!?! That has lasted for 7 months! I don't think so! Then before I could say, Doctor?" he was out of the room. I was so drugged up on morphine and dizzy, I couldn't think fast enough or clear enough to do anything about it at the time.
So what does this have to do with PCOS and breast feeding?
Well, first of all, what is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? PCOS LINK
Here's the gist if you don"t wanna go to the link: Symptoms vary greatly because any one of the 7 organs and glands making up the endocrine system don't function at their optimum level at various times. This makes it difficult to study. No one knows what causes it.
So my hormones are crazy! My baby Chunky Monkey gets plenty of milk, but I am dehydrated all the time. The reason I think there is a correlation between the way I feel and nursing is because I feel worse after feedings and when you breastfeed the organs and glands that make up the endocrine system are busy releasing hormones. It doesn't matter how much water I drink, I feel like I have a hangover from hell! I've cut out all alcohol and caffeine and thought I was maybe drinking too much water a day, but the er doc said I was dehydrated!!! I don't know what to do!!! I'm thinking this is the cause of the spaced out dizzy headache vomit feeling ( Shikaka, I'm repeating myself because I can't think!)... and am hoping it is the cause of the side pain. ....Either way, feels good to write about it.
Alexander is 9 months now, so I am trying (key word trying) to wean him, but there is no guarantee I will feel better if I do this. ...I am a very stubborn person`. Doctors told me I would probably never have a child without medical intervention- I proved them wrong!! (WOOO HOO, go me! My precious little miracle, accident!) Then they told me I wouldn't be able to breastfeed because of my hormones, inverted nipples, and Alex's palette was shaped oddly- Apparently Chunky Monkey is stubborn like his mama, because we have been breastfeeding like champs! and I don't want to give it up because of my gimp body! That's like saying the Doctors were right! I know, I know, I have been doing it for 9 months, that's probably good enough and I should be proud. But I want to stop when I am ready, not when my body is!!! That is the story of my life.... My stupid body always gets in the way!
But I am proud.... I just have to convince my son it's time to stop! I wonder who is more stubborn? ha
oh, drinking pedialyte helps somewhat, but it has sooo many calories!
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