PCOS

If I hadn't been having trouble conceiving I probably would have never been diagnosed with PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS is just one of the litany of problems that I bring to the table in efforts to conceive and one that long-term will probably have the most substantial impact on my health and well-being. Nevertheless, when I am visiting doctors other than the ob/gyn or fertility specialist I often forget to mention (on forms or in person) that I even have PCOS. PCOS is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately one in ten women that is typically characterized by cysts on the ovaries, irregular periods, and high levels of male hormones or androgens. It is the most… [more]

I am not familiar with PCOS. I only know a couple of people who have it, both of whom have fertility problems as well. I had been wondering how to find out more info when, lo and behold, my February issue of Natural Health had an article titled, "Weighty Matters" by Lisa Drayer, MA, RD on the cover. Perfect timing. The article was hefty with facts and info, especially for a newcomer like me. I wish that the article had focused more on the emotional impact of PCOS. This is another area that I am interested in and looking forward to learning more about. Here is what I learned in a nutshell. General

• The abbreviation stands for polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Around 6 million

The reason I am using pearls to illustrate this, is that ovarian cysts (including the developing eggs, mind you) can look like pearls. And like pearls, there's a certain amount of inflammation involved. I was doing research for a novel, totally unrelated, but I was reading a medical journal about PCOS where a bunch of obstetricians were debating whether to treat PCOS at all, since it is the ovary's job, basically, to produce cysts. They were pondering that perhaps the medical profession is a bit too excited about another chance to do surgery. Again, it is thought that up to ten percent of women might have PCOS, and that it is THE leading cause of female infertility. That said, one of… [more]

Nancy, our fearless editor, had a great post about her granddaughter's astute observation of a correlation between fertility problems and obesity, and she mentioned how Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is probably one of the most common conditions and causes of female infertility. Interestingly, it is also secondarily related to obesity because it involves hormonal imbalances, particularly insulin resistance. Sound familiar? In my post on the Specific Carbohydrate diet, I wrote about how a bunch of us, in trying to help our children's digestive problems, at the same time straightened out our excess carb intake (and exercise a lot more, what with all the veggie shredding and nut-flour grinding, etc.)--and then, oops! became pregnant. There was at… [more]