POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME

Dr Petty called me today personally. He informed me that I have Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOS). The old school term is Stein-Leventhal Syndrome. 4 to 6 percent of women in America have this disease. When your hormones don't' work "normal", your ovaries may make too many eggs and those eggs turn into cysts on the ovaries. It often begins in the teen years. It doesn't go away. Usually women with PCOS have irregular periods (Petty told me I would only get my period 3 to 4 times a year), and after a while women stop having periods. 70 percent of women have extra hair growth on the chin, upper lip, nipple area, chest, lower abdomen, and thighs. They may get acne. With PCOS you are more likely to get high blood pressure and/or diabetes and have a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes. Also with PCOS you are more likely to be infertile and also have higher risks for cancer of the uterus or breast. To treat PCOS, I need to loose weight. This will help weight gain and can even improve chances of fertility. Medicine will help with my period, hair growth, and acne. If Darren and I want to have another baby, there are medicines that may help us get pregnant. It was hard for me not to cry when Dr Petty was talking to me on the phone. Dr Petty wants me to see an OB/GYN to see how advanced this is, Dr Petty recommended Dr David Billings from Minot. That's convenient for me because he comes to Devils Lake each month. I am so depressed about this. All I could really thing about when I was writing information down was that Darren doesn't have to worry about having another baby, and I have a lot to look forward to.