I knew something was wrong! This may be my ranting week. I am so tired of family practice doctors dismissing us fatties because we are well…fat. Doctors tell us that if we diet and exercise all our complaints will just disappear! Really doc? I’ve never said I was a genius, but I am practiced in the art of common sense, and common sense tells me if all medical conditions were related to fat then the skinnies should be in perfect health and never need to see a doctor. Is he trying to tell me that skinnies never suffer from unexplained exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, pain in the abdomen or the need to get up and use the restroom three times a night? That my hair falling out in the tub is because I am fat? Unacceptable! He actually told me I would feel better if I lost some weight! That was my PMO (Peeved me off) moment. I told him I had been dieting and exercising for three weeks and still the symptoms were getting worse. He said a lot of women say they are dieting, but it’s the hidden calories we consume when clearing the dishes or making lunch for our children. I am normally not a violent person, but I did have a brief moment when I wanted to take the BIC pen out of his hand and stab him in the eye. I left the office shaking. Now how do you go home and tell your husband about that one? I was humiliated. It went like this… “Yeah...Joe…Um…I guess…Um… I am just really fat.”
I refused to accept this. We know our bodies and we know when something is wrong. I had been working out for weeks and I was still exhausted all the time. My calorie intake was optimal and I still was having a hard time getting a consistent weight loss going. I decided to take charge of my health care. Now if you have never done this, let me tell you it can be quite scary. I had myself diagnosed with all sorts of rare and potentially deadly diseases. Medical websites should be used with caution. I finally came across a site for diabetes. It listed my symptoms and I became very educated. I knew I didn’t have diabetes; however, I matched all the criteria for Insulin Resistance (IR). I searched for a doctor and found the name of one Endocrinologist that kept surfacing on the message boards. I called the number and he had a new patient cancellation the very next day. I was in week 4 at this point so I had printed my articles from the journal website so I looked legit. I brought my food and exercise journal so he could see what I was eating. I brought pictures…I was not going to be blown off again! He walked in the room and shook my hand. He talked with me for over an hour and ordered tests. He believed me! He said I was a mystery and he was the investigator. I went to the lab and donated a half gallon of blood. He was leaving no stone unturned. He also ordered an ultrasound of my abdomen which showed a considerable amount of cysts on my ovaries. My Blood Glucose came back high, as well as my hormone levels. I was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS) and Insulin Resistance (IR).
This condition affects millions of women who never get diagnosed because their family doctor dismisses their concerns. IR is pre-diabetes. It’s the stage right before your cells shut down for good requiring insulin therapy. Research has shown that IR and PCOS are related, that for some reason the IR wreaks havoc with your hormone levels and cysts begin to form on your ovaries. This condition is often diagnosed when a women begins to have trouble conceiving.
We know our body converts food to energy. Insulin is released by the pancreas when we eat sugars, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. At some point, my body stopped responding to the insulin and my pancreas is working overtime- releasing more and more. It’s like driving a 20 year old gas guzzler, you need more gas to go the same distance as a fuel efficient car. My body is seriously confused and is turning the food I eat into stored fat- especially around the midsection. According to my endocrinologist, the fact I am losing any weight is shocking.
He prescribed me a drug called Metformine. This drug is like a key that unlocks my cells to accept the insulin. I have also been started on a medication to shrink the cysts. My diet is great, I am exercising, this should be the third piece of the puzzle as many patients tend to start losing weight after treatment begins. Today is day two on the medication and nothing to report so far. The petty side of me wants to march into my family practice doctor’s office and shout “SEE…I told you so!”
My Stats for the week:
Starting weight: 242 pounds
Previous weight: 227 pounds
Current weight: 228 pounds
Current Weight Loss: +1 pounds
Total weight loss: 14 pounds
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