Why Do I Scare Myself?

Since I seem to sit in front of the computer all day, I don't have any other option than to look up possible reasons for why I have not received my period. After looking around for a while, it crossed my mind to look up the symptoms for PCOS- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Here is the list I found on WedMD. I will put the symptoms I am experiencing in bold.

Early symptoms of PCOS include:

• Few or no menstrual periods. This can range from less than nine menstrual cycles in a year (more than 35 days between cycles) to no menstrual periods.³ Some women with PCOS have regular periods but are not ovulating every month. This means that their ovaries are not releasing an egg each month.
• Heavy, irregular vaginal bleeding. About 30% of women with PCOS have this symptom.⁴
• Hair loss from the scalp and hair growth (hirsutism) on the face, chest, back, stomach, thumbs, or toes. About 70% of women in the United States with PCOS complain of these hair problems caused by high androgen levels.⁵
• Acne and oily skin, caused by high androgen levels.
• Depression or mood swings. Hormonal changes are a known cause of emotional symptoms.

Now I understand that some of these symptoms can be caused by other things, but it is just a little unsetteling how many of these early symptoms I am experiencing. Here is the next set of symptoms that are considered "gradual" changes.

PCOS symptoms that may develop gradually include:

• Weight gain or upper body obesity (more around the abdomen than the hips). This is linked to high androgen levels.⁵
• Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair (alopecia). This is linked to high androgen levels.
• Repeat miscarriages. The cause for this is not known. These miscarriages may be linked to high insulin levels, delayed ovulation, or other problems such as the quality of the egg or how the egg attaches to the uterus.
• Inability to become pregnant (infertility). This is because the ovaries are not releasing an egg (not ovulating).
• Symptoms of too much insulin (hyperinsulinemia) and insulin resistance, which can include upper body weight gain and skin changes, such as skin tags or dark, velvety skin patches under the arm, on the neck, or in the groin and genital area.
• Breathing problems while sleeping (obstructive sleep apnea). This is linked to both obesity and insulin resistance.³
• Pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis (chronic pelvic pain).

The only symptoms from this list that I have experienced is one miscarriage, difficulty getting pregnant, and pain in the lower abdomen, which lasted for about 3 weeks, but has gone away.

BUT The biggest shock was when I read this...

The most common reasons that first bring women with PCOS to a doctor include:

• Menstrual problems.
• Male-type hair growth (hirsutism) on the face and body.
• Infertility.
• Weight gain or upper body obesity.

DING DING DING.... I'm 3 for 4 on that list! Not to mention, my mom had to have one ovary removed and eventually had to have a full blown hysterectomy due to cysts on her ovaries.

So needless to say... now I have greatly freaked myself out and can not wait to get my doctor's appointment scheduled. The only thing that worries me even more is the fact that I am stuck on this tiny little island, where there are not specialist. Thankfully, if it is required for me to see one, the Coast Guard will pay to fly me to Anchorage to get the medical help that I need (and trust me...I don't mind going to a REAL city for a few days). I just don't want to imagine having to fly back and forth to Anchorage on medical flights several times a month.

My biggest fear growing up was that I would never be able to have a baby... and sadly, I am feeling more and more like the fear is becoming a reality.