After a while of dealing with some annoying and sometimes painful skin issues, I finally found out what is going on with my body. Sort of. It is a relief having a name for it (which I won’t mention because any Google search for it brings up HORRIBLE, almost traumatizing, images) and knowing that I can do things to minimize the effects. After describing my symptoms and concerns to my doctor, she said I most likely suffer from insulin resistance. She stopped short of outright diagnosing me with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) but that may change depending on my blood results.
I suffer from many of the common symptoms of PCOS, including emotional problems. It’s not something I typically talk to anyone about other than my husband and even then I don’t tell him everything because I know I sound crazy. I’ve always just tried putting on a happy face in front of family and friends. I tend to stress myself out and it’s most likely what has made my sleeping problems worse.
Luckily, now that I have an idea of what’s going on with me I can deal with it head on. It turns out a lot of the symptoms can be lessened or completely go away, including my skin condition, if I make a lifestyle change of lower carb diet and include daily exercise into my routine. If I can lose weight, which PCOS and any insulin-resistant disorders make more difficult (just my luck), I can take back some control. It really put into perspective a lot of issues I’ve mostly silently dealt with on my own and assumed I couldn’t do much about. For instance, last year when I was working out several times a week on my own, with a trainer, and watching what I ate and only managed to lose about 16 lbs. It was discouraging seeing all the hard work I was putting in and seeing little results. This ended up being part of the reason I gained the weight back. I kind of gave up and assumed it would take forever to see the results I wanted. Losing weight can be a really tough, emotional rollercoaster. At least for me it is.
I’m starting a search for online support, advice, and inspiration from others who have to deal with this. I’m really hoping I can stick to my plan this time around…my health truly depends on it.
One Heart 2 Give 