Part I - My Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Diagnosis

So yesterday my suspicions were confirmed all along by Professor PC Tan of University Malaya, who happens to be so unexpectedly interesting. I loved him! He made a point of explaining the method of deduction typically used to confirm the diagnosis and listened patiently and carefully as I queried and raised my concerns.

I have a bad impression of doctors, unfortunately. It seems that just because their area of service is that of treating the sick, they seem to forget, or in fact, it probably has never dawned upon them that they are in a service-based industry. Condescending, patronising, lack of empathy and blatant impatience does not make good service. In my humble, experienced opinion. Talk about taking advantage of your position, about inequal bargaining power, about being the oppressed customer. The customer is NEVER right when it comes to medical advice. Oh please, being a professional myself, and therefore also in the service industry, I know for a fact that people screw up. In fact, in my profession, we are often impressed by clients who know their stuff - and so we always try to be ahead of the game.

But with doctors, things are always cut short. You are always made to feel that you are taking up their precious time with such stupid questions. I guess its because there would always be a shortage of doctors, and there will always be plenty of patients. So plenty more where we came from. So you end up paying huge consultation fees, and end up not knowing what the heck was wrong with you in the first place and place total reliance on the doctors words. Until the misdiagnosis.

Ok.

Anyway. Sidetracking is my middle name. My diagnosis can essentially be summarised as follows-

• a bunch of cysts have developed around both of my ovaries - they look like a strand of pearls on a neck. Professor PC Tan tells me they've been there since my first menstruation - a cool 14 years ago.
• nobody really knows what causes PCOS - its very closely linked to insulin resistance or in layman's terms, diabetes. In fact, it is almost a pre diabetic stage.
• the effect of the cysts is that my hormones are screwed up - I have not enough progesterone, which makes my estrogen and testosterone levels relatively high in comparison with the lack of the other hormones.
• this hormonal imbalance never really manifested when I was younger, but in the last year or so I developed excessive facial hair, gained THIRTEEN AND A HALF kilogrammes, and have had terrible mood swings. All in a span of 12 months.
• the cysts interfere with my ovulation cycles which makes me less fertile. This breaks my heart the most.
• the lack of progesterone also interfere with my ovulation cycle and doesn't allow for the lining of the uterus to be shed in a natural way. If the lining of the uterus is left to thicken, Professor PC Tan said that it would almost inevitably lead to cancer of the uterus. [periods are basically in a nutshell your body's natural way of shedding the lining of the uterus. The uterus becomes lined in preparation for your future baby to be cushioned against if your ovum is fertilisied. So if no ovum is fertilised, the lining shall be shed, normally at least.]

The treatment is specifically targetted and regulating the hormonal changes and increasing insulin sensitivity, which will obviously require me to start on the medication prescribed. But Professor PC Tan being the perfect academician that he is, suggested that I try to beat this au naturel. He said that the weight gain is abnormal, and it is due to the erratic hormones, and this will make me either super hungry or lose my appetite. So he suggested that I just don't give in to the hormones and kick the hunger side effects and lose weight - the weight loss, if exercise induced, will have a positive impact on my insulin sensitivity and metabolism.

If I beat all these, the doctor said that I could possibly naturally get rid of PCOS and ensure that I do not reach a diabetic stage. If not, it looks like I am headed for early diabetes.

This is my road to beating this. I know genetics play a part and I can't do much. Am not aiming to move mountains, but hope that with some drastic changes, I'll be able to beat this inconvenient condition.

My first weigh in will be on 14 August 2009. Morale boosters needed.