OMG!!! This website and thread have been like a Godsend to me. About 12-13 years ago when the term PCOS first came into play, I went to my OB/GYN (1996) for my annual and asked her about it. She told me that the hair on my upper lip could easily be bleached or removed w/ NAIR and that I just need to go on a diet. I was too embarrassed to tell her about the hair on my chin, neck, cheeks, breasts, arms, and belly. Five years later (2001) and a different OB/GYN, I got the same lecture about my weight and she prescribed Vaniqua for me. Again, too embarrassed to mention all the places of have coarse, black hair. In 2006, I went to a seminar for the lap band. After finding out the procedure wasn't covered by my insurance, I thought my options were exhausted. Well, in Feb. '09, I decided to go to a new PCP. My appt. is on April 14. I have been doing quite a bit of research in the internet about PCOS for the past few months and gee... I have 6 of the main symptoms (weight gain, hirsutism, dark skin patches, skin tags, IR, and irregular periods). I am now going to my dr appt. loaded w/ information about PCOS, which blood tests in need, and the names of meds being currently prescribed for PCOS. I am also going to another lap band seminar on Apr. 8. I am going to pay for the surgery out of my own pocket. I am no longer going to just accept what ever a medical professional has to say just because s/he has a degree. I know my body! And thanks to this thread, I don't feel like such a fat, hairy freak any more! :confused:

OMG!!! This website and thread have been like a Godsend to me. About 12-13 years ago when the term PCOS first came into play, I went to my OB/GYN (1996) for my annual and asked her about it. She told me that the hair on my upper lip could easily be bleached or removed w/ NAIR and that I just need to go on a diet. I was too embarrassed to tell her about the hair on my chin, neck, cheeks, breasts, arms, and belly. Five years later (2001) and a different OB/GYN, I got the same lecture about my weight and she prescribed Vaniqua for me. Again, too embarrassed to mention all the places of have coarse, black hair. In 2006, I went to a seminar for the lap band. After finding out the procedure wasn't covered by my insurance, I thought my options were exhausted. Well, in Feb. '09, I decided to go to a new PCP. My appt. is on April 14. I have been doing quite a bit of research in the internet about PCOS for the past few months and gee... I have 6 of the main symptoms (weight gain, hirsutism, dark skin patches, skin tags, IR, and irregular periods). I am now going to my dr appt. loaded w/ information about PCOS, which blood tests in need, and the names of meds being currently prescribed for PCOS. I am also going to another lap band seminar on Apr. 8. I am going to pay for the surgery out of my own pocket. I am no longer going to just accept what ever a medical professional has to say just because s/he has a degree. I know my body! And thanks to this thread, I don't feel like such a fat, hairy freak any more! :scared2:

Hey, Sweetbean! Your PCOS story is pretty much my PCOS story also. How can doctors NOT know about PCOS? I diagnosed myself after reading a Good Housekeeping article and realizing that I had 7 out of the 10 symptoms of PCOS. To encourage you, I got my lap band on Sept. 4, 2008 and have lost 64 pounds since then. So it is very, very possible to lose weight with PCOS and the lap band. Without the lap band, the most I ever lost on my own was 25 pounds. If you follow the lap band rules, which really aren't difficult to follow, you'll do GREAT with the lap band. Stay in touch with us and let us know how you are doing on your journey. Best of luck to you.

My story is almost exactly like yours except I've had doctors tell me to take Glucophage/Metformin, spironolactone, BC, etc. None of it worked! I was bleeding for two years straight from 2006 til my surgery. Once I hit the 40 lbs lost mark (December 2008) the bleeding finally stopped. Normal periods haven't started again yet but I do notice that I get spot bleeding every other week or so which I think is the cysts dissolving from my ovaries. It's kind of exciting!

The hair has not slowed at all but I read from other PCOS gals that it won't for some time if at all. I have it everywhere as well and dark brown....awful!

I did learn recently though that there is a home laser that just came out that is the exact same laser that is used in the dermatologist office and it is made for dark hair with lighter skin tones. It is $1,000 (just saw that they reduced the price by $200 so now it is only $800)but easy to do if you can find 3 other friends who want to split the cost and everyone gets one week a month to laser as much as they can. In 3-6 months you will be hair free. I just found me three other ladies and we are ordering toward the middle of this month. They say you can't use it on your face but I think that is a safety thing because they don't want to be liable for someone shooting it in someone's eyes...if you get the goggles, I don't see why you couldn't use it there too. Otherwise, you could go to the Derm for your face and use the home laser for everything else. It is www.triabeauty.com

In the meantime...I'm wondering how long it will take to get my periods back and how long until I could get pregnant...I am down 55 lbs in 6 months at the end of April so I'm hopeful that it could be soon.

Keep me posted.

Hey, Sweetbean! Your PCOS story is pretty much my PCOS story also. How can doctors NOT know about PCOS? I diagnosed myself after reading a Good Housekeeping article and realizing that I had 7 out of the 10 symptoms of PCOS. To encourage you, I got my lap band on Sept. 4, 2008 and have lost 64 pounds since then. So it is very, very possible to lose weight with PCOS and the lap band. Without the lap band, the most I ever lost on my own was 25 pounds. If you follow the lap band rules, which really aren't difficult to follow, you'll do GREAT with the lap band. Stay in touch with us and let us know how you are doing on your journey. Best of luck to you.

Edited April 5, 200917 yr by Cassy
Needed to correct an error

My story is almost exactly like yours except I've had doctors tell me to take Glucophage/Metformin, spironolactone, BC, etc. None of it worked! I was bleeding for two years straight from 2006 til my surgery. Once I hit the 40 lbs lost mark (December 2008) the bleeding finally stopped. Normal periods haven't started again yet but I do notice that I get spot bleeding every other week or so which I think is the cysts dissolving from my ovaries. It's kind of exciting!

The hair has not slowed at all but I read from other PCOS gals that it won't for some time if at all. I have it everywhere as well and dark brown....awful!

I did learn recently though that there is a home laser that just came out that is the exact same laser that is used in the dermatologist office and it is made for dark hair with lighter skin tones. It is $1,000 (just saw that they reduced the price by $200 so now it is only $800)but easy to do if you can find 3 other friends who want to split the cost and everyone gets one week a month to laser as much as they can. In 3-6 months you will be hair free. I just found me three other ladies and we are ordering toward the middle of this month. They say you can't use it on your face but I think that is a safety thing because they don't want to be liable for someone shooting it in someone's eyes...if you get the goggles, I don't see why you couldn't use it there too. Otherwise, you could go to the Derm for your face and use the home laser for everything else. It is www.triabeauty.com

In the meantime...I'm wondering how long it will take to get my periods back and how long until I could get pregnant...I am down 55 lbs in 6 months at the end of April so I'm hopeful that it could be soon.

Keep me posted.

Hey, Cassie! I bled for 2 years straight also until I could find a gynecologist competent enough to diagnose a simple fibroid. :welldoneclap: Thanks for the link to triabeauty.com. It's very interesting. I just wish it could be used on the face. Let us know how the laser works out for you guys. Congratulations on your 50 pound weight loss. Way to go!

Hi! Just a little FYI if you feel like your OB/GYN doesn't have a good grasp on your PCOS, you need to find a Reproductive Endocrinologist. A Reproductive Endo is going to be the type doctor with the most knowledge of PCOS. I'm an OB nurse, and I love and respect the OB/GYNs that I work with, I trust them with my life. That being said, my endocrinologist has a different (most current research based) course of treatment for PCOS. Good luck everyone!