Don't be a Goof!

So, in efforts to keep myself busy and occupied with things other then my health..... I have been doing a lot of pinning on pinterest.com.  There I have been able to connect with other PCOS glam gals and find tips on diet, exercise, and crafts.  There is so much to do on the website it a total time suck, beware.... don't say I didn't warn you!


So last night I decided to do 2 things.


1. Go to Trader Joe's and get the following ingredients for a morning smoothie ritual I intend to start.  (I'm off to a good start I had one today, hehe)  

Blythe's Glam Gal Smoothie Recipe 

 I made this in my Magic Bullet, you could use a blender too.

*Almond Milk Unsweetened  (many benefits to almond-milk - Check out the link)
*Honey - organic clover
* 2 ice cubes
*Organic Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt  (tip: freeze in ice cube trays for fast servings)
*Half of a small banana - I froze overnight
*handful of frozen organic red raspberries - (check out that link did you know red raspberry is good for fertility)
*2 organic whole frozen strawberries

It was very tasty - even my husband loved it.

2.  I decided to make a craft I saw while doing some laundry.  It's for monogrammed soap dispensers.  We have recently repainted our bathroom, and I thought this would be a fun way to spice things up.

Here is the link I used for instructions: Soap Dispenser

Everything was going okay and I was at the last step.  We didn't have goo gone as suggested - but we did have Goof Off 2(to remove adhesive).  It was working wonderfully I was almost done and then it happened...... My hands turned bright red,were stinging in pain, and broke out in a rash that was starting travel up my arm!  I freaked and made my first call ever to Poison Control Hotline.  They were very kind and I followed the instructions they gave me and all is well now.  I just was so surprised at how quickly I broke out, I had not had a reaction like that before.  Lesson for the day: ALWAYS read the bottle before using... I was supposed to be wearing gloves with it and I hadn't.

I think my lil craft turned out well though... what do you think?  

Wait for it....... Nothing!

So, I called the Dr. today because it's been quite a while since my last cycle.  Also, because it seems like lately I can't go a week without contacting the doctor either.

My phone tracker app that I use on the iphone "Period Tracker" (I love it, so easy to keep track of everything), estimates that my cycle is about 34 days in length.  I don't know how long it takes to get on a somewhat regular cycle using Metformin/MetforminER....I have read so many articles and visited so many chat room posts I could go cross eyed.  

I have also taken 2 pregnancy tests and both were negative.

When I talked to the Dr.'s assistant and explained that my last cycle was quite sometime ago and that I am taking the metformin as prescribed and still no period.  The assistant seemed surprised that I was taking the metforminER for regulation of my period - I can only assume that maybe she thought I was a diabetic patient.


My lower Back really hurts too!  I have also experience 2 bouts of  insomnia this week. We have been doing some cleaning around our office and moving boxes - I just hope it has something to do with the back pain I am experiencing.  I have a tiny bit vaginal discomfort - but with my hormones all out of whack I am not sure what to expect.  The symptoms from my UTI are slowly starting to go away, still not feeling 100% yet though.  


I also have fallen into the trap of typing my symptoms into google and reading all the scary searches - WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?

DCI for PCOS Progress Post

Chrial Balance DCI Progress 
The Journey:

Below what you will find is weekly progress of weight and acne.  

I started 2 pills daily of DCI on Jan 16th.  (I am also taking daily MetforminER and a multi-vitamin)  

For the first two days I was taking them after I ate breakfast, I called the company and they suggested taking the supplement before food in the AM... which I switched up right away.    

For those not aware read about DCI for PCOS here:D-chiro-Inositol 

1/16/2012 Start

 Weighed in @ 158.00
*frequent breakouts (sorry I deleted the "first week" photo I took of my acne by accident)

1/23/2012 Week 1

Weighed in @ 158.8
* I notice tiny bit less acne - no real big change

A Glamorous Up the Nose Shot! lol

(no makeup, photo taken using i-phone)

So as you can see there is not much improvement in weight (bummer) I can't believe the scale went in the other direction! 

However, I have noticed that the were less painful breakouts.  My skin is a teeny tiny bit clearer.  So, that is a step in the right direction.  Usually each week I have a few really painful zits brewing, this week only one I notice so far.  

I have even been a little lazy and if I wasn't wearing makeup, I skipped washing my face once or twice before bed.  I always wash my face in the morning, that I never skip... I know by then it's really to late.  

It's hard to stay motivated throughout this process, because.... like any other  American gal I want instant gratification!  

I know, I know "one step at a time".  Here's is hoping for the best.  

1/30/2012 Week 2

Weighed in @ 158.8

* Painful Zits & no period, I'm pretty unhappy.  Face very irritated.

2/6/2012  Week 3

Weighed in @157.6
* My face and forehead totally broke out this week.  It was awful, but I think it was due to my PERIOD!, yep that's right you read it correctly..... I got my period - only lasted for 2 days, but I would say was about the same "flow" as when I would take Provera (script for a medical induced with drawl bleed "period") very exciting week! 

2/13/2012 Week 4

Weighed in @ 157.8

*Face irritated, slept in Makeup one night.  

No real great improvement in skin or weight.  I do notice not looking so bloated though.  That's got me feeling a tiny better about things.  Just got to keep on keeping on!  

2/20/2012 Week 5

Weighed in @ 157.6

* Face is the best it's been in a while.  Feeling slightly better.  Note: since starting the DCI, I missed Saturday's dose this weekend.  

2/27/2012 Week 6

 Weighed in @ 158.2

*Face is again best it's looked in a long while.  Feeling a tad bloated, but overall happy with my condition of my face.  Wore makeup more frequently this past week.  Feeling much better about the condition of my acne.  I also noticed less of the "darker" hairs that I once noticed on my face as well.

                     
3/5/2012 Week 7

Weighed in @157.2 

*Face is irritated more so then last week.

  

3/12/2012 Week 8

Weighed in @ 156.8

* Referrer to Acne.... Stinks Post. For Pics.

3/19/2012 Week 9

Weighed in @ 157.0

* Acne much better then last weeks outbreak.

3/26/2012 Week 10

Weighed in @ 155.6 

* Acne okay 

4/2/2012 Week 11

Weighed in @ 154.8

* Acne was really bad before and right after period, which I have not experienced before.

I'm wearing makeup in this pic.... I have to go to the DMV today and get a new ID.

4/16/2012 Week 12

Weighed in @ 154.4 

*Acne Better no real complaints.  Couple white heads that popped easily ( l know, I shouldn't touch them but I could not leave them along & healed quickly).

4/23/2012 Week 13

Weighed in @ 152.6

*No complaints about Acne Much Much Better!!

4/30/2012 Week 14

Weighed in @ 152.6

*MAJOR ACNE - I GOT MY PERIOD THIS MORNING!!

5/14/2012 Week 15

Weighed in @ 151.8 

* Face looks good no real complaints this week. I just noticed I have been a bit of a slacker with my progress posts.  I also started taking Vitamin D this week.  I'm wearing a slight amount of makeup today, powder and blush.  

5/22/2012 Week 16

Weighed in @ 151.2

* No real complaints, seems to be okay.  Today I had a surge on my Ovulation Test Kit - felt a little sick to my stomach with slight cramping.  

5/29/2012 Week 17

Weighed in @ 149.4

* Things seem to be going well.  No complaints... white heads not real problems though.

6/05/2012 Week 18

Weighed in @ 150.60

Thought I would have had my period by now, waiting........ 

6/21/2012 Week 20

Weighed in @ 150.80

No news really.

7/2/2012 Week 21

Weighed in @ 148.2

Acne around my chin has been really hard to deal with this week.  I expect my period soon, so that is most likely the case.  The number on the scale makes me happy, starting to go down in the right direction again.  

8/14/2012 Week 27

Weighed in @ 147.9 (it's been a while since my last post, sorry)
Not many acne concerns lately.  I expect my period soon.  The number on the scale makes me feel okay - wish it was still descending.  

9/6/2012 Week 30

Weighed in @ 148.2

PCOS ACNE and taking Photo's....

Zits, pimples, black heads, white heads, cysts..... whatever you call 'em.... I have them and I loath them.  I never experienced acne growing up, only in my 20's. I feel really awful with a face full of zits all the time, and constantly think (see* obsess)  about it.  I have slowly come to realize that I just can't control it.




While On birth control the acne would greatly improve but now that I want a baby TTC  birth control pills are not an option.  Metformin  & MetforminER so far have helped with the Acne, but by no means has it gone away.  I still have breakouts very often.  I can tell when a breakout is coming, because my entire face is sensitive to the touch around the soon to be pimple.  I am admittedly a picker too.  I just can't leave a white head alone - I know it's bad but I just can't help myself.


My breakouts are centered around my chin and mouth, which according to my dermatologist is purely hormonal.  I have been given every topical prescription a try and nothing works.  The medicine just dries out my face in addition to a host of acne.  Having constant acne is really hard on my self-esteem.  Acne is a constant throne in my side.




I love taking pictures and ppl. have told me I am very annoying about it.  Since my struggle with acne I noticed I was shying away from the camera - and in some cases wouldn't even bring it out. I realize now that is silly....I know now I want the memories.  My parents have loads of pictures from when we are kids and I love looking at them, it's important to me to document!  So en light off my acne prone skin, I have become a huge fan of photos that are not in focus, dark, or far away- it draws less attention in my opinion to my face I feel comfortable taking the pics.... and I still will have the memories documented.    See examples below.

A glamorous far away photo of me!
December 2011 

A glamorous fuzzy photo of me!
November 2011

A glamorous Dark photo of me!
NYE 2011

Having.... Trigeminal Neuralgia

For those not aware of Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), it is awful.

My case was very complicated  - you can read about it if you wish in Medical History post.  I have been off Tegretol for 6 months.  The pain for me has for the most part subsided, however at times I feel a tingle sensation in my scalp on the left side and little jerk of pain on that side.  I also suffer from headaches often.  When I was on tegretol the headaches had subsided - I hate having headaches.... the only thing that works for me is to sleep it off.  I was given migraine medication - but I really didn't notice a change after taking it.

Sometimes if the pain is bad I miss the medication - but since I want to have a (TTC) baby that is not an option for me.

Since it's winter I notice TN a lot.  Living in Chicago, the cold breeze in the winter months seems to really irritate TN.  My ear on the left side hurts often and that annoys me the most.... to get through the winter I just picture a beach and to just "hang in there" spring will be here soon.  In 2010 when my medical drama began, I seem to be plagued with Sinus Infections.  I think when then sinus cavities swell is triggers the never and as a result I feel TN pain.

Here are some tips that helped me in the winter:

A good Scarf -
Wrap myself in a good scarf and try to cover as much of the left side of my face as possible.  

Humidifier -
 This helps my sinus's to stay moist and I have less nose bleeds. 

Eye mask -
This makes a huge difference if I have a headache light really bothers me.  I have the one pictured  above, I like it because it is adjustable (mine is so loose it hardly touches my face).  I picked mine up at Bed Bath and Beyond and I love it.

UTI

So my endocrinologist called me this morning  - I was still half asleep.  She was calling with news that the urine analysis was "a little plus/minus" and she is prescribing an antibiotic for a UTI.

I have this awful instinct to panic whenever I see the Dr.'s number on caller id.  I guess since I spoke to her assistant yesterday and she assured me that the lab would not have the results for two days.  I was not expecting to be woken up to a call from the Dr. this morning, so I panicked....I can hardly remember what the Dr. said. other then she asked if I had a fever  - which I have not.  The Dr. said that with the meds she would be prescribing, it should clear up the infection within 2 or 3 days.  After the call ended I realized...... I "yes'd" the Dr.  - and now I have a million questions!  I partly think I do this because I am trying to process the information... and secondly I should just don't say "wait, slow down I am not following".

I picked up the prescription this morning for Ciprofloxacin and a bottle of cranberry juice.  I took the first dose at 9 am today (Jan 19th).  I'm not thrilled at taking more medicine (not much choice) - and as usual was freaked out by the extra three sheets of paper the pharmacist added about warning signs and side effects. Can you believe this a 3 page flyer?!?

And I thought I wouldn't have enough content....

Well as my Husband told me "You are never boring"!  So today in my glamorous life, I had a Urine test.  Yea, it  was so amazing, jealous?

I started my new prescription of MetforminER on Sunday night (Jan 15th) when I woke up Monday morning (TMI - who am I kidding this whole blog is TMI) urination was painful, Tuesday it was worse and so on.   I walked on my lunch hour 6 blocks to Northwestern after speaking to my endocrinologists assistant.  This of course is not a typical side effect..... I needed to have a culture done.

I waited for about 10 minutes with a patient in the waiting room snoring loudly.  This man taking up 2 chairs in the waiting room his hand on his crotch, mouth open snoring.   It was kinda of laughable and kinda sad  - maybe's he's really sick.... you just don't know.

The lab tech came and got me and off I went.  I was given overly detailed instructions which equated to "pee in this cup".  It all went fine, the bathroom was clean.

I just got a call from the lab and the dip stick test was negative - but they are sending the culture off for further tests to see if there are any trace amounts of bacteria.  So here we go again waiting for more results.