Monday, December 31, 2012

2012...the year that changed my life

Well my blog friends {if is anyone out there reading this little thing anymore} it's been quite the year.

This truly is the year that has changed my life. I started out worried in January and now that it is December I am empowered! I now KNOW that I can do this ~ whatever "this" may be. 12 months ago I did not think I could do anything to change the path I was on....but my view on so many things in life has changed!


In 2012 my goal was to lose weight and inform myself about what PCOS is. I think I've done both fairly well. And you know, I don't want to spend a ton of time diving into the past. I did that a few weekends ago and it was hard to read what I'd written through the year. Or more, really, it was hard to remember what I'd really been thinking when I'd been typing.

But I can tell you this...I plan on 2013 being MY year!!


Fingers crossed...

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

you HAVE to be your own advocate...

...because no one is going to do it for you!!!

Part of the reason I got started on this journey is because I has someone (a friend of a friend, NOT a doctor) recognize my symptoms. I got lucky. I'd already waited about 5 years to start this process. I'd had my OB tell me to "keep waiting" even though I told her I had PCOS. UG. Okay, getting off my personal soap box. Kind of.

It really is up to you to...


You HAVE to be your own advocate. You HAVE to ask for what you want. It is up to you. Doctors {at least the ones I have seen} seem to be listening and treating less & less...and just writing perscriptions and getting you in & out. It is truly, up to you.

Case in point.

Last week I called my Endo because I wanted to re-run all my labs before my one year Endo appointment (Mid-January) so we could make some decisions at that meeting. I want to be a part of my decisions from here on out and I knew we'd me talking about if I need to stay on Metformin anymore. I left a message stating my intentions and got a message back saying that my 6 month check up had been so good they didn't think they'd need new results. It didn't sit right with me and on Monday I called again and left another message, again, about wanting to get these results. My reasons are simple. One ~ I am a data freak. I want to see that number go down and the specific levels get into the average range. Two ~ I have put SO much hard work in and I want to make sure it's working. I know it is...but I need to see it on paper. That's just how my brain works. Oh, and there's a third one ~ I've hit my Out of Pocket Maximum so the tests will be free :) But that's a small part of it. Seeing the numbers get smaller and smaller is the main reason :)

I got a message back today that they sent me all the lab slips and I will be go to go to get my labs done next week. I am SO proud of myself for asking what I really wanted. Can't wait to share (and see) the results!

 
Fingers crossed {the labs come back awesome}...

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

there's been a lot going on!!!

*a week off the wagon*
I had a week off the wagon, the week after Thanksgiving to be exact. I had been put on "barre3 rest" by my physical therapist because I strained my bicep tendon and kept using it so it kept hurting! For some reason...I couldn't get it together and ended up reverting back and sitting on my ass all day every day for a week. BUT I continued to eat well and didn't gain anything...

*no milk - minimal to no cheese*
For the past 2 months I've been milk free almost all of the time. There are still some items (prebought/processed) that I am sure still has milk in it but I haven't had cows milk from the carton in over 2 months. The milk was pretty easy to give up. Since I've stopped drinking cows milk I haven't had a single acne point on my scalp/in my hair. For, oh, the last 15+ years I've had acne in my hair. That's right... And now it's gone. All the way gone. I'm amazed.
 
The cheese...well, that's a different story. I've really, really {really} struggled to get off that. I've been off about 95% of the way for the past two weeks and I haven't gotten a new zit on my face since! It is amazing. My goal now is to reintroduce cheese in small, controlled amounts to see how much I can tolerate.
 
I'm not exactly sure what it is in the milk and cheese that made the acne stop. My PCOS specialist told me to try to stop - so I did. I definitely need to look more into the "why" part of it. But it's working so I'm not in a hurry ;-)
 
the cheese drawer. i pretend it isn't there.
 
*my first soy {anything}*
Last weekend we were out & about near Seattle {happy retirement to my father-in-law!!!} and stopped off at a coffee shop for breakfast. While there I decided to try my first soy hot chocolate. I needed a treat, or so I felt. And since it was a coffee shop, and not Starbucks, I decided it would be worth it. It was good...but some friends have suggested I try almond milk next time...which I will!
 


 *50th barre3 class*
On 11/19/12 I took my 50th barre3 class. It was also my last one before I was "barred from barre3". As I've written before, barre3 has changed my life. I've lost inches, pounds, and insecurities. I've gain peace, some balance, and a place I can go and be happy. There is nothing bad about barre3, nothing.
 
left: April 2012 {before barre3}
right: November 2012 {50th barre3 class day}
-17.15 inches off my body from the left picture to the right picture
 
With all that's been going on with report cards, stresses at work, stresses at home, money, Christmas, presents, and battles within myself I'm super proud of the fact that I've lost 5 pounds in the last 8 weeks. Only 4.2 pounds to go until my HUSBAND has to go to barre3!!! He agreed {well, he didn't have a choice} to join me. And two of the other instructors have volunteered their husbands too!!!
 
*standing up for what i believe in*
At the end of November there was a story about a woman named Siobhain Fletcher who ha PCOS and grew a beard for Movember...the event where men grew mustaches to support prostate cancer. I thought it was SSSOOO brave of her to stand up, speak out, and support a good cause. In my eyes she was SO brave. Brave to do it and brave to speak out about it. Then...the women of "The Talk" on CBS played this clip. I was disgusted!!! How could they make fun of this woman who was so brave? They compared her to Larry the Cable Guy. I seriously had tears in my eyes and was hoping that she will never see the clip! I said my peace on their facebook page...but I hope they take me up on my offer {or someone else} and invite women with PCOS on to the show to inform the nation. I doubt it will happen ~ but you never know!
 
 
While haven't PCOS isn't easy I am proud to be part of such a strong group of people!!! I love my "soulcysters"!!!