2 year endocrinologist update!

Last week I went to my endocrinologist for my 2 year check up! I was seriously excited to go because I was proud to show off all the changes I had made.

I am in no way-shape-or form a doctor. This post is based solely on what my Endocrinologist and myself discussed. If you have health related questions please contact your own doctor. 

 

I am so proud of the woman I was...she started this journey.

I am so proud of the woman I am now...because I have been changing my life for over 2 years.

I am sure I will be proud of the woman I will become...because, well, I can't imagine my life any other way!

**January 2012 - Initial Endocrinologist Results**
Weight ~ 213 lbs
BMI ~ 38%
Hemoglobin A1c ~ 5.9 {normal range according to my Endo is 4.0 - 6.0}

**January 2012 - 2 year Endocrinologist Results**
Weight: 143 lbs
BMI: 24%
Hemoglobin A1c ~ 4.6 after 22 months on Metformin

July 2011

October 2012

July 2011

November 2012

 

When I first got my results back from the endocrinologist I was considered insulin resistant, they thought I had something wrong with my adrenal glands {turns out I'd just recently had a cortisone shot and sent my levels through the roof}, my Vitamin D level was 17.6 L2 {normal range 30.0-150.0}, and I was just in overall poor health.

 

My first tipping point was a Halloween party...but my boulder that catapulted me off the seesaw was getting my lab results back! It really shocked my system. I KNEW I was overweight, I KNEW I was unhealthy & unhappy but until those numbers were on the paper I didn't realize how bad it was. Nothing to me, at that point, was as scary as hearing that if I kept on the path I was I would have diabetes in a year. My endocrinologist was very blunt with me and for that I will be forever grateful. She was the FIRST doctor to tell me I was overweight and needed to change. Looking back that fact still shocks me.

 

Over the course of the last 22 months I did go on a few different medications that I believed help me. I started 500mg extended release Metformin in February/March 2012 and stopped one week ago. I have a follow up appointment in July 2014 to see how 6 months off of Metformin goes and I am so excited to see if the hard work I put in pays off. I admit it, I am nervous to go off the Metformin because I feel like it did help me get to me a little "looser" with my carbs because of my PCOS. But I am ready for the challenge of eating what I know my pancreas can handle. My goal is to only eat carbs at 2/3 meals in my day.

 

I am still taking Vitamin D {I mean, I like in Washington State so I feel like I'd need that anyways}, Singular, and birth control. Totally normal and totally unrelated to PCOS meds!

 

Fingers crossed {that my levels stay low}!!!

my 6 month blood draw results...

I hate getting my blood drawn {like, I've passed out before} but through all the labs and OHSU visits this year...I'm getting used to it, I guess. When I had my 6 month blood draw labs done a week or so ago...I didn't even need to hold a little teddy bear. Big steps, I tell you!!

Myself {and my general doc} were very happy with the results. I haven't heard back from my Endo but I'm guessing she'll be pretty happy too. I saw my Endo about 6 weeks ago and she was very happy with just weight loss. Ha, just the weight loss. Like that was easy ;-)

I have spent the last 8+ months eating right, exercising, and trying my best to head off any disease or illness {diabetes, heart disease}. While there is still a chance I could get them based off the past years of my lifestyle ~ 80% of the time doing everything in my power to help myself. Because I am not a doctor I am not going to go too much in to the "numbers" of all the tests {but I will post mine and what my doc considers "normal"}...but there was one test of concern but all the rest of the main ones we've been watching are within the "normal" range. And for that I am grateful.

Thyroid - Normal Range.
Vitamin D - Now in Normal Range. Went from 17.6ng/mL --> 63ng/mL. The range is 30 - 100 ng/mL. This is GREAT improvement!
Glucose - Low lower within the Normal Range. Went from 96 mg/dL DOWN to 85 mg/dL!!! The range is 65 - 99 mg/dL.
Cholesterol - This is the ones we are focusing on for the next 6 months!!
Total Cholesterol- 180 mg/dL {range 15- 200 mg/dL}
HDL {Good Cholesterol} - 53 mg/dL {range >50 mg/dL in Women}
LDL {Bad Cholesterol} - 99 mg/dL {range for women with Insulin Resistance/Endocrine Syndromes (PCOS) according to my doc is 70 - 80 mg/dL.

The LDL is the one that we are going to be focusing on for the next 6 months. It is known that women with PCOS have a higher risk for heart disease and having high levels of LDL {bad cholesterol} can also lead to heart disease. Those two things together are a cause of concern for me and my health and my doctors. I am going to be going on a very, very low dose of a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). This medicine can be used many ways. For me it will hopefully lower my LDL count which will likely decrease my likely hood of getting any type of heart disease. I will be monitored monthly for the first 2 months and then I'm not sure after that. They monitor me at first to make sure that my body is reacting well {quickly} and that my liver is doing okay. It just requires a few fasting blood draws and a quick 10 minute appointment in 2 months.

When talking to my doctor about options she did say that I could continue with the diet & exercise but since it is a personal goal of mine to have all this *ISH* figured by the time I'm 30 {on 3/16}and I'm obviously not opposed to medications - we decided to go for it. It's such a low does that the side affects should be very minimal.

I've been on Metformin for the past 6 months to help control the insulin resistance that I have. We are going to stay on it for another 6 months. I have my 1 year appointment with my Endo scheduled for January 2013!! Wow. Hard to think that I'll have been {knowingly} battling this for a year in just 5 months.

The only part of me that is really worried about all of this is that hopefully there is going to be a time when I will be off all the " weight/helpful" meds {Metformin, Pravastatin} and what will happen to my body then? I supposed when it is time to go off all the meds hopefully my body will be in the normal range and ready to rock-and-roll medicine-less?!? Will the weight loss continue or maintain depending on what stage I am in when I go off the meds?? Will I gain weight back?? Will I be on some kind of medication forever? I know I will be monitored by an Endocrinologist yearly for the rest of forever. I get physicals AND annuals {did you know there was a difference?!?!?}? I have no doubt that it will all be examined and a thoughtful process and I look forward {hopefully} to a day where I am medince free and managing my PCOS and Insulin Resistance on my own accord.

Fingers crossed.

-25 pounds...

I CANNOT believe I am down 25* pounds in 4 1/2 months. But then again, I can.

I am working HARD to do this. I am MAKING myself get out there, even if it is for a one mile walk!!

I am doing this. I will do this. I will get to my goal {whatever that may be}. Right now it is 170 but I am starting to BELIEVE I can get lower. I want to be somewhere it is easy to maintain but I suppose that is every one's weight loss goal.

I really love that I'm doing this by exercise and eating right. No fad diets - no "programs" {besides WW}. Just all natural, working out, healthy eating, eating less in quantity, eating less processed foods. Well, I should mention that I am still taking 500mg of Metformin...so I guess I am doing that but that's doctors orders ;-) And if that is what is helping me then I'm going to take it for the rest of ever!!

Fingers crossed.

*The 25 pounds is since 1.2.12 when I joined WW. The heaviest I ever got that I recorded was 22. So...when you take that in to account I've lost over 32. I think it is important to remember that...because I've come a long ways!!

- 5% goal!!!

Um, I was kind of shocked when this little message popped up on my phone after my weight in this morning!! First I was shocked that I've lost 2 pounds this week {after a trip to Burgerville and some girl scout cookies this weekend} and second I was shocked that I hit the 5% mark. I hadn't really been paying attention to the percentages but I'm happy none-the-less. And I an S.U.P.E.R. excited to be nearing the under 200lb goal of mine!! Maybe next week?!?! :)

On the bottom of the picture it says something about I'm losing weight to fast - but I really think it is because of the Metformin and the fact that I am eating significantly less carbs than ever before. Sure, I still eat them but they used to take up a huge chunk of my diet and now they are like a treat or a side and the veggies and protein's are the main focus. And it's only going to get better from here as I figure all this IR stuff out!!!

Speaking of Metformin, things have been going wonderfully. The first 3 - 4 days were pretty crappy. Two weekends ago I barely left the house I felt so sick. I had a personal training session a week ago today and there were many times during it I felt that I was going to pass our or puke or something and I was BURNING up. But I am happy to report those side affects are almost all gone. I still take it at night with a hearty meal but between that and the 50,000 IU of Vitamin D I take once a week I am feeling better than I have in a very, very, very long time.

So far so good.

Fingers crossed.

- 10 lb goal!!

I am seriously proud of myself. Today I reached 10 pounds lost in 2 months. And to think - I did it while eating almost a whole box of Tagalongs...haha. You think I'm kidding but I'm not. It is not the weight watchers way BUT I did count the points. Those things are dangerous and delicious!!!

Anyways, the feeling of losing 10 pounds has been amazing. Sometimes I think the scale s purposely playing tricks on me, like it isn't real!! My pants feel so much better, my shirts {the 1x ones I had to buy in November} are too lose, and I really just do feel proud!

Now that I've found out I am insulin resistance I'll be slowly changing things up as I learn what is going on within my body. The Metformin has been going pretty good. No horrible side affects. I've been feeling really hot from the inside-out and that was taken to a NEW level while working out with my PT, Amanda, today. There was definitely some points where I was a bit wobbly and like majorly flushed {much more than normal}...but I pushed through and got a good workout in!!

Speaking of good, I had measurements today at PTing. Now I know my weights are different and that is because I weight in for weight watchers at 6am fresh out of the shower and I weight in for PT at 6pm in workout gear and shoes. I'm personally staying with the home scale...the number is lower ;-)

So here is my measurements. This is a BIG deal to put this out there but it is my hope that by doing it I might inspire someone. It's kind of embarrassing that I got to where I got weight and size wise but I know I am not working in the right direction and I have the support of my family and friends.

The waist and the hips are the ones I am most excited about. Minus 3.75 inches from my waist and minus 4 inches from my hips. Also {much to the dismay of my husband} I've lost 2 inches on my bust ;-)

I am so happy. I feel better on the Metformin {except for when I don't - which isn't too often}, I am losing weight, I am getting into a workout routine, I am looking better. It feels nice. Really nice.

We got to Kauai in 32 days and I am going to work really hard to lose 5 more pounds and get below 200 by the time we go!!

Fingers crossed.

the start of Metformin...

 I feel like all I've been doing all week is over-thinking and I'm frankly tired of it, but I just can't help it. And there has been plenty to think about!! School, work, friends, family, THE FUTURE...it's been everything. But, on the brighter side, it is nice to be getting it figured out. Or, at least, getting it all figured out for right now.

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I haven't been talking a lot on here about PCOS, or at least how I've been feeling about PCOS, but something that I'm starting the hands-on battle of today is Insulin Resistance {IR}.
I still really don't know a lot about it but I am learning slowly but surely. My {very basic} understand of IR is that it is a condition where the body does produce insulin but does not use it properly.

Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. Glucose is a form of sugar that is the body's main source of energy.

My first step to fighting IR is taking a drug called Metformin. My second step is going to be diet and exercise.

From my {very basic} understanding Metformin is a drug that is designed to help my body treat high blood sugar levels. It will help my pancreas process insulin.

I took it about 2 hours ago and my stomach feels like it is in knots, feels warm but I have yet to get up and try to do stuff so we will see how that goes. It was recommended that I take it in the evening at the beginning of my meal. Tomorrow we are going out to a fancy-pants business dinner so I hope it goes okay then!! Tonight I wanted to have a nice, hearty {but healthy} meal that I knew would soak up lots of the medicine. We made something based off of the bowls from Cafe Yumm!.

As far as the exercise goes I've been working out with my awesome trainer 1 day per week and I even went to the gym after my marathon day yesterday. I was up at 5am {thanks to a noisy hubby & cat}, at work by 6:45 {that's when I usually get up}, worked a full day, went to class from 4 ~ 7 and then went to the gym. I was so proud of myself!!

The diet, that is where I'm getting a little lost!! I need a visual chart about what are "good vs bad carbs" and what I should and shouldn't eat. My mom suggested looking at my local hospitals for support groups and my friend Cari who's a physical therapist and over-all just a smart lady has volunteered to help me start to understand what IR really is. I love my friends and family. I feel like I can never say that enough!!

I know this is a short post but I wanted to let everyone know what is going on. I"m off to bed to hopefully sleep off these side affects that keep sneaking up every minute I sit here...ug.

Fingers crossed.