PCOS/Surgery update

I have posted about my PCOS journey once before here on our blog, and as it is such an important part of our life right now, i have decided to keep posting about it. I had lots of responses from my last post, and i was very grateful for all the love and support that i received, it made me feel like i wasn't alone!

The last few months i have been feeling really down and defeated about my PCOS. I spoke to some family and friends and decided to go and get a second opinion. My first gynaecologist was someone who was assigned to me from the local hospital, and was free. I wasn't really very happy with him, mostly as he didn't listen to me! I decided to go to a private practice to get a second opinion. He cost me a lot ($200+), but it was definitely worth it!

I went to see him last week (Tuesday), and they were running a little late on the day. One hour later and i was finally in for an appointment (after 6 weeks waiting). He was SO nice, and he listened to everything that i had to say.

He was surprised that i have been on the waiting list for surgery for over a year as he thought that i should be a higher priority. He told me that my big dermoid cyst is actually more like 8 and a half cm, not 7cm as i was previously told. He said that it is a size that is quite high risk and needs to be removed asap. He pulled out a new surgery request form and filled it out, and when i signed it i saw that i have been moved from the 3 months + waiting bracket to the less than 30 days bracket! (urgent surgery!). I was SO happy that i could have hugged him! He kept saying 'I can't perform miracles, and you may not get in until early August'.... I totally didn't even care, 4-6 weeks is definitely better than another year waiting!!

Before i could say anything else he started saying 'Ok, so now surgery is on the table and hopefully it is soon, we need something to help you manage your symptoms in the meantime... You don't want to go back on the contraceptive pill as you want to get pregnant? (I nodded) Yes, ok... What is more important to you, having a baby? or managing your hair growth?'... (excessive hair is a problem with PCOS, on your arms, face, etc.)
I told him that i have made peace with the hair growth and have spent a lot of money on IPL and i feel that it is working. I told him that we want to have a baby. He then said 'Seeing as that is your answer, then i will help you with both.'

He then pulled out two prescription forms for me. One is Metformin - this is usually a diabetes medication, but it is also used for PCOS. This one is to (hopefully!) bring back my cycle, as it has disappeared for over a year (!!), and it can sometimes act as a fertility medication too, so hopefully it may help me to ovulate as well as bring back my cycle. If this doesn't work as a fertility med, there are others to try (but not until after surgery). It will also hopefully help me with my acne, and i may have clear skin for the first time in my life!

The other one is to help with the excessive hair growth that is associated with PCOS. I still need to keep having IPL and removing the hair in normal ways, but it should help to not have it grow back as thick or as bad.

I am so excited about this!! Surgery is obviously the priority, to remove the big (dermoid) cyst, but to have some help with the other things in the meantime, is amazing. The first Gyno told me that there was no point having any medication in the meantime...

Two days after my appointment with my gynaecologist (Thursday), i received a call from admissions at the hospital... They told me that they have received my form, and that all i need to do now was come in that week (Friday just gone), and have all my pre admission things done, height, weight, blood pressure etc. They booked me in for the next day, and on Friday i went and did all of it. I got there at 10:30am, met with two doctors, but didn't leave until 3pm as one had to go and deliver a baby in the middle of my appointment! Luckily i thought to bring a book! I ended up reading half of it as i was waiting for a while... 

They sent me away with some medication for a UTI, and some forms for some more blood tests, so that when i get a date for surgery i can go straight to pathology to get the bloods done fast. 

Now all i have to do is to take my medication and wait! This is definitely a different kind of waiting. Before, i was feeling like i was waiting hopelessly, and that there was no point as nothing was going to happen... As they acted so fast at admissions i feel like i might actually get to have the surgery within 30 days!! I am SO nervous, but i am also just really excited to have it over and done with! 

Gavin and i are excited that after a whole year of nothing, we feel like we are taking steps towards getting me healthy, and actively doing something towards starting a family (besides the other thing, haha ;)

This was definitely an answered prayer, and i feel so good about this! I am looking forward to the future again, with hope! :)