Hi!
I'll warn you all now, this will be long (but hopefully not longwinded, LOL)

I am finally on the road to being diagnosed with PCOS after telling my family dr for years that something is messed up with my hormones. After 7 years of pats on the head, I went on my own and found a PCOS clinic about two hours drive away and contacted them.
I got an appointment and went to my family doctor for a referral and he was less than helpful. He asked me if I had ever had an ultrasound. I told him that I had years ago and there were no visible cysts but that in PCOS there doesn't have to be visible cysts to which he sarcastically answered, "Why do they call it poly-CYSTIC ovarian syndrome then?" He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted to send me for an ultrasound - which was OK since they couldn't get me in until after my endo app't which was yesterday.

I was thrilled with my endo appointment yesterday - she was so thorough and when I asked her about the ultrasound she told me that they don't use it as a diagnosis tool for PCOS as 50% of women with PCOS have no visible cysts and 85% of women with visible cysts do NOT have PCOS.
She took a family history and did a physical exam, then told me that she is almost 100% certain that I have PCOS and is sending me for a battery of tests including cholesterol and glucose tolerance. She thinks I have insulin resistance though as I have skin tags and darker skin under my arms which she told me are symptoms of insulin resistance.

After my glucose tolerance test on Friday, I plan to start a on the Carbohydrate Addict's plan to try and start to get this under control. I'm very glad I found this site.
Kathy

Welcome Kathy,
I'm sorry to hear that you, too, suffer from PCOS, but glad that you are finally being taken seriously and hopefully will begin to get treatment (glucophage) and that you are doing the LC thing. It works wonders. We have a lot in common in terms of our goals. Keep in touch, I'd love to hear about your progress.

Elizabeth2