Life With PCOS

I was mentioned in a newspaper article in my local town. The article was talking about PCOS. The article was in the Spectrum from St. George, UT, this is what it says:

Generating Awareness

As many as one in 10 women may

have polycystic ovary syndrome

By Lisa Larson
larson@thespectrum.com

For many women, an erratic menstrual cycle, difficulty losing weight or occasional dark chin hairs are annoying but seemingly normal aspects of life. In truth, these symptoms may be indicative of a greater problem known as polycystic ovary syndrome that can cause infertility, increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease and lead to a host of other issues.

It’s a fact Jessica Ross can relate to first-hand.

When she was 15 years old, Ross started having problems with her menstrual cycle and with weight gain. She was diagnosed with PCOS but at the time she didn’t really understand what it might mean. Years later, when she was married and hoping to start a family, some of the more serious ramifications settled in.

“It took us six years to get pregnant,” Ross said. “It was hard walking through stores and seeing all the baby stuff.”

Eventually, with the help of fertility medication, she was able to conceive but PCOS is still very much a part of her reality.

It’s a variation of a story Lisa Borunda, certified family nurse practitioner and PCOS specialist in St. George, has seen many times in her 11 years working with Dr. Chad Lunt, OBGYN.

“I’ve heard over and over that PCOS increases a patient’s risk for diabetes and heart disease, but it wasn’t until I was preparing for a presentation and started looking over the studies and seeing the alarming statistics that it really registered with me the enormous responsibility and opportunity
we have to help our patients prevent these serious health complications,” Borunda said.

Some of the statistics Borunda found indicated that 50 percent of women with PCOS will have impaired glucose tolerance or Type 2 diabetes by age 40 and that women with PCOS have a four to seven times greater risk of heart attack than peers their age without PCOS, according to an excerpt
from Borunda’s nearly completed book on the subject.

Additionally, PCOS symptoms and conditions can include obesity, PMS, depression,
acne, dark hair growth, male pattern baldness, sleep apnea, autoimmune thyroiditis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, recurrent miscarriage, infertility, uterine cancer, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure.

Borunda’s passion for diagnosing and treating PCOS led her to write a book on the topic and to start an education and support group for PCOS patients.

Ross and others in attendance at the March 15 support group were grateful to have the opportunity to learn more about their diagnosis and its treatment.

“It’s nice to get to know other people going through the same thing as well,” Ross said.

“I think we’re all excited (to generate) awareness because it’s so common but people don’t really know what it is,” Borunda said.

Approximately 10 percent of women are affected by PCOS and 80 percent of women with rregular cycles have PCOS, according to information provided by Borunda’s office.

Although the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, many experts believe several factors, including genetics, play a role, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.

Effectively diagnosing the disorder is a process that involves ruling out other issues with similar symptoms such as thyroid, pituitary and adrenal problems and screening the patient for irregular menstrual cycles, biochemical symptoms of high testosterone or clinical symptoms of high testosterone
such as dark hair growth or acne, and confirming polycystic ovary appearance on an ultrasound.

Patients diagnosed with PCOS must meet two of the three criteria. “I was happy to get answers but I was nervous because I have to change everything around,” said Brittany Randall of her recent PCOS diagnosis.

Although PCOS is not the same as an acute infection that must be treated immediately, the long-term ramifications of the disorder — such as insulin resistance and higher risk for diabetes — means patients should begin following a low glycemic diet, similar to a diabetic diet, such as eating small frequent meals and pairing complex carbohydrates with protein.

Patients are encouraged to exercise regularly to assist in weight loss and aid in balancing insulin levels. They are also often treated with Metformin — a drug primarily used to treat diabetes.

“It’s not like (PCOS) is directly affecting your blood sugar this minute, it’s looking at the long-term,” Borunda said.

During PCOS support group meetings, various healthcare professionals are brought in to educate
participants on diet, exercise, dermatological issues, how to deal with grief associated with infertility or
miscarriages and more. Although the support group meets in Borunda’s office, it is open to the public and participants do not have to be a patient of Borunda or Lunt to attend.

Borunda said her motivation for starting the education and support group was not to draw PCOS patients to her practice, rather she is hoping to educate the medical community as well as the general public about the long-term impact this endocrine and reproductive disorder can have if left untreated.

“I want to see people being treated in a multi-disciplinary approach,” Borunda said.

By getting involved in the PCOS support group, Randall is just hoping to “learn more about it and
see what other people do to adjust their lifestyles and know I’m not the only one.”

PCOS support and education group meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday and the third Thursday of each month at, 515 S. 300 East, Suite 205, St. George. There is no charge for the group, though donations are accepted. Email pcossupport@hotmail.com with questions regarding the support group or log onto www.stgpcos.blogspot.com.