Friday, February 20, 2015

It comes around, again and again

A few weeks ago I was struggling with a multi-day, eye-socket impaling headache. It's the kind I get from time to time that requires an intensive treatment, such as a spinal adjustment or a prescription level migraine medicine to bring any meaningful relief. I chose to visit my osteopath's office for a spinal adjustment.

My primary care physician wasn't available so I opted for another doctor in the clinic. Dr. S is someone I had seen a few times before in the past. I wasn't worried as he's done well. When I got in to see him, on time, for my appointed time, he began with a brief introduction of himself and a thorough discussion of symptoms and possible causes. I think because I had self-diagnosed he wanted to check. He began a physical exam by targeting pressure points appropriate to the symptoms and found MANY that were painful and sore to the touch. I wouldn't have realized the pain in my knee was related to the pain in my eye-socket.

Three motions later, with appropriate physics and pressure and I was on my way to pain-free. The driving pain was gone by the end of the visit.

What happened during the adjustment and following moments of recovery was a continued interview about the other things that are in my medical record: Anxiety/depression and its medications along with my polycystic ovarian syndrome and reproductive health. These two things are, I know, forever intertwined. I'm of an age where I am: 1. concerned about ongoing use of hormones to mitigate symptoms from the PCOS and 2. thinking about whether the organs most impacted need to be excised. We had an introduction to this conversation. I'm still thinking.

Today I was reading my email and news feeds. I subscribe to Goop, probably to the chagrin of many of my friends who consider the brains behind the cite to be less than realistic in our world. However, I appreciate the physicians she uses and their ability to understand complicated medical issues. Today's feed included an entry about PCOS and its management with nutrition. My interest piqued. I have been told over and over and over and over again that weight loss is the key. Of course it is. I get the argument. However, my body seems to have other ideas and I know I'm at my highest weight ever now. The recommendation: Jumpstart with a 10% weight loss. Ten percent. Ten. That's all. I know the number I need to hit with that, and while daunting I suspect it can be done. So, without further ado, I'll be working to commit and commit hard to the recommendations made here: http://goop.com/hormones-weight-gain-and-infertility/