PCOS: 30-Day Challenge

Yesterday, I wrote about my personal journey with PCOS and mentioned that I had a 30-day challenge. Before I tell you about the challenge, let me tell you why I'm doing it.

About three weeks ago, I found myself at the start of a dangerous cycle—read up on facts about PCOS, its symptoms, infertility, etc; start feeling discouraged, forget about it, repeat a month later. To anyone with PCOS, does this sound familiar?

However, on this particular Friday afternoon, I found myself feeling enlightened and hopeful as I pored over statistics and natural dietary treatments. In particular, I read this blog post. And something resonated with me as she explained how hormones found in dairy (Insulin growth factor-1 or IGF-1) are the exact structure as the same hormone found in humans. Because people with PCOS already have sensitivities to this hormone (and insulin), what I was reading made sense. I also read over the comments on her post, which had many accounts of people who had success with what she was saying.

To my surprise, instead of falling into the cycle of reading-feel discouraged-forgetting, I felt empowered to experiment with what I read. Try it for 30 days. I knew I'd have to start planning ahead for breakfast (my go-to has been to grab a Greek yogurt on my way out the door at 7:15) and checking labels more carefully. Thankfully, I started drinking almond milk a few years ago, not really caring for the taste of milk. But, that doesn't mean I don't love occasional icecream or products containing milk.

While I've wondered before if I have some sort of lactose intolerance, I've never done a 30-day test to see how I felt without the products. I decided now was the time.

I hesitated sharing this post because I'm only 9 days into the experiment, but this is reality. I'm hopeful that I'll have positive results - perhaps I'll see clearer skin, maybe I'll lose some weight or have a period. But, more importantly, I hope that I will feel better and feel more confident and in control of my PCOS.

Giving up things is hard. For me, I needed to first target what my big "problem" areas were with dairy (breakfast, protein shakes, dessert and cheeses on salads). I've found solutions for all of those problem areas. I plan ahead and make breakfast burritos on Sunday night that I can grab on my way to work, or if I'm feeling ambitious, I get up early and make oatmeal. I nixed the protein shakes (I know there are plant-based options, but I haven't wanted to spend the money on those yet). For dessert, I found coconut-based icecream to be very tasty, and there are other ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without dairy. No cheese on salad is something that I'm still getting used to—turns out that bite of feta or blue cheese really adds a lot! But, though it has been a challenge (and though I've been frustrated when I can't find something "convenient" to eat or have to ask "What's in that?" for everything I eat), I love being in control of my health. And I know this has been a good step for me.

Perhaps after 30 days, I'll abandon this altogether, but my hope is that will become a lifestyle change. There will be cheat days (especially if I'm Portland because . . .  Salt & Straw Icecream is a thing) but, I am looking forward to sharing my results in a month. Even if they aren't what I expected, at least I am trying to make healthy changes. And that counts for something.

If you want to join me in the 30-day dairy-free challenge, let me know. I'd be happy to share a few recipes I've gathered, as well as a listening ear for when you really just want that chocolate chip cookie or a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked icecream.

And, if you don't feel up for cutting out dairy (it took me years, remember), there are so many other things you can do for 30 days. Maybe it's 30 minutes of physical activity or maybe it's limiting processed foods. Maybe it's telling yourself everyday in the mirror that YOU are beautiful and are worth something great, even with acne. Even with annoying facial hair that just doesn't go away. Even with love handles. Even with anxiety. (And maybe I should join you in that challenge myself).

PCOS affects women in so many ways, and I don't know how it personally affects YOU.
But, whether you join me in the dairy-free challenge or set another goal, remember that change is hard and there is a great sense of accomplishment in trying.

xoxo,
Cheri

getting personal: my story of PCOS.

It's me! (in case you forgot whose blog this was since it's been a while.)

Hi there. 

It's been some time since I've written on this blog. But, I'm planning to start writing more frequently so join me for the ride, if you'd like.

Today, I wanted to write about something that (before the past year), I rarely admitted. I have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome). I used to be so ashamed of this personal fact. I'd tell roommates or family members (sometimes) but rarely men. When dating someone, I hated and always hesitated to bring it up (in fact, I've only told 3 guys in the past 5 years of dating). Luckily, Lance has always been completely supportive about it, and willing to eat differently with me, or cheer me up when I'm sad about it.

But, guess what? PCOS is more common than you realize—it affects 1 in 10 women. AND, even though it's rather "common," doctors know surprisingly little about the causes—and even less about how to treat it. There is no cure for PCOS, but a healthy lifestyle is one of the best treatments.

I found out I had PCOS when I was 20. After battling acne for years, I finally went to the doctor and asked him what I could do about it. He took one look and said, "I bet you have PCOS." My heart sunk. Poly-cystic ovarian syndrome?! No 20-something wants to hear that there is something "wrong" with their ovaries, that they have "more testosterone" than "normal," or that the most common cause of female infertility is this hormone imbalance known as PCOS. But, I did hear it. And I live with it everyday, as millions of women (up to 5 MILLION in the United States) do.

So, what is it? PCOS is a hormonal disorder that leads to poly-cystic ovaries, infertility, and increased levels of male hormones (which can cause acne, weight issues, hair growth, male-patterned balding and insulin resistance). PCOS is unique in every circumstance. You don't have to have all the symptoms in order to have it. Some women have normal, regular menstrual cycles; others have very heavy, frequent periods—or none at all.  To be frank, I never had a menstrual cycle until I was 16. And I've had only two in the past year. People who know say, "I wish I didn't have a period! That would be SO nice!" But for those of us who suffer with PCOS, it's hard to feel "different" or to worry about infertility when you aren't functioning "as normal."

Doctors often suggest medication to help with PCOS. Metformin to regulate weight and insulin. Birth control to regulate cycles, control acne, and regulate hormones. But, it's true that the best treatment for PCOS comes from living a healthy lifestyle (which includes what you do along with what you eat). I am grateful that I've always been a pretty active person—I grew up running track and cross country, swimming in the summers, and enjoy hiking, walking or just moving around in general. The recommendation for people with PCOS is at least 30 minutes of activity per day. Besides being active, what a person with PCOS eats is VERY important to managing symptoms.

When I first found out I had PCOS, I was told I should basically live the Atkins diet (few carbs, avoid gluten, etc.). At 20 years old, it was really stressful to manage (and this happened right before I went to Spain where bread basically equals life) and I began dropping weight pretty rapidly. Over the next 5 years, I've been strict at times and lenient at others with my diet. But, I feel like the time is right in my life where I can have a good handle on what I eat and the reason (which I realized is VERY important) I do it. I feel like I have the motivation to do these things for me, for my body, for my future family. And, thankfully, I have the best support system to cheer me on!

Tomorrow, I'm going to tell you about a 30-day challenge I've given myself to try to combat some of the symptoms and why I'm doing it. Stay tuned.

fragile life.

Tuesday morning, I woke to a text from a dear friend. The text notified me of the passing of an 18-year-old boy I had the privilege to meet in Riverhead, New York. I served in Riverhead for the first nine months of my mission. A memory came flooding to my mind — it was my first night as a missionary in my new area of Riverhead. We were living in a home next to the church and our branch president stopped to welcome me. I remember feeling comfortable and excited to get to know the members and the area, and grateful for such a welcoming branch president.

I would get to know him — and his family — quite well over the course of those six transfers spent there, in that place that would become my home.

Shortly before leaving to my second area, their youngest son, Tristin, was often sick and exhausted. A few weeks into my new area, I heard he had been diagnosed with leukemia. It was a shock to me — how could someone so young (then 16) have to face a life-threatening disease?

That was December 2013.

In October 2014, I returned back to Utah and had last heard that he was doing better and that his cancer was in remission. It was quite a shock to get the text saying he'd passed away Monday, July 27.

At work, I sat at my desk, dumbfounded as I thought about life. Life is so fragile. I've heard that phrase a million times, but this time, I actually felt it. Tristin was just a boy. I grieved for his parents and for his siblings. For the loss they are now facing. For the sadness and heartache. Even though I believe we will see each other again, the grief is still there. The pain is still deep and undoubtedly unbearable at the present time.

I thought of the miracle that I am 24 and relatively healthy. How blessed am I to have this gift of life?

This song came on as I was contemplating all of this and some of it stuck out to me (also, it's a beautiful song).

"We've got seven days
till we say goodbye.
Back to separate ways,
I'll miss you more this time.
We don't need to know
The future isn't ours.
One more day for you to hold me
Cause I don't know
When I'll see you again." 

My dear friends, life really is a gift. A beautiful, beautiful gift. And to my dear friends, the Krueger family, thank you for the love you have shared with so many.  For reaching out and helping those around you. I pray you can be comforted to feel the love from those around you and from our Heavenly Father. I do know you'll see Tristin again.

Make good things happen.

“Make good things happen. Be someone who is going somewhere.”

I’ve been home for 7 months now (from the greatest mission in the world ;)) My coworker and I were talking the other day how you transition from counting days you’ve been home to weeks you’ve been home to transfers you’ve been home … then it becomes months, and eventually, years.

The time has gone incredibly fast! As I face the first summer back, I really AM excited for all the unknown (there seems to be a lot of that right now!). Yesterday in church, we read a talk that was pretty perfect for my life. Yesterday afternoon, I decided to do one of the tips mentioned to “make my young adult years productive” which was making a 1-,3- and 5-year plan. It reminded me of making “visions, goals, and plans” on the mission (we did this at the start of every transfer, each Thursday for every investigator/recent convert/member we were teaching, and countless other times).

And, because I want to be accountable to someone else (even if it’s unidentifiable blog readers), I thought I’d share some of my 1-year plans with you:

Educational goals:  Start grad school fall 2016. This means I have to ...apply to grad school (which also means I have to, you know, pick something to study!). This idea has been floating in my mind since, well, 2012? As my mission neared its end, people would ask my future plans. I told them, “Oh, go to grad school…” but didn’t have a set plan as to where or what I would study. Coming home, I assumed I’d continue with communication. I came home, bought a GRE-prep book, and began studying. But, I didn’t feel satisfied in a communication grad program. I loved my undergrad studies of communication, but is that what I wanted to do for another 2 years of school? As I thought about it, I realized perhaps it was time for some stretching. I have always been fascinated with nutrition; I began looking at nutrition programs. Most of them require prerequisites, of which I don’t have (being a comm major) so … I have two options:

1. I can take required pre-reqs from either a university or community college.If going with this route, I wouldn’t start grad school until a later time, depending on how many classes I’d need to take first.
2. I looked for similar programs that don’t require pre-reqs. I found one at th U called “health promotion & education.” You know, I’m not sure what that entails, but I’m going to look into it cause it sounds interesting and along the same lines.

Applying to grad school also means really tackling my GRE-prep book and actually taking the test. Here’s to a summer of that!

Along with educational pursuits, I’ve set a few spiritual goals. This includes: continuing weekly temple attendance, visiting all completed Utah temples within the year 2015 (I only have Vernal, Draper, Payson, and Monticello to go), becoming a temple worker, and completing more family history work.

I’ve set a few more personal goals for my 1-year plan and I’m excited to see how those turn out. But, I really do think there is something to be said for actually making a plan. It’s not enough to just say we’re going to do something. We have to DO the work. It’s not just thinking; but being actively engaged in our goals that will help us achieve them.

be all there.

I haven’t sat down to write anything since, well, being home. I think of how writing was such a passion for me. It’s what I did every single day. I had dreams of being a journalist -- capturing the latest breaking news and broadcasting it for all to see. And now, here I am. Five months after coming home from New York, I am really writing for the first time.

And it hits me. How sad. How terribly, terribly sad. How did I let such a passion slip away? Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the choices we make and where they take us. I know there are many doors to choose from -- to take us in any direction, really. But, which doors am I opening? Which doors am I shutting? I don’t want to let this passion, this love of writing, become a closed door. So, I am writing. And it might turn out to be a mess! But, here goes.

Guess what? Here has what been on my mind lately: making decisions is hard! But, it is especially hard for me, an indecisive person (so indecisive, mind you, that I literally asked a friend last week, “Am I indecisive?”). When I came home, there were so many choices facing me head on -- do I move back to Cedar City to attend grad school at SUU? Do I even apply to grad school? What about BYU? Or the University of Utah? Should I look out of state? Boston? What would I study, if I were to apply? Should I continue with studying communication? Is there a way to study nutrition instead? How many courses would I have to “make up” to fit the pre-reqs for a nutrition program? Should I apply at KSL? Should I move to Salt Lake? Should I move to Provo? Apply at the MTC? Work at Kohl’s part-time? Live in Spanish Fork? Travel the country? Move back to NY and become a nanny? Apply for a job at the church? Move to Vegas? Work at Zupas? These were all legitimate thoughts in my mind.

Eventually, things began to fall into place (as they usually do, which means I should worry less and trust more!). In December, the day after I fasted for some answers regarding where I should be living and what I should be doing with my life, I was visiting my brother’s family in Florida and received two phone calls. Two companies wanted to set up job interviews with me. One was scheduled for when I returned; the other was set for Skype that week. Two days after my Skype interview, I was offered a job working for the Publishing Services Department for the LDS Church.

My first thought was, “Well, it looks like I’ll be moving downtown!” I was excited about that idea. I began perusing KSL ads, Craigslist, and soliciting help from local friends and family. But, as I started working at the end of December, I began going to the singles ward at home. And guess what? It just sort of “fit.” (And that surprised me quite a bit!) I had always, always been hesitant about going to my “home singles ward” but, all of the sudden it felt like where I “needed” to be at that point. As I looked at various apartments near work, nothing seemed to click. And so, here I am, living at home, and feeling like it is where I am supposed to be -- at least for a little while.

Basically, life has a funny way of working out. If you would have told me three years ago that after graduating from SUU I would go on a mission, I would have laughed. But if you would have added -- “And after your mission, you’re going to live in Roy, work in Salt Lake, and actually enjoy it,” I wouldn’t have believed it. It has been an adjustment for me, especially after being on my own for about 5.5 years. But, again, life works out. It just does.

And I’m very grateful for that.

So, here's to the future, to opening up new doors, and seeing what's behind them.