Good News Bad News

As I sit there in the endocrinologists office thinking over what I need to talk to the Doctor about, this guy enters, not a doctor, but he sees patients like he is one. It's the same guy I talked to last time, the one who said I probably have both crappy conditions all my doctors have been torn between diagnosing for the last couple years. He sits, we chat. I mention something about having both like he said last time. He bluntly says he never would have said that. What? I'm politely confused. He says quite simply, that I must have misunderstood. All signs point to just one: PCOS. Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, he says, is quite rare. It would be very unlikely to have both PCOS and CAH (IHMA - I Hate Medical Acronyms), so he proceeds to talk about treating just the one.

I'm stunned. I'm thinking I've just wasted 3 months worrying about the treatment of both conditions, misunderstanding my blood test results, and agonizing over whether or not I want to accept the medications. So I ask, "Is this a solid Diagnosis, and how will that change anything treatment-wise?" He tells me he's recommending the same 2 medications he would if I had both. So the good news is, I've only got one condition. The bad news is: nothing changes.

I still have facial hair, I still lose the hair on my head, I still get a manly spare tire, I still have problems with my cycle, I'm still addicted to sugar, and I'm still insulin resistant. The small glimmer of hope, though, is that I may not have to deal with the medications he's suggesting for the duration of my life. I could, in theory, get my symptoms under control with them and use diet and exercise to control them once the goals are reached. Huh. That really was my plan all along. Truly nothing changes.

So 3 days ago I started my rigorous regimen for the 3rd time in 2 years. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred DVD every other day, and jogging 6 + miles the other 3. Sunday I rest. No treats, no refined carbs, lots of fiber, water and veggies.

I'm now in moderate sugar withdrawals. Headaches the first 48 hrs, fatigue, dizziness, and severe crankiness! All bad news. Today I went in for a metabolic test which indicates by my breathing into a tube my resting metabolic rate (how many calories I could burn in a day by just sitting there). The preliminary results show my rate is on the low range which is odd considering how much I exercise. More bad news. Now I have to wait for the results of both a blood and metabolic test, but I'm guessing it will go something like this: "The good news is your results are back and the supreme endocrine overlord has authorized me to descend into the civilian world long enough to call you about them. And the bad news is.....

Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Maple Syrup

I'm not a huge pancake fan. Waffles are more my thing, but try as I might I CANNOT convince my family to be only of the waffle persuasion like me. They LOVE pancakes! All kinds. So I've given in somewhat and have even been known to enjoy a hotcake or two on occasion. The real key is the homemade syrup. My mom always made our syrup growing up. I think they bought syrup from a store once because an empty syrup container is what they used to store our homemade stuff, but I don't remember ever eating it. Once I made it for my husband he could never go back to the store stuff. Easy, cheap, and delicious. A must have for our kitchen.

Here is our usual recipe for good old American pancakes:

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/4 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
1 beaten egg
1 C. buttermilk
2 T. oil

Mix dry ingredients, add wet all at once. Do not overstir, mix will be a little lumpy. Add more buttermilk or regular milk for desired consistency

And for the secret weapon!

Mom's Maple Syrup
2 C. sugar
1 C. water
2 t. maple flavoring
1 t. vanilla

bring all ingredients to a boil, boil 5-6 minutes (use a large pot, this will boil up and over if you let it!) stirring frequently. serve warm. Excess may be stored in the refrigerator for quite a while, maybe even forever, but it will never last that long, it's way too delicious!