Hi y’all
I am so glad the weekend is finally here. And what a month week this has been!
I mentioned earlier on Facebook that blogging as a hobby gives you the freedom to blog whenever you feel like it without the pressure of deadlines. Even so, I originally “planned” to write at least 4 posts per week. I even wrote a post about what I would be blogging about as a guide for everyone, myself included. One of the topics on that list was a daily outfit. I tried, I really did. But most of my days have been spent wearing yoga pants and fitted tees as well as workout apparel. I didn’t want to scar anyone, so I omitted those types of pictures. Skipping writing on those days just made me think about how bad I really could use some closet rehab.
But there is something bigger going on. I don’t want to say I have been depressed, but I’m certain I haven’t been myself. I can’t believe I’m going to announce this online but I want to be 100% honest in everything I say and do.
Here goes nothing.
I have been losing my hair. And not the type of hair loss that occurs with aging. I am a ripe ol’ 26 year old. The average person loses around 100 strands of hair on a daily basis. In my case, it’s far much worse. I have always considered myself lucky when it comes to Polycystic Ovarian Sydrome and it’s terrible symptoms because while I suffer from most of them, I have avoided the one that bothers me most which is hair loss otherwise known as androgenic alopecia.
Photo Credit: CafePress
My hair has been falling out in handfuls. As a young woman, this is simply horrifying. I hate washing my hair because that’s when the bulk of it comes out. But, I can’t not wash my hair so I have been trying to do it every other day or every two days. I’m scared to brush my hair. I’m afraid to style it. I haven’t a clue on what to do. I don’t even know how to explain it. To give you a better idea, I have always had a pretty low self esteem. My hair is my one attribute that I actually liked loved. I cried at the thought that I used to joke about wanting to wear wigs. I used to think it would be fun to have a different color hair or a different hair style on any given day.
Lately, I’ve been pretty hard on myself. I gained 90 pounds during pregnancy and although I lost about 30 pounds, I have gained it all back (if not more). One of the other symptoms of PCOS is the inability to lose weight. It also causes weight gain. All of my other symptoms have worsened- weight gain, excess hair (hirsutism), no period in 3+ months, skin problems, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. Because of this, I have been busting my ass in the gym. I have been going quite often and even more so now that I have the “you have to workout hard or you will go bald” motivation.
Then, it dawned on me.
I have been losing my hair for about a month now. Isn’t that about the same time that I began taking my new beta blocker, Altenonol , to help control my blood pressure? “Does Altenonol cause hair loss?
After doing some investigative research, I discovered the answer to that is yes- Altenonol does cause hair-loss. :/
I immediately scheduled an appointment to see my physician. I know many times a medication is prescribed because the benefits are greater than the side effects. As a woman, I think I would rather keep my hair and have high blood pressure (even though it may seem vain). I am hoping praying that we can try a new blood pressure medication. Because if the medication causes hairloss, I can always try something new. If it’s due to PCOS, than there is nothing I can do about it.
I hate to leave on such a negative note, so I will say something positive regarding my experience. Women with PCOS can have children. My doctor (not my current doctor, of course) told me I would never have kids. Well, how can you when you don’t ovulate? When I lost 30lbs, I immediately became pregnant. I am the proud mother of a 3 year old little boy. Additionally, I have found that symptoms become worse with the more extra weight you have and they decrease when you are closest to your “ideal” weight. =)
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Please wish me luck for my doctor’s appointment this week.
Sorry for the lack of pictures- I will be posting more very soon!
