About Me: My name is Christina Burgy Parsons Fisanick and I grew up in a little town in the Norther Panhandle of West Virginia. I now live with my husband Nick in Athens, Ohio where I attend Ohio University. I am a Ph.D. candidate in English with a concentration in composition and rhetoric. At Ohio University, I teach composition, rhetoric, and a variety of other courses. Outside of school, I like to make scrapbook, crafts, Web pages, and search for my ancestors.

PCOS and Me: I first started menstruating at age 11 and by my 12 grade year, I had gained an enormous amount of weight and it did not stop. I first noticed hair growth on my upper lip around age 14, and I started missing periods around age 15. I got pregnant at age 16 and delivered a full term baby at 17. After that, my body seemed to explode. I started missing periods, I gained even more weight, even though I was working three jobs and going to school. I did not link this to anything in particular until I came to graduate school in 1996. By October 1996, I had not had a period in four months. When I went to the doctor here on campus, he thought that it might be because of stress, so he sent me away. He continued to do so for the next four years. Finally, in December of 1999, I was sent to a specialist, but only after I told my doctor that I wanted to get pregnant! It was as if he was saying that PCOS was not legitimate or that I wasn't worth treating unless I had a "real" medical problem.

The New Doctor: I went to the ob/gyn that my original doctor referred me to. I thought that all of my prayers were answered. He was kind and caring and he actually listened to what I had to say. So, he made an appointment for a 3 hour Glucose Tolerance Test, a test for DHEA-S, testosterone, and thyroid. The tests came back negative. I was really surprised! But, as it turns out the lab that he sent the results to, LabCorp, is often wrong and the 3 hour GTT test does not prove insulin resistance, because it does not measure the insulin-glucose ratio. Not to mention that it is not uncommon (according to Thatcher's PCOS book) for PCOS women to test negative on some or all of the tests. It is important to examine the results closely. A reading on the high-end of normal is a strong indication that something is awry. So, when I pleaded with my doctor about my problems, mainly obesity, he did nothing. He said there was nothing he could do until I get pregnant. I have decided to fight this! Check out my journal to read more.

Self-Made Treatment: Then, especially since I can't get "medical" care, I began using a variety of herbal and alternative treatments. I am using Dandelion root for edema, Don Quai for hormone balance, GNC multivitamins, Stevia for sweetner and insulin regulation, and Inositol. I am also using reflexology, massaging the pressure points in your hands and feet. It does wonders for headaches and bowel regularity. In the past, I have used Progest progesterone cream to regulate my periods and it worked wonderfully well. I had a period every time when I used it. (I will be adding more information to the herbal site about these treatments in the coming weeks.)

Metformin: Most of the treatments I tried, especially the progesterone cream, worked well for me. I started feeling better, had regular periods, and just felt like I had my life back together again. I still was not really losing weight and I had not ovulated in several months. I went out and body Toni Weschler's book Taking Charge of Your Fertility and I sought out the treatment of a doctor, any doctor, who would give me metformin. I found someone, Dr. Glueck in Cinncinati, Ohio. He started me out on 500 mg of metformin 3X a day. It gave me my periods back and helped me lose a little weight. He bumped me up to 850 mg 3X a day and within a month and a half, I got pregnant. I have had troubles with the pregnancy, but everything is fine now. (You can read about the pregnancy here.)

Support: My main support system, other than myself (most important!), is my husband and the wonderful women I have met online through the PCOS list serv. It is a high volume list serv, but well worth it. They make me feel like I am not alone and they have given me the best information on the newest treatments available for PCOS.

If you should have any questions about this site or about me, please feel free to e-mail me. I am always interested in feedback and in helping anyone out who needs more information. Please, don't feel like you are alone.