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Becky C's Story

HELP! I am 24 yrs old and have gained 80 lbs in just over a year. I have stretch marks EVERYWHERE!!! MY face is all round and puffy, I have a buffalo hump, I look pregnant, my bones hurt, I have newly acquired memory and concentration problems (I went from never having to study and getting A's to constantly having to study just to pull C's), my muscles are weak (I have a hard time carrying anything and I was a weightlifter before all of this), I have to push myself up from a sitting position, I have red accross my face and I notice the blond mustache I have going on (I am blond and very fair skinned, fortunately). I went from doing 3 hours of cardio near daily to barely able to make my bed without becoming out of breath. I eat well, heck, I was a dietary coach for a weight loss facility! My current dr told me three days ago that there is nothing wrong with me, that I have to face the facts: "the only way to gain weight is to but excess calories in; be practical." I had an MRI 3 weeks ago and when I asked for a copy of my films they only gave me 9 images on a CD. When the results were reported to me I was told that my MRI was "normal." I asked what normal was seeing as everyone is different.

I hadn't been getting my period; I went from being a tampon user, to a pad user, to a ...wait there was nothing, most of the time. So, my dr took me off of my BC; I had 2 periods and should be having one now but am not. He also put my on adderal because "you must just be ADD." I am extremely tired and you would think that I would have at least perked up on this; I can't get up in the morning and it is affecting my attendance in my morning classes and I have to nap in the afternoon which affects those classes.

I have seen 5 doctors. My ob/gyn NP suggested PCOS and ordered a pelvic and transvag USS; that was not it.

I saw a doctor at school and he chalked it up to depression and put me on prozac. I have since weened myself off of it as I didn't feel any different. I asked the doc if he wouldn't be slightly depressed if he had just gained 50 lbs in 3 months (that was the initial weight gain; I gained another 30 lbs about 8 mons later in 1.5 months).

I saw my first endo after this and he diagnosed me with metabollic syndrome: high B/P, high Chol, high insulin levels (he told me I was diabetic), etc. According to my nutrition prof this is a bull*** syndrome; it's the name they give to a group of symptoms that do not make sense and they need something to call it. He did run a 24 hour cortisol; it was on the high end of normal so he ruled out cushing's. I had the opportunity to read his report and he did not put half the things I mentioned to him and said that my brighr purpley-red stretch marks were "old" and I was overreacting. Also, when he called me with my test results, told me, and I quote, "your obese and depressed;. If what you really want is diet pills I'll prescribe them for you."

After this I talked to my OB/GYN NP again (she used to be my GP NP). She contacted another endo in Green Bay, WI. This dr oredered the same tests as the other endo and the results were different. My insulin levels were low (!), my B/P was fine (!), and my cortisol levels were a little lower (still mid range on the ROT scale). This was only a month later. She did not look at my marks; just sent me on my way with no solutions. I haven't heard from her since.

It was about 4 months after this that I started gaining the 30 lbs.

I have had to buy a new wardrobe almost every 4 months. I have stopped going out because I am embarassed of myself. I don't allow myself to visit people that I haven't seen since before my life started going downhill even though they want to visit. My doctors have made me think I am crazy; I cry all the time. I have always loved school, still do, but hate going because I barely fit in the desks. I went from a size 11/12 (I've never been skinny-skinny, but healthy; as I mentioned before I was an avid weightlifter, cardio buff, and adored playing tennis) to a size 22 in a year. In 3 weeks I went from shopping in my favorite clothing stores to shopping in the plus-size section. I NEED HELP!!! I cry all the time and my mother is beside herself. I am glad that there is a site where I can go and realize I am not the only one out there going through this. I will post pics later.

Sorry it's sooo long, but -I live in Wisconsin.

~Becky C.