The Story of Glucose

One of the things my doctor monitors the closest is my A1C level, which tells her if I am at risk of or if I have diabetes. 2nd to cancer, diabetes is one of the scariest things when it comes to PCOS health risks. Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, therefore many of them are prescribed a medication called metformin. I have opted out of taking metformin and decided to learn about my body and treat it naturally. (But that doesn't mean it doesn't work for others, I am happy it is available for those who need it and benefit from it) I think it is scary to me because I never really quite understood insulin and what it does in the body, and the only way I can convince myself I know what is going on, is to write a story about it... 

You see, in the world of your body, there is a gym called The Muscle and Fat Gym. It is pretty exclusive, only the sweetest Glucose Clients are able to attend the gym. Membership requires you to use an Insulin Personal Trainer. In fact, Glucose Clients cannot even attend The Muscle and Fat Gym without their Insulin Trainer accompanying them. Then one day some gluttonous suit at the corporate office of The Muscle and Fat Gym decided that the gym shouldn't be so exclusive anymore. He was like, "Hey, let's just let any Glucose Client in here, just think of all the money we will make, I LOVE SUGAR AHHHHHH!!!!" But the dumb ass kept the rules the same, each person still needed a high end Insulin Trainer. So for every Glucose Client they got, they had to hire another Insulin Trainer, Then the Insulin Trainers had to start taking on multiple clients, and the Pancreatic Offices where you hire Insulin Trainers was just flat out of Insulin Trainers one day. Eventually the current Insulin Trainers became overworked and quit. Now every time Glucose tries to get into The Muscle and Fat Gym, they are turned away because the rules are still "You must have a Insulin Trainer with you to enter." So Instead of going to the gym, Glucose Clients decided to turn around and go home via the bloodstream freeway... And that is why the 405 always sucks. Eventually The Muscle and Fat Gym closes down because of poor business management and you are carting your ass to Diabetesland. 

That's how I see it anyway... the point is keep your gym exclusive! Silly stories aside, diabetes is a serious condition and it must be monitored, or better yet prevented. Keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels can help you understand how your body reacts to food. Also look out for hidden sugar in things... especially carbs!!! Here is a link to actual medical information, because I really hope you are not getting your medical information from me. :)

Feed your muscle and fat with only the best fuel.

<3 Jennifer

http://www.diabetes.org/

Working on a New Look!

I am working on re-branding the blog... what do you think of the new header?

Hugs to My Cysters!

Marion O'Varion has a hug for you all! Have a wonderful weekend! 

A Big Pain in the Boob

I am sure you have heard the term from a man, "I am a boob guy"... meaning that boobs are his favorite. Men love boobs, but to us women they are tools for when you have children and need to feed them... or when you need to get out of a speeding ticket. Boobs make "boob guys" pretty happy, but sometimes boobs are just a huge fucking pain. Literally.

Boobs can hurt for all sorts of reasons, one being muscle soreness from carrying those heavy things around, or from side affects from medication, but cyclic breast pain is the pain in your boobs that is related to your hormones and menstrual cycle.

If you have boob pain, check in with your doctor to make sure there is nothing serious going on. According to the American Cancer Society, there was estimated over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2017. I have watched someone live through and survive the horrible disease, and it is not fun for anyone, so get checked early if you notice any changes in your boobs. There could also be some other funky things going on, remember your boobs are filled with milk ducts, so make sure all parts of the boob are a-okay.

I am not saying that boob pain means cancer or something serious, I am just saying keep an eye on your boobs. In most cases boob pain is just that... pain. I was super worried about my boobs when they hurt so freaking bad all the time. So I told my doctor and yes, you guessed it... it is all because of my hormones. I suffer from cyclic breast pain for approx. 20 days out of every month. The only way I can describe the feeling is that it is similar to the pain you have a day or two after a very strenuous work out.

I know many many women with PCOS can relate, and maybe women without PCOS too! So I am going to give you my top 2 things I do to combat boob pain.

#1: As much as possible, go without a bra. My boobs hurt the worse after stuffing them into a bra all day. The exception to this when you are exercising, then you should invest in a nice sturdy sports bra. Bouncing is bad for boobs! IT HURTS! Sorry boys!

 #2: Massage. It does wonders for the pain. You're welcome boys!

Pain is something that women with PCOS deal with every day, and knowing where the pain is coming from and why you are having it is super important. Get your proper check-ups and keep a journal if you suspect hormones to be the issue, that will help your doctor pin point the pain. As I learn more about my boobs and their pain, I will share any important information I find and any more remedies I have!

Don't forget to let your boobs free and show them some love!

💗 Jennifer

OH! And here is a great link to the Mayo Clinic's information regarding different types of boob pain. 

More About Me and Upcoming Posts!

Happy Sunday cysters! I am so happy to be writing today and share with you some more things about me and what I plan to do to help women with PCOS.

I started this blog at the beginning of the year to give myself a platform for my PCOS writing other than my personal Facebook newsfeed. I knew there are millions of women with PCOS around the world, and I wanted to be able to reach them without them also having to sift through pictures of my dog and updates from the Chicago Cubs game, which is primarily what you will see on my Facebook page. But then after doing some more research on blogging, I realized that people might actually want to know more about me and my everyday life. Yes I have fun educational stories, strong opinions, and  thought out research on PCOS, but things like my job, my relationship, my personal feelings, I have not really dug deep into on my public online platforms. Don't worry Sam, I won't be sharing all our business, but I am working on a structured blog post release schedule that will include more personal things about me in addition to the educational hoo-haa. That will give me the opportunity to reach woman on a regular basis with information on PCOS and my personal stories will hopefully help them relate a little more and remind them they are not alone.

So let's get this ish started! I am 34 years old, I live in Sherman Oaks, CA with my boyfriend, Sam, and our Chiweenie dog, Layla.  I studied liberal arts and fine arts in school, and then focused my education primarily on animation. I have been working in the animation industry for 10 years, and I am currently the design department Production Supervisor on the Emmy Winning television series "Bob's Burgers".

I feel like every creative person has a side hustle, and every once in a while I will get a freelance art work gig, but I have recently made writing/blogging a higher priority.  I mean, I guess you can say it is not really a "hustle" if I am making $0.00 from it, but you never know! Really I just love doing it and I feel like I have something important to say, so that is why I write. Check out some more of my work at PCOSAA.org.

PCOS has held me back my entire life, but somehow I have been able to get past my darkest days and build a life for myself that I am truly happy, successful, and comfortable in. A life where even though PCOS affects me physically, emotionally, and mentally every single day, I still love myself and feel so blessed every single day to have what I have in my home, relationship, family, friends, and job. My hope is that every woman can have that feeling.

So that's all you get! For now anyway. I am excited to share more posts on a more regular basis. Please check back weekly (or even better, SUBSCRIBE!) for more content, including another appearance from Marion O'Varion coming soon!

One last thing... Happy Father's Day to my Dad, Mike. You are still the coolest Dad out there!

Love you all and thanks for reading!

<3 Jennifer