PGX Daily Ultra Matrix Softgels - A follow up review after 12 months

I had a comment posted on my blog asking why I didn't post any more reviews of my PGX experience. I guess it's just a matter of being a busy mum with not enough hours in the day to get around to fun stuff like blogging. That said, I thought I'd give you a quick overview of 12 months of taking this supplement because it's quite astounding.

After a bumpy first few weeks, my body quickly adjusted to the PGX. I took about 6 weeks to work my way up to the clinically significant dose of 4 tablets per meal. I tested occasionally with my glucometer and can tell you they do significantly drop the sugar levels of the food you eat 5 - 30 minutes after your dose.

Constipation is an issue with these tablets, even though they are a huge dose of fibre. Go figure! It's important to continue to eat plenty of fruit and things that move through your bowel and break up the bulky stools created by PGX.

I took this supplement as I thought it might help my PCOS. The first thing I noticed in that regard was that my cycle regularity was restored. From a random 60-ish day cycle, I quickly went down to a 30-35 day cycle. The second thing I noticed was that I lost weight from my waistline, despite not changing my diet at all.

After a few months, I began to find the large amount of water required to drink with each meal was burdensome. I decided to cut down to two tablets per meal, which meant I only had to drink about 250-500ml of water with each meal. I knew it wasn't a clinically significant dose but it still seemed to help and I didn't gain any weight back.

But, the most surprising thing happened when I had to visit my gyno for a transvaginal ultrasound. We discovered that in the twelve months since I had been taking PGX, with no other major changes, my left ovary had halved in size and was much smoother in appearance. This was pretty astounding as there were no other real changes in my lifestyle or diet.

I recently stopped taking PGX because I was taking Metformin in preparation for pregnancy and having two medications that are both rough on the gastro-intestinal tract was just too much for me. I would argue that PGX is at least as effective as Metformin in managing blood sugars. I'm sure it helped my body prepare for what is now a natural pregnancy. I do wonder if I'd actually be pregnant at all if I hadn't taken PGX at clinically significant doses for almost a year.

If you've got PCOS, I reckon PGX is worth trying.

All that is left - An Easter Poem

Father, Forgive them
He prayed
As he lingered.
Waiting,
To offer up the purest sacrifice.
The sin of the world descended
Like a heavy curtain.

Torn asunder
With crushing blows.
A bloody victory,
A hollow tomb.
Death is defeated.
Jesus is risen.
You are forgiven and
Found in Eternity.
All that is left
Is to Believe.

IVF - A Waiting Game

Psalm 130 (New International Version, ©2011)

A song of ascents.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
² Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

In the five or six years since I first went through IVF, the whole scene has changed. Rather than be a process driven by an IVF specialist, it is driven by clinic nurses. The clinic I'm attending has three nurses who job-share. I never seem to get the same one twice and they are never aware of my history. There is no case manager to own my case.

As a result, I feel like it is actually me who is driving the process. This is daunting when I have no idea what should be happening next. Oh sure, I could draw on past experience, but since that nearly killed me it is hardly a decent benchmark. The point of IVF this time is to create life, not end it.

These three job-sharing nurses will only accept phone calls at 8:30am - 9:30am and 3pm - 4pm. It's school drop off / pick up time. What a coincidence! This annoys me even more because I'm required to discuss IVF, my cycles, my periods, sperm collection etc on my mobile in the middle of a classroom full of FIVE YEAR OLDS!

My alternative is in the car, or wandering down the street with child in tow. I don't have blue tooth and handsfree on my mobile involves resting the phone on my thigh and hoping it doesn't slide off as I round the corner.

So it's cycle day 31 and we're waiting for my period to arrive. Nurse #3 said we'll wait until day 36 or 37 before they send me for a blood test (ie. a pregnancy test!).

One thing's for sure, I must be pre-menstrual 'cause I'm cranky as hell!

The life Jesus gave you

I got a revelation this morning after reading Luke 8:40 - 9:6 and I have to share it with you.

The first section is the story of the woman with the issue of blood, together with Jairus' daughter. The second section is where Jesus sends out the twelve disciples in pairs to minister.

Both stories were swishing about in my spirit this morning as I did the grocery shopping. I guess it took a while to process, along with a few leaps of spiritual logic (ie. revelation) before understanding arrived.

First thinking about the disciples being sent out like little mini Jesus' all around the country side. I remembered reading in one of the gospels how Jesus rejoiced with them upon their return. They had done as He had done - miracles, healing the sick, living by faith with no money, no spare shirt. 'Wow,' I thought, 'such faith!'

Right beside that story in my Bible is the story of the woman with the issue of blood . While reading, I was impacted by her strong faith and the instant reward Jesus gave her. Immediately upon her act of faith, he called her 'Daughter'. She was now a child of God.

My next revelation was that she was immediately used by Jesus to help build Jairus' faith through her testimony. No waiting around to do a training course at Church. As she trembled before Jesus and shared a thoroughly embarrassing and painfully honest account of her life, Jairus would have been standing nearby. No doubt, wishing Jesus would hurry up and get to his daughter's bedside.

Jesus knew Jairus was struggling with fear. "Don't be afraid; just believe and she will be well," He told Jairus in Luke 8:50.

I realised as I reflected on all of this that I have some parts of Jesus' life in me. I find it easy to have grace and forgive (mostly!). I find mercy and compassion fairly easy. Didn't Jesus extend grace to people? Didn't he show mercy and compassion? And then it clicks in my spirit, Jesus has given me every aspect of His life. Not just the grace and mercy!

Just as he sent the disciples out to heal and minister, He sends me out. He died so I could have a life just like his. Whatever He did, I can do too in Jesus' name. That means heal the sick, that means speak the truth in love, that means call the pharisees of this world to account, that means live a life not worrying about money, a life of miraculous provision of food and fellowship, a life of love for His father's house.

That's all mine. That's all for me and it happened the moment I took a step of scandalous faith towards the Lord and caught a hold of the end of his jacket. Whatever I see Jesus doing in the Bible, I can do too in Jesus name. Did you realise that's what He gave you?

Hallelujah!