A Doctor Who is NOT on Crack

So I had my appointment with the second opinion doctor today and I love, love, love him! First of all, he's an OB/GYN so he deals with crazy all day long. He was understanding and actually listened to me and asked questions to figure out what in the world is going on with my body. I told him what the other doctor had said and he flat out told me that doctor is a quack and I should never step back in his office. We talked a lot about diet, fitness, medications, anxiety, and I really felt like he was genuinely interested in helping me find a solution instead of just trying to be right. So here's what I learned:

1. YES Zoloft is horrible for weight and it's not uncommon for patients to gain weight while taking it. It's also very difficult to lose weight on it.
2. My PCOS may still be an issue. He said while my levels were "ok" and "normal" according to the other doctor, they are just slightly off and someone with PCOS doesn't fit into "normal" levels.
3. My anxiety is still an issue but he believes it's totally situational. There is something that makes me have higher anxiety than a normal person, but it's not unmanageable.
4. I left with a plan instead of wanting to punch him in the face. :)

So we have a game plan. I talked to him about my diet plans, exercise, and the possibility of going on Metformin again to get my body back in order. This is pending some lab results so we will see. He told me to stop taking the Zoloft. He said at this point the benefits are not outweighing the side effects so it's no longer worth the trade off. This is where we get into the point that my anxiety is situational. He asked how I generally feel on a normal day and we discussed school and future plans, but then he asked about my family, friends, and outside influences and he said he instantly noticed a difference in me. He thinks I spend too much time trying to please everyone and make everyone happy. He said I need to step back and reevaluate my relationships with people and how they help or hurt me. We talked a lot about how I have a lot of hurt from my past and he picked up on something almost nobody does about me... that a lot of my anxiety comes from the fact that I want to protect my children from feeling the way I did as a child. So, instead of meds, he is sending me to see a counselor to see if maybe I can work on some strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety that don't involve medicine.

We came up with a diet and exercise plan that we both agreed will be good for me. The hardest part? I have to cut back on cheese. I love cheese. Apparently I love it too much though and my LDL was a little high. That's going to be hard for me, but nothing is impossible. :)