So today I finally went to the doctor to inquire about hormone level testing. He referred me to the endocrinology clinic of a nearby hospital. He did not charge for the visit.
At the hospital, the specialist spoke very little English. My medical Korean is minimal, so he called for a translator. He giggled a lot (perhaps in linguistic embarassment) throughout the visit. Dr. Giggles, through the translator, expressed the opinion that the hirsutism and menstrual irregularities were caused by my weight, but ordered a bunch of tests just to make sure. The translator walked me through some basic tests, such as EKG, blood pressure check, urine sample and some baffling x-rays. Tomorrow morning, I'll go in for some fasting bloodwork. I can definitely say that were I not living in a country with socialized medicine, I would not have done any of this.
Probably, all hormone levels will test out normal. Probably the doctor will say "eat less and exercise more." I'm working on that. I've bought a bunch of leafy green vegetables and made veggie-tofu dwenjang (fermented soybean paste) soup. I walked more today than I did yesterday. It's a start.
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