Posts by Hannah Roberts86

Thinking about grabbing a tiny house. Some folks want us to start a business because they’d park it in a campground for rentals... but both my husband and I have full-time jobs. How does that setup actually work? We're looking at dropping maybe $30k on this. Is that enough to get through the first season?

Noah Ramirez7 said:..you hit the nail on the head, I really did have a regular period despite the cysts... my left ovary is totally fine but the right one is where the cysts are living... I honestly have no clue why nobody mentioned egg retrieval to you, because even my hairstylist went through the retrieval process, though I don't know if she had big cysts or small ones... she doesn't have kids yet either, and her doctor told her the best bet would be to get pregnant so those cysts would just disappear completely... but since she doesn't even have a boyfriend, that's not happening... usually, fertile days start about 10 days after your period ends and they last for maybe 5 or 6 days... let's say your period starts today, November 15th, and lasts for 4 or 5 days, then your fertile window would kick in around November 24th and the most fertile day would be November 27th... now, I seriously have no idea how to calculate anything when my period is this irregular, but you should probably try starting from that 10-day mark. 🤷 I don't know, have you tried tracking your basal body temperature? I haven't personally tried it, but I've heard girls do that... apparently, you use a digital thermometer under your tongue... there's probably a thread about it somewhere on this forum if you want to look... 😉 and there's one more thing I'm confused about... they told me I'd have trouble conceiving and that I should go in for formal preconception planning... did anyone ever mention that to you? I'm assuming they must have some specific method or protocol for that. 🤷

nobody ever told me I needed counseling because of PCOS—just that it might make conceiving a bit tougher. but nothing was set in stone; I've heard plenty of stories about women missing their periods for months and still getting pregnant. I actually had to do the whole counseling thing because of something else though, which is my epilepsy meds. Those pills can be bad for a baby, so my neurologist is slowly tapering me off them now. Truth is, those epilepsy meds can cause irregular cycles (and PCOS symptoms), and I'm pretty sure my irregular periods are straight-up caused by these pills, which I totally hate having to take. And oh my god! My sister was told the exact same thing about her PCOS and how hard it would be to conceive, but she got pregnant on her first try!! So yeah, I'm stressing, but I know it varies so much from person to person. My situation is just such a mess right now, I don't even know what to think...
My doctor just said if I don't get pregnant within the next five months, we need to take action and try a different method to conceive... plus, we'll have to do fertility testing... once all the tests are back, we'll see what the next steps are... ugh, what a nightmare!

Noah Ramirez7 said:👋 so let me tell you about my own experience dealing with PCOS... when I was 20, I went to see a private OBGYN... she told me I had PCOS, specifically having extra cysts on my right ovary... she advised me that if I wanted kids, I should start trying as soon as possible, both because of age and because of how things work... the way she explained it was that the embryo usually... well, pushes a cyst out, like the cyst ruptures. She also said the opposite could happen where a huge cyst might push the embryo out, but if they're too big, they suggest draining them. She also mentioned that as long as my cycles are regular—like every 28 days—and I'm ovulating regularly, there's no need for drainage, but once I decide to try for a baby, I definitely need to come back to them for "planning"... basically, they calculate the most fertile days, hours, minutes, all that stuff...
...anyway, we weren't ready for kids back then. This summer, five years after that diagnosis, we decided we were ready to give it a shot and just see what happens... so I calculated my most fertile day... my period was about a week late, and since we were down at the coast at the beach, I just figured it was the change in weather or something... even though my husband kept insisting I was pregnant... I bought a test and it was positive! At my follow-up, two or three weeks later, the doctor confirmed it. She looked at me in total shock because I managed to get pregnant on the first try without any of their "planning" help! Now I'm 20 weeks along... I still have cysts, but they've shrunk down quite a bit. It turns out we aren't all the same, and I really, truly hope you get that positive result soon. 😉

see... but did you still have a period every 28 days and a regular cycle despite the PCOS?? or did I miss that? if your cycle was steady, that’s a massive win + it makes finding fertile days way easier. but how am I supposed to track mine?? (mine jumps from 35 to 38 to 40 to 50 to 60 days... totally random every month). sure, I feel the ovulation pain and the discharge, but what's the point if it doesn't stick?? how long are the fertile days even? what's the actual peak window? how am I supposed to know the exact moment it could happen??
my doctor says I've got cysts mostly on the left ovary while the right one is doing okay... man, if only that right one would just do its job.😛
I've just got tiny follicles, not huge cysts, so draining them seems pointless... at least that's how it looks to me, but nobody ever even brought it up.

Started taking Duphaston to finally kickstart my period. On day three now and absolutely nothing. Zero. Feels like I’m just gonna skip another month and then it'll finally hit, but I'm already 23 days late. The plan is ten days of pills then a break, but I haven't even felt those usual pre-period symptoms yet. Honestly? I feel like I actually ovulated twice during this crazy long cycle because I had that sharp ovarian twinge and that stretchy discharge a couple times. Everything is possible with a cycle this wonky, but even if I did ovulate twice, I'm still skeptical about being pregnant this time. Looking back at when I first got pregnant—that was 6 years ago—my last period was October 16th and I conceived on November 24th. Back then, I was already about 7 or 8 days late. So yeah, with my weird cycle, anything could be happening.
Maybe I'm rambling, but here's my logic: if my cycle is super long and irregular, ovulation usually happens mid-cycle. But since mine is all over the place, I have no clue when "mid-cycle" actually is. So I'm thinking maybe my actual mid-cycle is right around when I'm supposed to get my period according to the calendar... 🤷
My OBGYN probably could've explained this, but they didn't say anything except to take these hormone pills twice a day to get things moving.

slybadger99 said:We've actually touched on this topic here on the forum already... there really isn't such a thing as a false positive... from what I've gathered, they might give you a false negative, but if it shows a positive, then it's positive. Congratulations on the T! I truly hope everything goes smoothly for you.🙂

A friend of mine did two pregnancy tests recently and both were positive. She thought she was pregnant even though her period wasn't even late yet. She went to see her OBGYN and he told her there was zero sign of pregnancy on the ultrasound. Apparently, the tests flagged positive because she had a huge ovarian cyst. They say tests can sometimes react to cysts, and some even claim you could get a false positive if you test right during ovulation. Just found that out from her doctor yesterday. Maybe these things are super rare, but hey, it happens. And from my own experience, I know false negatives happen too. When I got pregnant six years ago, my test came back negative, then a few days later I saw my doctor and I was already 4 or 5 weeks along. I should probably mention my ovaries looked kind of polycystic back then too, so who knows... but I definitely ended up pregnant, even if it wasn't planned. Now? I'm having the hardest time. Maybe the issue is him???

Alright, here's the lowdown on my OBGYN visit... went in yesterday since my period is super late. It's been over 22 days now, so I was totally hoping I finally knockeded it up. We've been trying for like 4 or 5 months straight with zero luck, and sadly, this month was another bust. I'm pretty sure we timed it perfectly last month—hit it right on ovulation day or maybe just a day before or after—and since I know sperm can hang around for a couple of days, I thought for sure it would work. But nope. My doctor mentioned my left ovary looks a bit polycystic, which basically means getting pregnant might be an uphill battle. He tried to play it cool though, saying nothing is set in stone and some women barely even have periods and still conceive. Still, I'm freaking out because I want that positive test so bad and it’s just not happening...
Maybe I just need to chill and stop obsessing. Anyway, my doctor put me on Duphaston to get my period started, so I started taking those today. I'm already on day 52 of my cycle. Got one more question, might sound dumb but whatever. :About a week ago, I noticed that stretchy discharge and my ovaries were actually aching . Is it possible my ovulation was just that delayed? Like, 15 days after my period was supposed to show up? And can you actually get pregnant after your period was already overdue? I don't have any symptoms that my period is coming soon either. I'm totally lost... the doctor says everything looks fine on the ultrasound, except for those cysts. 😕
😢

Anyone know what microcytosis means +???

Hey, can someone help me out?!!
FINALLY got my allergy test results back today (I have asthma, by the way), so I’d be super grateful if someone could break this down for me because I honestly have zero clue what I'm looking at. They didn't even do the weed pollen test because their machine was busted.
Here’s the breakdown:
Ige-RAST/result:974 H unit:U/ml ref interval<100
search:
g3 dectilis glomerulata
value/result 3.0 class 2
g6 phleum pratense
value/result 2.4 class 2
g8 poa pratensis
value/result 2.7 class 2

Jose Williams78 said:Supposedly, when you actually ovulate, the bleeding gets heavier and the cramps get nastier. Then, during cycles where ovulation doesn't happen, things are usually lighter or even painless.

Ovulation frequency tends to drop as women age, though I guess it’s pretty different for everyone. The intensity and how often you deal with pain is also super individual—and honestly, it can shift throughout your life depending on all sorts of physical and mental changes (some people see those shifts coincide with pregnancy, but I suppose that's not always the case).

Then there’s this third scenario. For women who usually have regular cycles, if the period shows up a few days late after ovulation, the pain can be way more intense, and you end up dealing with a lot more "material" being passed. This might happen when conception occurs but doesn't take hold—which I think happens quite often with women trying to get pregnant without protection, or even those using an IUD where the body just doesn't accept the embryo.

I’m not totally sold on this bolded part. My cycles are super irregular and my periods hurt like crazy. People used to tell me I’d have a hard time getting pregnant the second time around. They suspected PCOS because my ovaries were packed with these tiny little follicles, and they said I rarely even ovulated. Another gynecologist told me I *was* ovulating, but honestly, my period just shows up whenever it feels like it—usually once every two or three months. I almost always skip one, so I take Duphaston to kickstart things. And when that period finally hits? It hurts so bad it actually feels like I'm having pregnancy pains. My stomach and all my muscles just ache. Plus, the bleeding is heavy and lasts forever—like five or six days straight. So how do you explain that? I wouldn't exactly say I'm ovulating regularly if my periods are this painful and heavy... I just don't know.

So, I’ve got a question: I’ve been dealing with irregular cycles forever—basically getting my period naturally every 3 or 4 months. Now, I’ve been told I can’t take hormone therapy because of my epilepsy meds (supposedly they clash or whatever)—but then I just realized my OBGYN actually prescribed Duphaston to trigger my period! From what I know, that’s basically hormone therapy right there. So I was taking hormones this whole time? All my doctors kept insisting I couldn't touch hormones. Like, what gives??? Honestly, I haven't had any side effects from the Duphaston so far... just wondering.
They kept telling me they'd only look into hormone therapy if I actually wanted to get pregnant, and even then, they said it might be risky. I have no clue why, but now I'm sitting here wondering how I'm supposed to take hormones when they told me not to—except without them, I wouldn't even get my period... anyone else dealt with this before?

Sandra Torres39 said:Do they draw blood on Saturdays? 😲 Where?? Awesome! 👍 Hope the results come back fast. It took me a whole week last time! 👎
You're young, you'll be fine. 😁
Don't go too hard when things are like this with him... Regarding kids, having a brother or sister is great. If everyone thought like that, we'd all just have one kid... Siblings are awesome! But that's a whole different story!
Anyway, there's no rush! Just chill, you're good! 👍

The lab in San Diego does blood draws on Saturdays (well, mostly for emergencies over the weekend), but man, they took three vials from me. Results should be ready by Monday, so I won't have to wait a full week. Thank God nobody was there, I didn't have to wait in line for two hours... 👍 So glad my period ended by Saturday, but I showed up and they sent me right back home because they told me I had to walk for at least an hour before testing my prolactin.. ughhh, I walked so much at 7 AM and it still wasn't enough 🙂 but hey, finally got that out of the way.. woohoo! Everything else is smooth sailing. I'll definitely post the results on Monday

Sandra Torres39 said:You probably have PCOS too, but honestly, it’s not the end of the world. Not every woman with PCOS struggles to get pregnant. But yeah, age starts to matter more, which definitely impacts fertility. Especially when you mix age, PCOS, and anti-epileptic meds... Anyway, I only mentioned that because I don't know how old you are and just wanted to mention it for prevention's sake. 😉
Not sure if you went for bloodwork today, but you could've gone. Just make sure to tell them it's day 2 of your cycle so they note it on the results. They should be ready in about a week.

A week? Haha okay, not too bad. Last time I went to get my prolactin checked down in San Francisco, the results were ready the next day! Anyway, I'm 25 right now. Had my first kid 4.5 years ago. It feels a little awkward getting pregnant again right now—I have a new boyfriend (I'm divorced), we're in a serious relationship and planning to move in together and all that, but I'm just terrified of having a second kid with a new partner. I'm scared of how my little one will react, how a new baby will affect him, and all that stuff. I really want another kid so I can call the shots, but obviously, I don't get a vote right now 🤷. My situation is kind of messy, but that's a whole other topic. Hopefully everything works out...
Didn't go for bloodwork today. They told me to come Saturday instead, so tomorrow. Going early in the morning, hopefully it won't be packed like it usually is on a weekday.

Sandra Torres39 said:Prolactin is basically just a stress hormone. So when you're stressed, it spikes. There are other reasons too, but I won't get into all that right now.
It sounds like you have a mild case of PCOS. It doesn't have to be anything "scary." Cysts can fluctuate month to month, being stronger or weaker. Since you mentioned unwanted hair growth, check the fine print on those period pills you're taking to make sure that isn't a side effect! If it’s not, then your ovaries probably just have more cysts forming. Regarding getting pregnant, the main thing is that once you're ready to conceive (ideally sooner rather than later) just go for an ultrasound right before ovulation so your doctor can confirm it, and that's it!

Nah, it wasn't the pills. I had some extra hair even before I started taking them to jumpstart my period—that mostly started when my cycles began getting super irregular. My sister dealt with PCOS too; her prolactin was at 1800 and don't even get me started on the hair situation. She ended up doing laser treatment. Now, could that be hereditary? She actually got pregnant totally normally even though they told her it wouldn't be easy. She didn't overthink it and boom! It happened!
So everything just depends.
Why do I think it's good to get pregnant ASAP? Hmm... it's the plan, but I'm not exactly rushing right now. I'm honestly a little nervous because of the epilepsy, my meds, and all that stuff. But if it happens by accident, I'd be stoked.
Oh, right—I need to get my prolactin checked on day three of my cycle. My OBGYN gave me a referral, I took two of those period-inducing pills, and my period arrived on day three—so today. But my actual third day falls on Saturday. Can I just do the blood work tomorrow instead? Like, on day two? And how long does it usually take to get results back?

Sandra Torres39 said:Look, you seriously need to find a new OBGYN!
The guy just goes through the motions; he doesn't care, he's only good when he's getting paid. 👎
If I were you, I'd send a letter to the Department of Health just so they'd drop by and check him out once in a while.

You're clearly fine gynecologically. As long as your Pap smear is clean, don't sweat it. 😉
Don't worry about that enlarged uterus! It won't hurt you if the uterus itself is just bigger—as long as the ultrasound looks good, you're golden!

Yeah, true, but here's an example: I went to a gynecologist in San Francisco when I was living there for a bit, and she was awesome. She explained everything, did a super thorough exam—ultrasound and manual—and told me I had ovarian cysts. Said if I wanted to get pregnant later, I'd need hormone therapy, which I can't do because of my epilepsy meds. Anyway, I went to a hospital doctor in San Francisco once and he told me my ovaries looked almost polycystic, especially the left one, which seemed full of tiny follicles. My prolactin was at 625 back then. Normal is like 400.
A month or two after that, I moved back home and the doctor I signed up with here mentioned the enlarged uterus and potential pregnancy issues. So, I went for a second opinion from a private specialist regarding the polycystic ovaries and all that, and he told me there are NO cysts, my ovaries work totally fine, I'm ovulating, and everything is perfect. But he couldn't tell me why my period is constantly late—he just guessed it might be stress. But is it even possible for those "polycystic" looking ovaries to just vanish like that? I'm so confused. And I'm still taking pills to trigger my period every single time, plus I'm getting extra hair on my chin and chest... hm...

Sandra Torres39 said:Those epilepsy meds affect your cycle, not an enlarged uterus. You won't become infertile from them! But since they mess with your cycle, they mess with ovulation, which affects your chances of getting pregnant! It's a total vicious cycle!😁
You know how you spot pregnancy? A doctor feels an enlarged uterus during a physical exam. That’s probably why she’s confused...
That ultrasound thing he did is totally wrong. If you have a medical reason for an ultrasound, he HAS to do it for FREE under your insurance! Seriously, you could report him for malpractice! He can't just feel an enlarged uterus and skip the ultrasound! For crying out loud, what kind of doctors are these!?? 😠

Yeah, happens every single time I see this guy. He takes Blue Cross patients and private ones too. When I go through my insurance, I don't get a real opinion, any advice, or even a decent exam without paying extra $100to get the full treatment. That's clearly his business model—he lures women in through insurance just so they'll switch to private pay because the basic exams suck. I bet not even 20% of people are happy with those checkups. This is the second time he's felt my uterus and assumed I was pregnant without using an ultrasound. Then he sends me to get a pregnancy test that he also charges for at his office. In the clinic where I see him through insurance, there isn't even an ultrasound machine or any modern gear, just an old-school metal exam chair. Total junk! Meanwhile, his private practice is top-of-the-line.
I believe my meds might affect my period and therefore my ovulation, but why did this other gynecologist I saw privately say my ovulation is fine and my ovaries are working perfectly? Who's crazy here... these doctors? They're either just guessing or I'm suddenly super healthy one minute and totally fine the next... it's all over the place!!!

Kate Moore21 said:Then everything’s fine, just switch doctors. I'm really not sure this guy knows what he's doing.

Totally agree. My current doc is just super awkward, honestly. He told me my irregular periods are because of my epilepsy meds. But then he also goes, "Watch out if you don't want to get pregnant right now, because you could easily conceive!" Like, how?? Is it because of an enlarged uterus or something?? Even though he knows my cycle is always messed up, every single time he does a manual exam, he's like: "Could be pregnancy," and keeps asking for a Gravindex test. This OBGYN hasn't even used an ultrasound on me since he runs his own private practice and charges extra for $100. The specialist I saw privately did use an ultrasound and said my ovaries look totally normal and I'm definitely ovulating, but he couldn't explain why my period keeps skipping. I'm guessing it's the meds, but can all these anti-seizure drugs actually cause infertility? I've already had a baby once, so I know I can. Nothing makes sense and I'm totally lost no matter how many doctors I see. Heading to a neurologist soon for more tests—really hoping they change my prescription because this one has way too many side effects...

Ashley Cooper52 said:I’d rule out pregnancy first before worrying about anything else.

Well, pregnancy is already off the table. I’ve ruled that out. If I were pregnant, I’d feel it—there would be symptoms or some sign, you know? It’s definitely not that, especially since my cycle is all over the place. Lately, I only even get my period if I take medication to jumpstart it.
Plus, my OBGYN told me a couple of months ago that my uterus was enlarged. Then I took Duphaston and finally got my period. I actually saw a private doctor in the meantime, and he said everything looked totally fine—didn't mention anything about an enlarged uterus at all.
So basically, what does an enlarged uterus actually mean? (Besides being pregnant)😕? Is that even normal or what?

So I went to my OBGYN the other day because my lower stomach is killing me and my period is late again. My last one was back in mid-December. My cycles are always all over the place, partly because of the epilepsy meds I’m on. During the exam, the doctor told me (for the second time now!) that I might actually be pregnant since my uterus feels pretty enlarged, especially considering I've only had one kid. He suggested I take a Gravindex test again, but I totally shot him down because my boyfriend and I have been careful. I'm just wondering what an enlarged uterus could actually mean—is that even normal? He put me on Duphaston to jumpstart my period and told me to get my prolactin levels checked on day three of my cycle. About six months ago, they found these tiny little follicles on my ovaries that looked like cysts; they suspected PCOS, but nothing is official yet. One doctor tells me everything is fine, while another says the exact opposite. Plus, sex is super painful right now. Has anyone dealt with this? Is an enlarged uterus something dangerous or just no big deal? This guy keeps insisting I might be pregnant just because it felt enlarged during the exam...!!????