Hello! I've found this wonderful site, and I hope you will bear with my long story, I have a question at the end...
I'd been on BC, off and on, for years. I started taking the pill in high school because I had horrible cramps - like I-want-to-go-home-and-lay-in-a-fetal-position-on-my-bed cramps - and also my cycles were horribly erratic 35 days - 63 days - 20 days - 70 days, etc. The BC worked like a charm for the cramps and making my cycles more regular. In high school and college I was fine with them, I felt "normal" and they didn't affect me negatively much. However, after I graduated from college and entered the real world, the BC pills started to make me feel, for lack of a better word, absolutely crazy. I had horrible mood swings and just felt really "off" most days. My ob/gyn switched my pills a couple times to lower and lower dosage varieties, but to no avail. Finally, in Nov. '06, shortly after dh and my wedding, we decided I would go off the pill completely; if I got pg, then great, but we weren't going to actively try to get pg at that point. My cycles sort of evened out after going off the pill, they were 43 days - 42 days - 42 days - 41 days - 39 days - 35 days - and then...
...AF decided to take a few months off. That last 35 day cycle was May - July '07. The last time AF paid me a visit was July 5. I tell you all this because that makes my current cycle at CD98. No, I'm not kidding, and we're still counting. "Are you sure you're not preggo??" my friends asked. Ahhh yes, good suggestion, except I've POAS 5 times now, and they've all been neg.
So back in August (which seems like ages ago) I called my ob/gyn to schedule my annual exam. DH and I wanted to have this appt anyway before we "really" started TTC. I wanted to be able to ask my PA (I always see the PA at my clinic for paps, always have, don't know why, but I love love love her.) if there was anything I needed to know about my crazy body and TTC. But that was in August, we were around CD 32, so I thought things would be fine by the time my appointment rolled around Oct 3. Needless to say, a month and a half went by, I took 4 pg tests, and AF was no where in sight. I finally called the office mid-September and spoke to a less-than-helpful nurse who assured me that "for some of us women, it's normal to only have 4 periods a year". I'm like "uh, ok, except I've already had 4 this year, and although I'm very irregular, I've never had a cycle THIS long." She told me to take another test and if it's negative to wait until my appt. to talk to the PA. Of course, by now you know that last HPT was also a BFN.
Finally last Wednesday, Oct. 3, came and my appointment was going fine until the nurse handed me the calendar and asked the cursory "What was the first day of your last cycle?". July 5th didn't go over so well, and she shot me a look of sorrow/confusion. She said that the PA would check this out, and offer some possible suggestions. My PA was great, she ensured me that I'm not crazy, and it's like "trying to put a puzzle together" to figure out what's going on. She listed some possible causes (thyroid problems, hormone problems, polycystic ovaries, etc.). She wanted to order some labwork, and get an ultrasound to try to find a diagnosis.
I ended up getting the ultrasound that same day. The ultrasound tech said "did the PA say anything about polycystic ovaries? That's what this looks like... ...but don't worry, people with polycystic ovaries have babies all the time." Which is weird, because thanks to my online searching the last 98 days, I'd found many many women who are plagued by this disease that have a horrible time getting pregnant. The nurse I spoke to on Friday said "after your PA and a doctor reviewed your ultrasound images, they're fairly certain it's PCOS, so I would say that is your preliminary diagnosis. However, they want to get the lab results back to confirm." I went in for the lab work on Saturday (not so bad, 4 vials of blood).
Thankfully my PA's office called earlier today with an update - they got the labwork back...and everything is "normal". (Normal?? What??) I asked her if they still thought it was PCOS. She basically dodged that question, and moved right into what they want to do for treatment.
Her first suggestion was that they wanted to start Provera right away, then continue on with BC, and possibly metformin. "So should I call in a BC and Provera prescription?" she asked. I said "well, I think dh and I are at the point where we're ready to start trying for a baby, so I'm not sure that BC is the road we want to go down, but maybe it is? I don't know."
So she suggested the following: she's prescribing me Provera to take the 1st -10th of each month for the next 3 months (Nov, Dec, Jan). If I'm not pg after these 3 months then I will go back in for another meeting with the PA or dr. So now I just wait for another 22 days of limbo to start Provera. If AF decides to return from her vacation before Nov 1, then I have to call back so they can give me a new plan of action. For now they're going to hold off on the metformin and see if Provera will do the trick for us. Like I said, I'm not sure what's up with the PCOS diagnosis (or half-diagnosis as it was). I'm not shocked by the news that I might have PCOS. After reading a few (ok a LOT) of websites about it, it seems like I have many of the symptoms (acne, weight problems, excess hair, super irregular periods, previously-undiagnosed blood-sugar issues. I need to get the official scoop from the PA on the diagnosis, but for now it looks like we're off to Provera-ville.
My question is this -- has anyone else been prescribed a monthly provera cycle like I have? From everything I've found online, most women take it every once in a while to start their cycle. I've read a few places that say Provera itself can be harmful to an embreyo, and that seems to contradict my PA saying that I should be on Provera for 3 mos. and TTC during that time.
Thank you SO much for reading my novel. I appreciate it!
I'm no expert, however I've only ever heard of being prescribed provera on an as needed basis. Usually if you period doesnt occur for three months not take the meds for three months. And I haven't heard of ttcing on provera. Of course I did say I'm no expert! Hope someone can give you a better answer than I.
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My story... and a question! :) (sorry, looong) 
I appreciate it!
