NFP + weird symptoms + loooong cycle?

[kapeters2]

Has anyone experienced anything like this? What was the outcome?

I’m currently on day 47 of my cycle… still no sign of a period. The first 30 days I had temp all over the place, some days high, some days low. This is very unusual for me as I always have a very regular and easily chartable cycle.

Btw - I use the sympto-thermal method.

Anyway, in addition to the weird temps, I had significant and lasting ew-m for probably 11 days. Finally, 10 days ago my temp rose, and has stayed relatively high. But now I’m wondering if I will ever get my period?? I don’t think I’m pregnant, my husband and I have been oh-so-careful because I’ve been too worried this cycle. We’ve only been married for 6 months so we’re no experts anyway, and are thus always careful.

I have a gyn appt on Friday. I have a history of ovarian cysts, and I’m scared that she’ll find one and say that’s the reason I had such a late cycle. Then she’ll want to put me on the pill!! She wanted to do that when I was first hospitalized when I was 14 for a large ruptured cyst, but I got too sick (nausea) to stay on it (thank goodness!) At the time I wasn’t catholic so I didn’t worry about the pill itself, and I certainly wasn’t having sex, but nonetheless I couldn’t stay on it. Now I’m scared she’s going to tell me that I have another huge cyst… I love doing NFP, I love knowing what my body is doing, I don’t want to be told to do something else. My husband wants me to consider going on the pill if she suggests it because we both know that if I continue to have cysts, there’s a good chance they will damage my ovaries/uterus and I won’t be able to have kids if that happens. I want kids, but not now. I’m 21 and have only been married for 6 months! We want to build our marriage (and our bank accounts!) before having kids. I’m so torn. And worried. Ugh this isn’t fair!

Sorry this turned into a rant a little. I know you all can’t really comment on it. I really don’t want to be lectured on the pill (BELIEVE ME, I am fully aware) so please refrain. I’m just asking for you all to share any similar stories if you have them? I just need to feel like I’m not the only one struggling with something like this.

 

[Nepenthe]

Well, yeah, you might just have a cyst going there - get to the doc and get it checked! It’ll do WAY less damage if they can get in there and drain it before it ruptures (that happened to me when I was 19, and I very nearly died). A quick, painless ultrasound should show whether there’s a problem, and maybe a careful peek with the speculum…if there’s a possibility though, they will be VERY cautious!

Please don’t put it off, okay? That temp is worrisome already to me…

 

[kapeters2]

I promise, I won’t skip it.

When you had your cyst issue, what did your doctor recommend you do? Did she have you do any preventative treatment such as the pill?

 

[Nepenthe]

No. I went immediately into serious surgery! Amazingly, the surgeon found all the bits of exploded ovary and managed to save it, but that was a very, very long shot to have happened. I had blood in my lungs, and was in the hospital a good long time.

I apparently am one of those people who cannot tolerate the Pill and its variants - I start getting chest pains and deep leg pain within a week, so that was right out. I have had a couple small cysts since then, of the kind that can be pretty painlessly scalpeled right out in the office, no problem. But you sure don’t want to take any changes that you have a monster one building up!

There are other, non-Pill-type treatments available too, if you have PODS. So far, I’m doing okay without them, but yeah, ask the doctor.