Question for the interweb

Do the Dollar Tree OPK's actually work? This past month I did temping/charting to see if I actually ovulate because our raw vegan diet for January actually did some sort of kick-start to my period, but I'm not 100% that I O'd. I was thinking of picking up some DT OPK's, but I wasn't sure if they'd actually work.

Lurking in the dark is creepy, isn't it?

I was hoping I could have a little discussion with the "not TTC... yet!" girls that I'm sure are lurking on here.

Who's out there? What's holding you back? How does DH feel? How often do you talk about it? When do you think you're going to be ready to TTC? I've gone through phases before where I felt ready to TTC, but I haven't had one of those "episodes" for awhile.

I worry about TTC because I know that I have some hormone issues (my RE refers to them as "PCOS-like symptoms") and I'm turning 29 this year. I always thought I wanted to be a younger mom like my mom was, but time is quickly passing me by... I still see myself as 25 and too young to be a parent! I also feel like I'm enjoying it just being me and DH - spending money however we see fit, saving for a big vacation, etc.

I don't normally have a period, but this month DH and I did a 30 day raw vegan detox diet and I actually had a period! I'm tempted to ask DH if he wants to throw caution into the wind and see what happens next month. I can't help but think that nothing would happen, I just won't have a period again, but what if this diet made a change and I ovulate and get pregnant? I dunno...

The backstory (pieced together the best that I can)

Hi all... We're not TTC, but I've been off of birth control pills for over a year (I'm guessing summer of 2006, but it's hard to remember) and I'm curious to find out if I ever ovulate.

I got my period at 12, but my cycles have always been fairly inconsistent. I remember going through periods where I would go 9-10 months without one. But then I was on BCP's on/off for about 8-10 years total. When I was off of them for brief periods of time throughout my late teens/early 20's, I wouldn't have a period at all. My gynecologist made a note of this when I was about 20, but didn't do any further testing.

In January of 2004, it came up again when I had a lot of issues with my BCP's. I was then diagnosed by my regular gynecologist as PCOS via blood test - although I have no other symptoms.

In 2005, I went through a really awful hormone period. The birth control pills that I had used for a long time were discontinued and the new ones had never really sit well with me. I tried the patch, which turned me into a complete raving lunatic (my best example was the night I started freaking out and crying because chicken wasn't cooking fast enough on the stove), and then Nuva Ring, which was great hormone-wise, but I had an allergy to the plastic, which made things rather unpleasant. I think I tried one more pill after that before throwing them away in summer of 2006, declaring myself hormone-free. No more. Ever.

I saw a RE instead of a regular gynecologist and he wanted to do a complete reassessment. I did a ton of bloodwork and an ultrasound and he said that diagnosing PCOS had changed rapidly in the past few years and that while I have PCOS-like symptoms, I fit the profile for an anovulatory patient instead (no excess weight, no excess body hair, but rare periods--usually 90+ days apart by this point & cysts on my ovaries).

However, after seeing that RE, I started having periods about 4 times a year. I read "PCOS and Your Fertility," that was really helpful in understanding what factors particularly contribute to the PCOS symptoms and lack of ovulation. It was recommended that I read TCOYF; so I'll snag a copy of that in the near future.

I have a fertility friend membership (free version) from a couple of years ago and have been keeping track of my periods in there, but in the coming year, I'd like to take more careful note of other possible fertility signs.

Message boards are dangerous!

One afternoon on a TTC message board and I feel like I did when I (briefly) got addicted to the BOTB board during winter 05/06!! Those girls are dangerous! LOL

DH's feeling his clock tick and I haven't felt mine ticking since the aforementioned BOTB stint. But I just turned 28, I have potential for fertility issues, so I guess it's not like I have forever. We were going to try to get to Europe in the next year and then start afterwards, but I still haven't gotten my passport and we haven't booked anything. I guess I need to hop to it!

And here's where I have to admit one of my oddball daydreams--how cool would it be to get knocked up in Europe? LOL...