October, 2008
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On the Lighter Side…
Friday, October 31st, 2008Headache
Friday, October 31st, 2008I have a self-induced headache caused by self-induced high blood pressure right at this moment. I’m mad/upset, whatever the term might be, with my chosen infertility doctor right now. I wish to goodness sake that I could actually meet a doctor that listened to me. I mean actually heard what I said and if they couldn’t remember maybe they’d at least make notes regarding what I said for review prior to future conversations.
During the HSG test I had a few weeks ago, the radiologist saw a polyp in/on my uterus. The polyp is 1 centimeter. That’s about this big: ____. This morning the doctor calls to tell me he has to remove the polyp or I won’t be able to get pregnant, but we’ll have a follow-up conversation about this. Okay I can discuss this. Next thing I know I’m getting a call from some guy at the office scheduling SURGERY. Oh, and the guy says they need to schedule it out far enough so that I can “be on the contraceptives long enough before hand.” WHAT?????
Hmmm, let’s count the number of things wrong with the paragraph above………
I’ll not go into a diatribe about our very personal decision to follow with strict adherence the reproductive teachings of the Catholic Church. But we did discuss that, obviously without success, with the doctor during our first appointment. I’m still stuck on figuring out the part where there was a discussion about this polyp, it’s location, it’s make-up and whether or not it HAS to come out or if it is a personal desire of el doctor’s to take it out to finish paying off a new Porsche!!
I’m slightly heart broken. This infertility stuff is serious, it’s involved and it effects a person’s deepest emotions. And I’m talking to some guy that isn’t respectful of our expressed faith-based desires and apparently thinks he can just schedule surgeries without convincing me of the absolute necessity. Come on, the guy hasn’t figured out why I’m not ovulating yet. I could give a flying fig about a centimeter sized polyp considering I’m not even ovulating. What good is having a pristine uterus if ya can’t release an egg to hatch there???
Awesome Bible Study
Thursday, October 30th, 2008Today was my first day at our parish Bible study and it was really great. The leader is an older woman in probably her late 70s or early 80s who is just this vessel of Holy Spirit. She is a well educated, former nun, who speaks very slowly and with perfect enunciation. What an awesome teacher! By far, I’m the youngest person in the group. The rest of the gals are an eclectic bunch: three silent types, one kind of sweetly negative (if that is possible) and two talkers.
The group started the Book of Romans back at the beginning of October. Today we began with Romans 2:12, so they aren’t zipping through anything. Lots of sidetracked conversation, but lots of intelligent discussion too. I’m so glad I decided to join this group.
The woman who leads and one other woman are the only ladies I even recognized. When you go to a sizable parish you don’t see everyone who is a member. We’ve been there over a year and have been Eucharistic Ministers for a year now, but the other ladies had never seen me before. The teacher introduced me by saying, “she & her dear husband go to the 9AM Mass and they are always serving as Eucharistic Ministers…if Father doesn’t have enough Eucharistic Ministers these two dears always will fill in.” She is an absolute sweet old gal. She even somewhat reminds me of my Grandma B who passed in January.
So I think I’m really going to learn a lot from my Thursday afternoon Bible Study.
Good Morning!
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008Last evening I spoke to a dear friend who I hadn’t talked to in a LONG time. She works during the day so I can’t chat with her just any old time like I can some other friends. And she’s got a family to tend too in the evenings so time passes and we don’t get to talk. But we had a little time to catch up last evening and that was really nice.
I’ll not post my schedule today, but I have found that I’m getting more accomplished by chopping my day into 3 blocks and making myself do those things (or as many as I can) during that time frame.
Yesterday, I’d planned to make oatmeal cookies, but never got the time. So today I’ll try making the cookies or maybe even banana bread…yummy! I’ve got about 5 “bad” bananas that need to be used quickly or frozen for later use.
Over the summer, working at especially the Farmer’s Market here in town I learned so much about freezing & preserving from my neighbor farmer gal. I am letting less produce waste than I use too. If it doesn’t seem that I’m going to use something before it goes bad, I chop it up for later use in a veggie soup or for when I make broth.
And I’ve discovered the diversity of turnips too this summer! The other day I made homemade mashed potatoes and I put a small turnip in with the tators to boil. I mashed it up right along side the potatoes and you could not tell it was there. Another way to sneak a different veggie into our meals without knowing…I love that!!
Oh! And it snowed here last night. It was just flurries, but it was still snow! Dave was very excited. He said that early snow fall sometimes predicts a nice heavy snow year. Yeah! We’ve had decent snow coverage the two winters I’ve lived in New England, but I’ve heard they haven’t been just really awesome snow years so I’m looking forward this winter.
We still haven’t turned our heat on yet this season. It is almost becoming a quest to make it all the way through October before turning it on. It has been nippy here a few evenings, but by the time you are all cuddled and asleep in bed you don’t notice a chill. During the day, I’m up moving around and cooking so I don’t get really chilled. Our house leaks air through these hundred year old windows like crazy. So we’re just trying to go as long as possible without heating the neighborhood. Thankfully, both Dave & I like it cold otherwise there might be consternation.
Well, it is nearly 8:00 so I’d better get moving on chores.
Posting the Day’s Plan Worked Pretty Well Yesterday
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008So I’m going to do it again today. I didn’t get everything on the list accomplished, because I got other stuff done, but it helped having the list.
6:45-10: Make breakfast (oatmeal w/maple sugar, milk, hot tea), make Dave’s lunch, check email, blog (quickly), take laundry down, change bathroom towels, make bed, change cat water, refill cat food, start load of laundry, make list of candy to get for Halloween (we had 80+ kids through here last year), have some quiet time (pray & journal), shower.
10-1: Vacuum living room, clean bathroom, clean dining room, lunch, run to grocery store for couple of things, put laundry in dryer, clump cat litter, go to post office to mail latest maple syrup order.
1-5: Make oatmeal cookies, clean kitchen, start dinner, work on making a Christmas card list, put away laundry.
So that is my plan for the day. It is dark, rainy and a cold front is on its way today so its good to be inside.
Rainy Day Leaves
Today’s Plan
Monday, October 27th, 2008I wrote a while back that I was going to work on coming up with a schedule for myself so that I get more accomplished. This is my latest thought. Instead of trying to stick to a strict timed schedule, I’m breaking my day into 3 segments and listing things I want to accomplish within those time frames…if I’ve got time leftover, it’s mine to do whatever. My three time frames are 6:45-10, 10-1, 1-5. This morning my 1st time frame is short on things to do because I had some blogging to catch up and a pile of emails to attend too. As I finish things today, I’ll cross them off. I’m being daring here going public with my schedule…now I’ll feel utterly compelled to get everything accomplished.
6:45-10: make breakfast, make Dave’s lunch, eat breakfast with Dave, help Dave get everything ready for his day, check emails, respond to emails, write blog entries, start load of laundry.
10-1:shower, empty dishwasher, clean up kitchen (including filling dishwasher, washing counter tops, washing stove top, & generally straightening the rest of the room), change cat litter, eat lunch, make list of things needed at Family Dollar, talk to mom.
1-5: clear off dining room table, generally straighten dining room, sweep & mop floor in dining room, straighten living room, start dinner, go to Family Dollar, write cards sympathy cards regarding Grandma’s passing, change bedding & make the bed, go to bank, do another load of laundry.
So it isn’t a hectic day or anything, just need to tend to some basic household stuff. Let’s see how I do getting everything accomplished!!
UPDATE: Okay, it’s 3:42 and the plan changed some. Thank God Dave isn’t a task master…cuz I got sidetracked. It was soooooooooo nice outside that I decided to do some cleaning outside instead of inside. I actually wanted to work outside and for those of you that know me well you know that I HATE doing outside work like yard stuff.
AND I have a weight update. I lost another pound! That’s 16 pounds now! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!! My desire is to be down 25 pounds by Thanksgiving. I might actually have to work at it though so we’ll see how that goes.
New to Me Bible Study & Sunday’s Visiting Priest
Monday, October 27th, 2008On Thursdays, our church has a Bible Study group that meets at 1PM. Since the Farmer’s Markets are over, I can attend and I’m so looking forward to it. The Holy See designated this as the Year of St. Paul and I’ve learned that the Bible Study is focusing on St. Paul too.
Sunday’s Mass was celebrated by a visiting priest. His name is Father John. Since Dave & I were scheduled to be Eucharistic Ministers, we had an opportunity to talk with him for about 15 minutes prior to mass. He told us that he’s been granted permission from his order to reside near his sister & her family right now because his sister is dying from cancer. He said that only this week the doctors had recommended they stop treatments. She is only 50 and has 3 children still living at home. He didn’t say anything like he understood why his sister was going to die so young and leave behind a husband and young children, but he simple said that God is bigger than us and He knows the reason why.
During Mass, he said an excellent and intelligent homily regarding the gospel passage from Matthew 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two greatest commandments.”
After mass, our Knights of Columbus were hosting a breakfast buffet and Father John joined the group at our table. It was very pleasant speaking with this gentleman. You can tell he is hurting because of the tragedy of his sister’s circumstance, but there is a peace about him anyway. He will be celebrating Mass again for us next week and I’m looking forward to his homily.
My Father’s Mother
Monday, October 27th, 2008My last living grandparent, my dad’s mom, died early Saturday morning. By God’s grace she is happy and she has been reunited with loved ones long passed.
She entered the hospital last week. I knew she was not doing well, but it still comes as a shock to learn of someone passing. My grandmother’s eldest child was with her when she died and I am grateful that she was not alone. She’d spent most of her life alone.
I will not be going back to attend the funeral services. My parents & I discussed this and decided that I should come back, as previously planned for Thanksgiving, rather than trying to make two trips in one month. I’ll miss seeing my extended family and being there, especially with my father. My thoughts and prayers are with them all though.
May you rest in eternal peace Grandma.
National Infertility Awareness Week
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008I didn’t know there was such a thing until I read about it on a blog I like, Tammy’s Times. Unfortunately, Tammy, before she got pregnant, had experienced more of the questions than I have had to deal with from folks. So thank you to my friends & family who are so supportive of us.
The organization that looks to have started National Infertility Awareness Week , is called RESOLVE. I just read a statistic on their site that made me happy. It said that 2/3 of couples that pursue assistance with infertility are able to give birth!!
Reproductive Stuff
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008Well, I just finished a rather yucky week of testing. I was beginning to feel like a pin cushion. Both of us had some basic blood work done, then on day 3 of my cycle I had some hormone blood work done. And then a couple of days later I had a 2-hour glucose test and in the afternoon the hysterosalpingogram (HSG) done. The worst part of that day was the 2-hour glucose test. Just knowing I had to be poked with dreaded needles caused me some consternation. The HSG was pretty uncomfortable, but wasn’t horrid. Turns out I have perfect fallopian tubes!
So we’ve completed some basic testing to see if we can learn what might be causing our infertility. The doctor said I have hypothyroidism so he increased the synthroid I’m on.
Between the two health professionals I’ve seen regarding my problem ovulating, they’ve come up with pre-diabetes, hypthryoidism and PCOS. Of all the symptoms of all these potential problems, I don’t have a majority of symptoms for any one of them. Being a non-medical person, I’m guessing here, but I think maybe the problem is that I’m on the verge of all three. No one of these problems is the real problem yet, but maybe I’m getting toward the borderline of any/all of the three becoming a real problem. And the combination of these three things becoming a problem is causing the lack of ovulation.
The issue here is weight. I don’t know how hypothyroidism is caused, but I know weight loss would fix the pre-diabetes and the PCOS (probably). I actually gained 9 pounds while taking glucophage (for pre-diabetes), but since reducing the glucophage and starting the synthroid I’ve lost 15 pounds. The doctor said if I’ve got PCOS, weight loss is really, really hard. But I’ve lost that 15 pounds in 2 months without trying. (Now, let’s just hope the rest comes off as easily…don’t think so, but I’m hoping.)
Ya know, if you think about it really, medical science isn’t (even in this day and age) a very perfect science. It still is so very reliant on opinion. And if a particular doctor’s mind is already slanted in one particular direction for diagnoses it seems pretty hard for him/her to change that prosceptive.