Dose of Happy Monday 4/30

I love The Band. Love, love, love The Band.

Today is Monday and they are challenging us to find a dose of happy.

I was working out and trying to think about what my dose of happy was for today when it hit me, this was my dose of happy. I am so happy that NYEBoy works hard enough for us so I don't have to.  I'm happy that I can focus on my health and well-being over the next few months.

Thank you random 2 pm workout session for that reminder. :-)

What about you? What is your dose of happy this Monday?

Sunday Funday

NYEBoy woke me up a little after midnight "to see if I wanted to get something to eat". He REALLY likes to spend the whole weekend together. I get it, though. The weekends are the only time we can really enjoy each other outside of dinner during the week. So, when he wakes up, he loves to go to lunch, out and about, and to dinner. But I was not a happy camper to be awaken from a dead sleep to go to Fridays. I obliged, though, in part to sweet potato fries. Nom.

When we got back home, I tried and failed to go back to sleep. Instead, I laid in bed and watched The Secret Life of The American Teenager on Netflix. I'm caught up to season 4 and hope to be completely caught up this week or next. I've always been team Ben and Amy. I can't help it! I hate Ricky and Adrian. Ha.

I forgot we had a church potluck today, but I threw together a little yogurt bar. It turned out really cute! I posted a picture of it on my facebook page yesterday, but I'll blog about it some time this week in case you're looking for a little party idea. It was really nice getting to catch up with a few people.

NYEBoy and I went to Crispers today for lunch. I love their little trios! I had a mini burger, veggie soup, and a potato. We spent an hour arguing about what we wanted to go do. He wanted to go see a movie, I wanted to go to sleep. I may have even said "it's payback for waking me up at midnight FOR FRIDAYS!" Lol. We finally decided to go see The 5-year Engagement. It was really cute! Funnier than I even thought it was going to be. Glad we went to go see it.

Speaking of movies, Friday night we saw Safe. It was really good! Jason Statham and Catherine Chan were great together! We're really hoping they make a sequel. Yesterday, we saw A Thousand Words. It was really cute, not nearly as cheesy as I thought it might have been. I felt a little bad for the few people their with their kids. There was a few moments that were NOT kid-friendly and that is coming from someone who doesn't really give a fuck. :) We're really looking forward to The Avengers coming out next weekend! As movie buffs, we're really looking forward to quite a few movies coming out in May!

Shoulds Are Shit

Woulda
Shoulda
Coulda

My therapist says "Shoulds Are Shit". She reminded me of this at the last appointment.

Even still, I can't help to think that I should be graduating tonight. It's not even really my fault. I didn't decide to dwell on it, but the reminders are EVERY where.

My facebook page is filled with posts and pictures.

My cap and gown are still in their package on the table waiting for me to put them away in the closet for next year.

Even the manager at dinner tells us they are so busy because of graduation.

I know I am only off my original plans by ONE semester and considering everything I've been through over the past year and a half, I am doing damn good, but the reminders still sting a bit.

I just have to keep reminding myself, shoulds are shit.

What I Wish I Would Have Known

I was watching Christina's video on what she wishes she would have known before beginning her TTC journey. One thing she said really struck a cord with me and I really felt like I should blog about it, so I am.

She mentioned a lot of really good things that I would say ditto to, but the one that stuck out the most would have to be to keep living your life. She said she mentioned she wanted to get her masters degree, but kept thinking she would get pregnant today, tomorrow, or next week, and she didn't get her daughter for three and a half years. I have to totally agree with her on this.

Two years ago next month, I decided to go get my high school diploma after being out of school for about ten years, because I wanted to attend college that fall. We were still four years away from NYEBoy graduating and it was the perfect time for me to go to college.

I won't say that I necessarily put college off because of infertility, because I never really thought I could go to college until I met NYEBoy and began helping my sister her first year. But, if it weren't for infertility, I don't think I would have ever gone to college. My one goal in life has been to be a mom and wife, but infertility has given me the time to see that there are many women out there who are wife and mothers, when suddenly they become single mothers. Be it death or divorce, they are often caught off guard when they are expected to be the sole caregiver to their children. As for me personally, that would have meant that I didn't have a high school diploma much less a college degree. Death or divorce are hard enough to deal with on their own, much less the financial aspect to raising a child on your own as well.

I am almost half way done with my double major and I am so very proud of myself. If you've ever thought about going to college for the first time (I was 26!) or maybe you thought about graduate school, or maybe you want to switch careers, I would say not to let infertility stand in your way. This doesn't mean you have to put off treatments, but if you're having to wait any way, why not make it a productive wait?

When we finally do become parents to a live baby, the one thing I will be able to say about our wait was that I earned my degrees and if God forbid anything happens to NYEBoy or our relationship, I will be able to provide for our child(ren) without having to wonder what kind of job I am going to be able to get.

I'm On Facebook

I've been meaning to make a Facebook page for my blog for awhile. I finally did it when I realized Keiko was teaming up with Redbook to host a Facebook chat on infertility today. I didn't get to participate as much as I had wanted to but I now have a facebook page!

So, if you want to follow me you can search using my email address listed under the Contact Me page or you can try to click here. If you have trouble finding me, drop me an email and I'll try to find you.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day. It's hot and sunny here and I am dying to get into the pool! Maybe this weekend I'll go bathing suit shopping.

Reassurance

I saw my therapist last month after I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with finding out K was pregnant, A, and my health issues. At the end of the appointment, we both decided I would just call her if I needed another appointment because I really just needed some reassurance that my feelings were normal.

And then I started getting the migraines every day.

And then my brother went on a 72-hour drunken rage.

And then we kicked him out.

And then we decided to spread out my classes to give me and my body a break over the next few months.

Those things coupled with a few other minor things that are bothering me and I just decided I needed to see her again. I emailed her this morning because I was going to be out and about, but she didn't have any openings until next week. Then, she emailed me back telling me her 2 pm cancelled and if I wanted it to come in.

So, I did and I am really glad I did. We talked about everything that has been going on and the things that have been bothering me. She gave me some tips on things that trigger migraines and taught me a few breathing exercises to help relieve tension. She told me to give myself a break because I was doing very well considering everything I have been through. She reminded me that I would have bouts of PTS (D or not) but that I was doing well. She said I would get my happy feeling back that I had right before the miscarriage, but it was just going to take time. She said sometimes our bodies force us to slow down and that we need to listen to them because it's the only one we get.

It's so nice to get reassurance from someone else who is qualified.

NIAW - Last Years Video

I am still trying to work on getting at least one video up this year. I was aiming for two, but we'll see.

Here's last years in case you missed it.

Eating With PCOS

As you may or may not know, a year ago I started following the Low Amylose diet that I heard about from Christina over at Subfertile Frugalista. Her doctor swore by it for PCOS patients, and it worked for her. You can follow her blog or vlogs for more information about her infertility journey. In a nutshell, after trying for two years to get pregnant, she tried the diet (and metformin) and ended up getting pregnant fairly quickly. Her first pregnancy did end in a miscarriage, but the next cycle she got pregnant with her now 1.5 year old daughter. She recently suffered another miscarriage, but she's back to trying again.

I tried the diet for I think two months but stopped when we were moving and I had finals. A little over a month later we had our miscarriage. Although we didn't know we were pregnant at the time, this was the first time we had ever got pregnant in the 7 years of TTC.

I started back on the Low Amylose diet in Jan, but stopped due to other medical problems I was having at the end of Feb. I plan on getting my eating habits back under control soon, though. Unfortunately, due to one of the medications I am currently on and will have to take for two months, I can not TTC until probably the end of the summer or early Fall. This sucks, but there is not much I can do about it.

For those of you who have PCOS and want to give the diet a try (please consult your dr first!) here is the basics of the diet:

Avoid all simple sugars.
Avoid vegetables that grown underground (exceptions for garlic and onions)
Avoid wheat, rice, rye, barely, and oats
Avoid bananas.
Avoid foods enriched with maltodextrins or corn syrup.

Do eat at least 6 oz of protein every day.
Do eat at least 3 servings of above ground veggies and fruit every day.
Milk and butter are OK.

Breakfast options:
Eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, smoothies (sugar free!), cheese

Lunch options: 
Salad (minus crouton), chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, soup, fruit

Dinner options:
meat, veggies, soup, fruit


This diet doesn't seem to be easy at first glance, but with a little preparation and planning, it's very easy to stick to.


For breakfast ideas, click here.
For lunch ideas, click here.
For dinner ideas, click here.
And for all of my posts about the low amylose diet you can click here.

If you have any questions about the low amylose diet, please feel free to email me.

Starting next week, I will start back to posting weekly recipes and such.

Don't Ignore Us

Don't ignore us.

Today kicks off National Infertility Awareness Week for this year. It goes through the 28th. No one ever grows up thinking their bodies might not work and they might have trouble having babies. But, it happens. It happens every year to millions of men and women. One in eight people struggle with some form of infertility

My infertility journey began eight years ago this year. I just turned twenty-eight last month. It doesn't take a mathematician to see that infertility can affect any women (or man!) of child bearing age. I didn't start blogging until a year after I started TTC, but I am blessed to be in this community. No one wants to be in this community, but its full of the most amazingly strong women (and men!) I have ever met. The information, support, and friendship is abounding. Infertility can often leave couples (and singles!) feeling very alone, but the infertility community I have found online is a blessing.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 22. I also have a chromosome mutation that may affect our ability to have a healthy child. Since we're both in school (him grad, me undergrad) we've decided to wait until after we graduate before we move forward with genetic testings and treatments. Last year, I did begin the Low Amylose diet for my PCOS which I believe was the only reason we were able to get pregnant for the first time. Unfortunately, we had a miscarriage before we even knew we were pregnant. It's hard to imagine we would be giving birth next month if things had worked out.

Infertility is such a roller coaster. The what-ifs and unknowns can leave people feeling defeated. The costs associated with trying to conceive often times leaves people struggling to find a way to become parents. The stigma attached to people with infertility can be down right cruel. We're often times told to relax, take a vacation, and to stop having a pity party, but until you've been down this road, or someone you care about struggles trying to create their family, it's hard to imagine the impact the diagnosis of infertility can mean to someone's life.

I hope you'll join me and the others as we speak out this week to make people aware that we won't be forgotten. Infertility is here and it hurts, but we will be heard.

To learn more about infertility, please visit Resolve.org.

For more information on the basic understanding of the disease of infertility, click here.

Click here for more information on National Infertility Awareness Week

Taking Care of Myself and Some Things

I feel like my life has been in limbo for the past few months. When you're dealing with medical problems, or should I say, problem after problem after problem after problem, you can't seem to think much beyond just get well.

I went to the doctor again Thursday. We talked about my migraines, tonsil stone, and back pain. She really wants me to cut out a bunch of shit in my diet to see if it helps the migraines and abdominal pains. Although the abdominal pains aren't like they were, they do pop up and take my breath away, just not as often. The main things she wanted me cutting out were dairy, eggs, citrus, and caffeine. Let's just say, that's going to make getting back on the Low Amylose diet, uhm, not fucking fun. I've only had one migraine since last week, but I have had several headaches. I haven't decided what to do about the diet thing. It's hard enough being on the LA diet with dairy, eggs, and citrus, I can't imagine how tricky it's going to be if I have to cut those out, too.

She looked at the tonsil stone, but didn't want to do anything about it right now. She said to gargle salt water and take my antibiotic to see if it clears the infection. Hopefully it will fall out on it's own soon because it's driving me fucking nuts.

As far as the back pain, she thinks the majority of the pain is coming from a pulled muscle in my lower back. She gave me a muscle relaxer for it to see if it would help. I would like to not looking like a 60 year old with a hunch back by the end of every day.

With my head feeling a bit better, I've been able to do a little cleaning. Well, as much as I can with a hurt back. I even spent $50 on cleaning supplies at Walmart. Now, if only my body could work as fast as my head wants it to!

I've had a lot of things going on in my head lately, you know, in between the pounding. With my school stuff planned out, I have a few other things I would like to take care of this year. Things with my home life, things with my blog, things with my work, things with crafts, things with NYEBoy, and things with the house. Some things are big things, some things are important things, and others are just some things I think will be good for me to do. I'm going to spend some time this weekend writing things down, placing them on to lists, and making plans to accomplish each thing.

Flashback Friday Pineapple Girl

I can't believe this little tiny thing will be six soon.

Poker In The Ass

I was looking through some photos for a flashback Friday post when I came across this picture.

I wanted to poke her in the ass and tell her to ACT LIKE A LADY! You are in public! Tsk, tsk. 

Instead, I just took a picture and now I'm posting it on my blog. 

Lovely Weekend

NYEBoy and I haven't had alone time as a couple in awhile. This weekend, our cup runneth over.

Friday night, we strayed from our normal Outback and a movie, to try a new place NYEBoy had been to with his boss. It was okay. I didn't eat most of my food. I did enjoy their homemade chips, though! If I ever go back, it will be just for that. Ha. I was too tired to go see a movie, so we headed home after dinner. However, around 11:15, NYEBoy noted I was still awake and the movie was starting in just a little bit. Since I was having trouble falling asleep for some reason, I decided to go head and make the midnight movie with him. We saw Lockout. It was AMAZING! Loved the action! The movie had a surprising comedic twist throughout the whole film as well. We both loved it.

Saturday night, we went back to our stomping grounds, aka Outback. I wasn't feeling very well, and by the time I got my food, I really didn't want it. I ate some, but stopped by Publix for some fruit and yogurt on the way home because that's what I really wanted for some reason. I laid down once I got back home, but started feeling better around 11. We decided to go see Salmon Fishing in The Yemen. We had THE WHOLE theater to ourselves! It ended up being perfect because the movie was SO, SO good. We were able to laugh out loud at parts you normally would have probably just smiled at.

If you get a chance, you must go see both of these movies!

On the way home Saturday night, I noted to NYEBoy that I wanted to eat On The Border tomorrow as we drove passed it. After church, I came home and he got ready so we could do just that. The food was okay, but again, I didn't eat much. Not sure what is up with my stomach these past few days.

While we were sitting on the patio eating, I mentioned that we hadn't been to IMAX in awhile. We pulled up the listings to see what was playing and they had a show starting in a little bit. We finished our lunch and headed back downtown to go see two shows. The first one we saw was African Adventure 3D and the second one we saw was Space Junk 3D. They were both really good, and again, we had the whole theater to ourselves!

I had a lot of back pain from the hospital, so this was something we could do together that wouldn't bother my back too much.

It was really nice to get to spend this time, just the two of us. We talked about how we needed to take a vacation, so we're probably going to take a few days off in a couple of weeks to head to either Atlanta or Orlando for a few days.

It's Baaaack

I spent the night struggling to fall asleep.

I had a lot to do at school today, but I woke up with a migraine.

I wanted to die. I've had a few little headaches, but I haven't had a full on migraine since coming home from the hospital last week.

As if I wasn't already sure, my body just wanted to make sure I knew it hated me.

I took two doses of Advil and stayed in bed until around 9 pm. I decided to try a hot soak in the tub to see if it would help some. It did for a little bit, but then I started getting sick again around 11 pm, so I took another dose of Advil and it seemed to help. I hope this isn't a trend for the rest of the evening.

I can't believe my head is doing this again.

Hopefully, it'll settle down. I have to go to school tomorrow to take care of a few things. Thursday I have a doctors appointment, so tomorrow is really the only day I can take care of what I need to before finals week starts next week.

NYEBoy told me I was going to get bed sores from being in bed for over a day. I'm craving some fresh fruit, so I guess we'll make a trip to the store to see how I do. Nothing like shopping at the Walmart at midnight!

Rock and A Hard Place

I've really struggled emotionally, mentally, and physically over the past few months. Truthfully, the past year. I started getting better last summer after I went to therapy for a few weeks in the Spring for the custody case, but when I had the miscarriage in September, all hell broke loose again.

As the new year began, I felt like I was in a good space for the most part. I didn't have any major health issues arise, I was busy with a new semester and studying my ass off in school, but I was doing okay.

But once February came, it's as if my body knew what happened a year ago. My body just started acting out, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

• Feb 3 - one year mark since custody case final hearing, went to doctor for face swelling
• Feb 5 - almost lost it in church when I remembered it was the last time she went a year ago
• Feb 10 - five months since miscarriage
• Feb 12 - wake up sad, remember a year ago I had to give her back
• Feb 19 - lost it, cried like a baby about my dead baby
• Feb 21 - nausea really bad
• Feb 22 - nausea continues, pregnancy test negative
• Feb 23 - nausea continues, leave school early, sleep long time
• Feb 24 - left ovary pain begins, don't think anything of it
• Feb 25 - decide my emotions are out of whack and want to call therapist
• Feb 26 - left ovary pain worse, continues to get worse all day
• Feb 27 - head to ER at 2 am, given meds and bed rest, they can't find left ovary
• Feb 28 - dr tells me it's a ruptured cyst, "rash" getting worse
• Mar 1 - pain getting better with bed rest, but still there
• Mar 4 - find out sister is pregnant, cry my ass off
• Mar 5 - pain all over abdominal area, have appt for next day, hang tight
• Mar 6 - Dr visit, draws labs for tests, told to hang tight in case pregnant
• Mar 8 - Beta neg, given meds
• Mar 11 - still pretty much bed bound with pain meds and heating pad, waiting for test results
• Mar 12 - Dr told me to go to ER
• Mar 13 - spend 15 hours in the ER, have appointment for next day
• Mar 14 - finally told I likely had diverticulitis, meds should kick-in in a few days
• Mar 18 - go back to school for first time since 2/23, with abdominal pain slowly getting to a more manageable level I notice my back is hurting a LOT
• Mar 27 - abdominal pain is starting back up
• Mar 29 - go back to dr, decides to test my shit for apparently everything
• Mar 30 - migraine
• Mar 31 - migraine
• Apr 1 - migraine
• Apr 2 - three migraines, I felt good for 30-60 min before a new one would start back up
• Apr 3 - no migraine, thought I was getting better, drop stuff off at drs for testing
• Apr 4 - migraine
• Apr 5 - go back to dr because migraines started back up again, given meds to try
• Apr 6 - migraine
• Apr 7 - migraine
• Apr 8 - migraine
• Apr 9 - migraine in morning, tried attending night class, barely made it home before another migraine started
• Apr 10 - migraine, ER visit at 2:30 pm, discharged at 5:30 pm, back in ER at 11:30 pm vomiting and the migraine was even worse, given shots, CT, etc
• Apr 11 - come home at 5:30 am, slept for 11 hours, head tight but not as bad, back hurting really bad
• Apr 12 - trouble walking because of back pain
• Apr 13 - back pain still pretty bad, realize tonsil scratching/pain isn't popcorn kernel and may actually be a tonsil stone
• Apr 16 - call doctor because the back pain isn't getting better and now the tonsil stones

And tomorrow is April 17th. And Thursday is the last day of class. And finals are next week.

And school is like "WHO ARE YOU?" And my body is like "HELLO!?!" 

Last week, after the twelve days of migraines came to an end, NYEBoy and I started talking about what my options might be for the rest of this summer for school. I really felt like I could have got back on track after the Feb/Mar medical issues, but the cluster of migraines threw me for a loop. I talked with someone on Friday at school about what I should do, and she suggested before we go the route of a medical withdrawal or anything, to talk to my professors. NYEBoy and I discussed a few options, but we basically knew I didn't really know WHAT options I truly had until I talked to my professors.

And that is what I did this afternoon. My original plan was to take Calculus, Chemistry, and Humanities in the summer, but I can't take Calculus and graduate without my two math classes I am currently in, but behind on. I wasn't sure exactly how helpful my professors were going to be, but I went with my stack of doctors notes, the class syllabus for each class, and my planner. 

You know what? All my stressing out didn't really matter. The meetings with each professor went swimmingly! I will get an incomplete for the semester and I'll have until the end of July to get everything made up. Since I started getting sick at the half way point of the semester, I basically have half a semester to make up in each class. I am so grateful for understanding professors. 

The downside is that I will not be able to take Chemistry and Calculus in the summer. Well, technically, I could take the Chemistry, but I've decided to push it back until the Fall. So, the plan is for me to finish the two math courses and take my online humanities class over the summer, and in the Fall I will take Chem and Cal. 

Yes, this puts me back a semester, but I think my body is trying to tell me to slow down. Every time I try to get back in the groove again, my body tries to stop me. This summer I won't have to go to campus but a few times and I can give my body the rest it needs and work on my classes on a slower pace. This will also give me a lot of time to just focus on Chem and Cal in the Fall. 

I haven't talked to the university yet, so I am not sure what this means as far as the program I am trying to get into, but I'm going to give them a call this week. NYEBoy seems to think it won't matter. 

I guess it's a good thing I don't have family coming in for graduation next weekend since I'll now be walking next Spring! :)

I'm looking forward to getting back on track physically, emotionally, AND mentally. 

Body, I'm listening to you, now let's work together.

Oh, What's One More Thing?

When I woke up Wednesday and the migraines were gone, I wondered if it was really true. Was my body REALLY going to give me a break?

My back hurt, but it also hurt last month when I spent 16 hours in the ER. I have several herniated discs and degeneration of some of the bone, so back aches are no abnormal thing for me. My body doesn't like the hospital chairs and beds though. Last time it was more uncomfortable than normal for a day or two, but it finally started getting back to my "normal".

This time, though? It's straight up revolting! It's actually getting worse instead of better. Normally after a night of rest, I can wake up and feel okay for a little bit, but since Wednesday I have been waking up in pain and it just progressively gets worse as the day goes on. I can't stand up straight very well. My lower back feels like there are clamps on each side and squeezing towards the middle. The random shooting pains in my legs aren't helping, either. Honestly, I know there isn't much they can do for this. I know I most likely need surgery or something, but it's not an option right now. I need to find a chiropractor soon to see if I can get a little relief.

I think it was Wednesday night, but I ate a hand full of popcorn and suddenly started feeling like I was choking. It felt like a kernel shell was stuck on the back of my throat. So, I stopped eating the popcorn and drank a bunch of water. The scratching feeling didn't go away though. Not thinking a whole lot about it, I tried to ignore it so I wouldn't start throwing up. (I'm not the only person who feels like they want to throw up if something scratches the back of their throat, right?!-Gag!)

Thursday, it was still there! Friday, the same thing. Friday night I called my aunt and she said to gargle with some water to see if I could loosen it up. I tried that a few times, no go. I grabbed the flash light to look to see where it was and that's when I realized it was something coming from my tonsil and it was white, not like a kernel! I told NYEBoy, he got a quizzical look on his face, pulled out his phone, and a few minutes later said "yeah, that's what I thought, I think you have a tonsil stone." A what? Exactly.

So, it looks like I will be on the phone in the morning with the doctor to get an appointment for the back pain and tonsil stones. I'm still trying to find a place that will accept a broken body return. I know it's been 28 years, but surely they still accept returns?

I also have a few important meetings tomorrow afternoon at school if you could keep me in your prayers? I'll update more about that tomorrow.

I hope your all have a good weekend.

Saving $ on Prescriptions

I've had to fill a prescription or fifteen two over the past few months. In other words, the drug companies own a piece of our wallet.

They would own a bit more of our wallet if it weren't for me trying to find a few ways to save a little (and sometimes A LOT!) of money on each prescription.

One of the doctors I go to see requires that you have one place to send your prescription to, which is a little annoying, but I just send them to Walmart. Having said this, it doesn't mean you have to fill it there. You can always transfer it to another pharmacy. 

[Now that I am typing this out, I know Target used to price compare to other pharmacies, so if you get a price quote from one pharmacy, you can tell Target and they will call them to verify. I haven't done this since we moved to our new town, but I'll try it next time I have a prescription.]

By having your prescription information (name, dosage, quantity), you can go home, pull up the list of pharmacies in your area, and get price quotes from each one. My typical list includes Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Costco, and Sams Club. 

Last week, for one prescription I that had I was quoted anywhere from $185-385 from the different places and Costco ended up having it for only $135. The time before that, I had quotes upwards of $85 for one medication and found it at Target for $20-something. 

On top of price comparing, you can also use a prescription discount card from HelpRX.org. They don't have an income restriction or anything. I saved an additional 40% on one of my medications last week. 

Just remember these few things:

• Price compare
• Use a prescription discount card

Price comparing has saved me upwards of nearly 75% alone, add on the prescription discount card, and you're talking about an additional 15-55%

Last Call! NIAW Pictures

I am extending the call for pictures until next Friday, April 20th.

In case you missed the original post:

National Infertility Awareness week is coming up in a few weeks. Resolve's theme this year is Don't Ignore Infertility!

And I'm not ignoring you OR infertility! I'm looking for anyone with infertility to send me a picture of themselves holding a sign that says "Don't Ignore Me, I have infertility!" on it.

I'm putting together a video for every day of National Infertility Awareness Week and one of the videos is going to be called "Don't Ignore Me, I have infertility!"

Please email all pictures to induetimeblog@gmail.com

By emailing me your picture you are giving me permission to use your photo in the video and for that, I THANK YOU!

For those of you who submit your picture to this project, I will be drawing at random, using random.org, for one person to win a $20 Target, Walmart, or Starbucks gift card, winners choice. Your picture submission is one entry.

Also, if you tweet: National Infertility Awareness Week is coming up and @InDueTime needs your help http://in-due-time.blogspot.com/2012/03/im-not-ignoring-you.html #infertility ... I will give you another entry. (Please post a link to your comment as a separate comment.) 

And finally, if you blog about this project on or before April 18th, I will give you another entry. (Please post a link to your blog post as a separate comment.)

If you enter your picture, tweet, and blog about this project, I will give you two bonus entries making five total entries. 

I really want to do this project, but I can't do it without you! Help me show the world that we don't want to be ignored any more.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. I'm going to pretend she called me yesterday after I got out of the ER to check on me. Ahem.

Take Two

I went to the ER yesterday for my migraines. After twelve days in pain and having had three migraines in the past day, I was over it. 

After I signed in, my girlfriend waited with me for two hours before they called me back. Every time the nurses would call a name for triage I would mumble under my breath that if she kept yelling I was going to punch her in the windpipe. 

A nurse finally called me back into a room with two other people. Oh, HIPPA, those curtains don't do shit for privacy. The guy on my left got hit in the face with a beer bottle and the lady to my right passed out at work. Oy. 

As the nurse was triaging me, she kept doubting me not being pregnant. She repeatedly asked me over and over again if I was pregnant and I kept telling her NO, I wasn't. She left the room rolling her eyes at my last "No, really, I'm not pregnant". I wanted to punch her so bad! On top of that, she had my urine sample two feet away and could have tested it in all the time she was arguing with me!

Long story short, they gave me a shot and sent me home without doing a CT. I was annoyed but the meds kicked in pretty quickly and I had to find a bed STAT. Once I got home, I woke up after about 30 mins with chewed up fries in my mouth and two bitten fries in my hand. Two hours later, I woke up with my head just throbbing uncontrollably. I tried to get up to get NYEBoy but the nausea hit me as soon as I was in an upright position. It took thirty minutes and throwing up several times before I finally made it to him when I told him I needed to go back to the ER.

It took another hour of me trying to get ready, laying back down, and vomiting, over and over again, before I finally managed to make it to the car. As soon as I shut the car door, I threw up again. Let me just say, vomiting with a migraine is horrible. 

I slept in a hospital chair for three hours before NYEBoy decided he had to go home because he needed some sleep for work. An hour later, I was finally called back. They pumped me with two medications, took me to CT, gave me more meds, and I was finally released around 5:30 am. My BP was all over the place last night, too. 

I ate something as soon as I got home and crashed for about 11 hours. When I woke up this afternoon, my head felt a little tight, but overall it wasn't like it had been. My only complaint right now is my back is all out of whack. Between sleeping in the waiting room chairs and the hospital bed, my back won't let me sit straight or bend over to put on my shoes. I look like a little old lady walking around with hunch or something. Ugh.

Btw, where can I get a new body? I'm pretty much OVER this one.

Sherbet Mints

While my mom was down for a visit at Christmas, we talked about these mint candies that I hadn't had in forever, but absolutely LOVED! I wasn't sure what they were called, but I finally found them online and made my brother grab a pack of them from the candy store back home before he came back here.

But, on the first bite, I knew it wasn't what I remembered. I tried another one, nope, still gross. I ended up throwing away a $12 pack of candy.

This weekend, while we were at Cracker Barrel, I saw them. THOSE MINT CANDIES! I squealed. I cautiously bought the pack of mints, made small talk with the lady ringing us up, she couldn't believe people would pay $11 for this pack of candy and wasn't I so lucky they were having a sale. Uhm, I would have bought them full price! I love these things.

As soon as I got in the car, I opened the package, and damn, it was them. So thin, so creamy, just a hint of mint. I died. Death by creamy mint chips? Worth it.

Of course, my not so smart self left these in the car and now they are giant pieces melted together, but that just means bigger bites, right? 

Have you ever had these sherbet mints? Do you like them? I would send some if I thought they wouldn't melt, but I live in Florida and we've nearly hit 100 a few times already. BUT! If you come here, I'll share my pack. 

Maybe.

Bye Bye Bye

We spent another night in a hotel last night.

I had high hopes to be able to talk to my brother yesterday afternoon, but while we were at dinner, he called, completely drunk again, going off on me.

Long, long story short, we stayed at a hotel last night and he left today.

I have lots to say, but I don't have the energy to write about it right now.

Suffice to say, NYEBoy is very hurt that my brother acted this way. We've never seen him this bad before.

If you could keep my brother in your prayers I would appreciate it. He's an alcoholic and he needs help.

And now I need to focus on school. Two more weeks of classes and then finals. My life is so cray-zee.

Second Year In A Row

For the second year in a row, we won't be waking up to hear her excitement over an Easter basket.

I doubt they will even call me so she can tell me how excited she was for her Easter basket we sent.

There was no fancy Easter dress buying. No matching shoes, purse, or hair bow to pick up, either.

There was no attending church for Easter service, and hunting Easter eggs with the kids in Sunday school.

There was no big Easter dinner to plan, no eggs to dye, there was nothing.

She's not here, for the second year in a row.

Friday/Saturday Timeline

After spending most of the day in bed with a migraine, this is how my Friday evening went.

6:49 pm - NYEBoy calls, I start getting ready for date night
7:36 pm - brother calls, I don't hear the phone
7:41 pm - brother calls again, I don't hear the phone again
7:44 pm - noticed the missed call, call brother back, no answer
7:50 pm - try calling brother again, he answers, he's drunk as hell
8:03 pm - call my mom tell her my brother is drunk, ask if she sent him any money she says no
8:03 pm - brother calls while I am on the phone with my mom asking where I am, I lie and say I am on my way.
8:04 pm - call NYEBoy to ask where he was, thought he was leaving around 7 from work, no answer
8:05 pm - text NYEBoy asking where he was, thought he was on his way home, no answer
8:05 pm - call mom back, talk to her about brother being completely drunk, and it barely being 8 pm.
8:08 pm - call NYEBoy, still no answer
8:10 pm - brother calls asking where I am, tells me he knows I haven't left yet, I tell him NYEBoy was about to pull up and I would come get him, brother hangs up
8:11 pm - brother calls back saying "I just want to tell you two things before my phone dies, 1, you're a stupid fucking cunt and 2 I hate you and hope you die
8:11 pm - send NYEBoy a text asking where in the fuck he's at, no answer
8:12 pm - call NYEBoy, no answer
8:14 pm - call mom, she says she'll call me right back
8:15 pm - mom calls back, we talk, she confesses brother told her he went to AA, met some people, walked to gas station for cigs, went back to AA and everyone was gone, doesn't know where he's at or his car
8:18 pm - NYEBoy calls while I am talking to my mom, I tell him to come straight home to get me, he says he just got off work
8:24 pm - NYEBoy calls back to ask if I know where my brother is
8:32 pm - tell my mom NYEBoy got home and we're going to look for him
9:19 pm - call my mom telling her we found the area he told me he was at, but I don't see him or his car
9:28 pm - call NYEBoy to ask him if he's sees anything, we're walking the area separately
9:31 pm - we call each other again
9:32 pm - I call my mom tell her we still haven't found him, but we're in the right area
9:33 pm - I call NYEBoy tell him to meet me at the car, lets drive around
10:00 pm - call my mom, tell her we're driving across town to another AA meeting spot to see if his car is there
10:19 pm - call my mom back to tell her we didn't see his car, but there was another place to look
10:25 pm - decide to go back home to see if brother was home, I'm getting another migraine, need medicine
10:45 pm - arrive back home, find empty six pack in trash can and jello shots in fridge, no sign of my brother
10:52 pm - call my mom to tell her the above, decide to drive to another AA meeting location to look for his car
11:02 pm - arrive at other AA spot, no brothers car, decide to call my grandma because he called them last time he got arrested because they were the only phone number he remembered
11:05 pm - talk to grandma, find out brother had called less than 10 mins ago asking for my brother, ask Grandma to give me the phone number of where he called from, she says she will call me back since it's on the phone
11:06 pm - update my mom
11:08 pm - grandma calls back, gives me number, I tell her everything that's been going on
11:15 pm - call phone number brother called at, oops grandma gave me the wrong number, call grandma back
11:19 pm - grandma calls back with correct number
11:20 pm - call "Ross", "Ross" doesn't answer
11:21 pm - get pissed off that brother has had my phone number for about thirty minutes, but has no respect to call us and tell us where he's at while we've been looking for him for three hours, decide to go to the movies
11:23 pm - call mom to update her, tell her we were going to the movies
11:40 pm - brother finally calls, asking where I am at, tell him we've been out looking for him for three hours and he calls me a bunch of names, I hang up since he said he was at home
11:41 pm - I call mom, tell her brother is apparently at home and calling me a stupid bitch
11:43 pm - call grandma tell her brother is home
11:43 pm - brother calls, I ignore
11:50 pm - brother calls, I ignore
11:51 pm - call mom, tell her to call brother and tell him to go to bed and stop calling me
11:54 pm -  brother calls again, I ignore
11:59 pm - call mom again, ask her what she said to him, said he didn't answer, bro calls her while we are talking
12:18 am - brother calls again, I ignore
12:30 am - movie starts
12:31 am - brother calls again, I ignore
2:45 am - movie is over, decide to eat breakfast at IHOP
3:15 am - talk about going to a hotel for the night
3:45 am - drive by house, notice brother is home, all lights are off but his bedroom, decide to go to hotel
4:15 am - find a hotel and crawl into bed

I didn't fall asleep until after 7 am. I was awakened by banging on the door from HOUSEKEEPING at 9:30, ousted at 11 for checkout.

We checked out the farmers market for a few minutes on the way to Cracker Barrel for lunch, decide to run to Costco afterwards, then decide to go see a movie because NYEBoy wasn't ready to see my brother yet. Watch The Vow, cute movie, head home to pick up script, back to Coscto to fill, hit dinner up at 7ish at Outback, and home around 8:30. I started getting a migraine before we headed to dinner, so by the time we got back home I needed a nap.

So, yeah, this was my Friday/Saturday timeline. Aren't you jealous?

Flashback Friday

[ A, summer 2006 ]

Migraine Cluster Fuck

Friday: Migraine
Saturday: Migraine
Sunday: Migraine
Monday: Three Migraines
Tuesday: No Migraine
Wednesday: Migraine
Thursday Morning: Call doctor

I don't typically have migraines this often.

They aren't sure what's causing the current cluster fuck of migraines since there are many different causes and triggers of migraines, but she gave me some meds that should knock them out before they get bad.

The nausea sucks. The pain sucks. My body sucks. Hopefully the meds help though.

Ch-ch-ch changes

I've been wanting a new blog look for several months now, but I haven't had the time to play around much. 

Tonight, while I watched the SERIES finale of One Tree Hill, I played around and used the pretty picture from yesterday to inspire me for my new header. 

Whatcha think? I dig it!

I still have several things I need to tweak, but truth be told, I need to study. I'll tweak the other bits and pieces over the next few weeks, but for now it works.

For the record, I didn't like that the finale didn't include reflections from everyone who started the series. Peyton and Lucas were what MADE the series so interesting. I love the additions, but felt like it wasn't a true goodbye without including those who began it as well. So bummed about that.

I hope you're all having a good week so far. Only two more days!

Pretty Pink Flowers

I don't normally buy myself flowers, but while I was at Sam's Club I saw these cute pink flowers for less than $5 that managed to jump into my basket.


I also bought $40 in fruit and veggies. Smoothie or fruit salad, anyone?

Registration, Complete

Registration for summer classes opened up at midnight.

I'm officially registered for the classes I need.

I say need, because the schedule I want doesn't exist.

It is what it is, though.

I'm taking 12 hours.

During the summer.

This will be interesting.

Especially considering they are all hard classes.

It's my last semester at this school.

I can't believe I've almost done it.

Random Sunday Tidbits

• I missed serving communion today because of a migraine. Grrah. I hate that.
• Finals are in three weeks. I may or may not be freaking out a bit about that.
• My house is a mess. My family will be in town in four weeks for graduation. Thankfully, I'll have about 36 hours in between my last final and their arrival. I shall freak out about cleaning then!
• I'm starting back on the low amylose diet this week. Finally.
• I'll also be running to the doctor on Tuesday to drop off some uhm, stuff for them to test. I'm not quite sure how to word "I've got to drop off a bunch of shit" for a professor to understand why I'll be missing class. Any ideas? 
• Also? I might die if I have to talk about this to the hot doctor again. 
• Oh, I told NYEBoy I quit school for awhile, this morning. He didn't think it was very funny. I, on the other hand, thought it was a fabulous April Fool's day joke considering how bad I was emotionally last week.
• I say "last week" because today is the first day I am feeling a bit more normal again. I hope it lasts.
• Speaking of normal, I am spotting a bit. How exciting would it be if I actually started my cycle? I haven't had one since the miscarriage in September.
• Well, that's all I've got. I need to hit the books. Happy Sunday!