I had a busy weekend. I thought it would be a little hectic but it turned out worse than expected because we decided to invite family up for dinner on Sunday and ended up with 7 guests.
Saturday was totally nuts! Aidan had to be the piper for 2 weddings, one at 10am and the second at 4pm (with the reception at 5.30). Thankfully, I slept in when he left to go to the first wedding (I think he left at 9 or something because he had to warm up his pipes away from the church). Since he had the car, I had to catch the bus into Hamilton. Unfortunately, I don't really know the bus schedule so I caught the wrong one and had to walk to the office. No one was there to let me in so I went to the Botanical Gardens for the SPCA Fair. I saw a few friends and their dogs and then got a call that the office was open. I only was in the office for about 45 minutes. Aidan picked me up and we went back to the Fair, had some lunch and he dropped me off at dance class #1.
The class was for our younger dancers and barring a parent incident, the class went very well. We then loaded the kids in various cars and went to dance class #2 on a school field. There we met up with the older dancers and ran through the two dances that we're doing for the Tattoo next week. By this time Aidan was well into wedding #2 and I had to get home. Thankfully I got a lift with two of my dancers. I literally walked into the house, sat down with QVC on and in seconds I was asleep. Aidan woke me up when he got in. We cleaned up, ran out to the store because we had extended the dinner invitation and managed to put the chicken in the brine solution before going to bed.
On Sunday I wanted to prepare the dogs for a party that they were invited to (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel get together). I clipped them (mangled their paws though), bathed them and dried them. Then I started on dinner. At 1.30 (we were making 2pm), I was still cooking. At 4pm, I was still cooking. At 6pm, I was still cooking. Yeah, it was an all day affair. I made food for the dinner but I also made food for our Dec 19th party (to freeze). By the time our guests had arrived, I had the following on the table: carved roast chicken, sage sausage stuffing, sage gravy, lemon meringue pies (from scratch), pumpkin soup, chicken & lentil soup (using the chicken rack), pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, praline cookies, mini peanut butter cup cookies.
Dinner went really well and everyone ate their fill. The great thing was that once we cleaned up, my kitchen and dining room are pretty much ready for Saturday's jewelry making party! Granted, I haven't figured out the food for that one yet... maybe pizza... that's easy!
So now I'm back in Tattoo mode (ordered back-up uniforms), Summit mode (Oct 29 - Nov 4) and Master Class mode (planning Nov, Dec, Jan & Feb classes at the moment). It's a little insane but I am looking forward to resting between Nov 5 and 19... and then the next wave starts before surgery.
Oh, I did get some bad news today. My doctor in CZ has left the clinic. I've been notified but they probably won't give me a new doctor until I make arrangements for the next cycle. So I don't know whether (i) we find out where he goes and continue to see him (I really like how thorough he was), (ii) use the doctor that they give me (apparently a new female doctor has joined the clinic) or (iii) take this opportunity to explore other options (like Prague, Brno, another country... Aidan isn't hot on the Mumbai option though).
12 October 2009
09 October 2009
Not for the Fainthearted
I have received confirmation that surgery is scheduled for Dec 9th and that I need to arrive at the hospital for 9am on Dec 8th for the pre-op appointment. We can now book our flights and the International office will arrange to pick us up from the airport and take us to our hotel. It's nice to have this arranges but it is also somewhat surreal to have this move so quickly after a year and a bit of nothing happening.
I also received a link to watch the type of surgery that I will have. They wanted me to see the versatility of the robotic arms in the surgery. At first I didn't want to watch it but I decided that I did want to know what would happen - the same way that I surfed youtube for IVF videos before we went through that process. If you're interested you can see the video here. Believe me, it is not for the fainthearted. Still, after seeing my 'gut full of rocks' last Friday, it's kind of comforting to see how they get them out. The sewing part makes my skin crawl though.
I've also been visiting a very useful blog where many people have shared their fibroid removal experiences. I've been focusing on the post-op section and it is good to get information on those first few days and weeks post surgery. It looks like gas will be the toughest part of recovery in the first few days - I really need to look into getting some gas-x because I am gassy even without having my tummy blown up with CO2.
I also received a link to watch the type of surgery that I will have. They wanted me to see the versatility of the robotic arms in the surgery. At first I didn't want to watch it but I decided that I did want to know what would happen - the same way that I surfed youtube for IVF videos before we went through that process. If you're interested you can see the video here. Believe me, it is not for the fainthearted. Still, after seeing my 'gut full of rocks' last Friday, it's kind of comforting to see how they get them out. The sewing part makes my skin crawl though.
I've also been visiting a very useful blog where many people have shared their fibroid removal experiences. I've been focusing on the post-op section and it is good to get information on those first few days and weeks post surgery. It looks like gas will be the toughest part of recovery in the first few days - I really need to look into getting some gas-x because I am gassy even without having my tummy blown up with CO2.
08 October 2009
Back to our regularly scheduled programme...
I caught the ferry in to work today because I had an early meeting. I don't catch the ferry often because we usually need the car during the day and I like talking with Aidan on the ride in. Therefore, when I do catch the ferry I do things like read, organize my calendar, etc. Today I read a book - and in the midst of reading I got to thinking about whether life will 'get back to normal' during this 9 month TTC break.
I've thought more about what is 'normal' since the ride this morning. I know that I haven't felt all that normal recently, but was I (or were we) normal before we started trying to expand our family. I think back to our non-ttc days and we just seemed busy. It was actually at that point where some of our traditions (weekly lunches, weekly dinner out) fell off of the schedule. I think further back to dating times and the focus was on getting married, getting a house, getting settled, etc. So perhaps we need to create normal from scratch from all of the lovely elements that we miss from getting too stressed from life in general.
A friend of mine said recently that she loves when Aidan and I open our house to friends for parties because they get a glimpse of the kind of homelife that she'd like. The comment made me smile but I also realize that the snapshot that friends get is so limited a view of what our homelife is really like. That snapshot does show me aspects of what is 'normal' for us though. We're a great team and work very well together. We work as partners and use our skills accordingly. We like to make things fun. We like to learn and share new things. Perhaps those are other elements we integrate into this 'getting back to normal' endeavor. I don't think we've lost this attributes so it's more of a matter of reinforcing them for use in stressful times.
So back to normal starts tonight as we're off to the theatre to enjoy 'Oliver'. Publish Post
I've thought more about what is 'normal' since the ride this morning. I know that I haven't felt all that normal recently, but was I (or were we) normal before we started trying to expand our family. I think back to our non-ttc days and we just seemed busy. It was actually at that point where some of our traditions (weekly lunches, weekly dinner out) fell off of the schedule. I think further back to dating times and the focus was on getting married, getting a house, getting settled, etc. So perhaps we need to create normal from scratch from all of the lovely elements that we miss from getting too stressed from life in general.
A friend of mine said recently that she loves when Aidan and I open our house to friends for parties because they get a glimpse of the kind of homelife that she'd like. The comment made me smile but I also realize that the snapshot that friends get is so limited a view of what our homelife is really like. That snapshot does show me aspects of what is 'normal' for us though. We're a great team and work very well together. We work as partners and use our skills accordingly. We like to make things fun. We like to learn and share new things. Perhaps those are other elements we integrate into this 'getting back to normal' endeavor. I don't think we've lost this attributes so it's more of a matter of reinforcing them for use in stressful times.
So back to normal starts tonight as we're off to the theatre to enjoy 'Oliver'. Publish Post
07 October 2009
Visit to Yet Another Doctor....
I continued my doctor-filled life today by visiting my nephrologist. I really like my nephrologist. He's a very straightforward kind of guy who actually explains what things mean and he actually points me towards other resources for information. I guess he's the perfect doctor to have when what you're being treated for is so important to your quality of life. I mean, he's not my buddy but I can talk to him about what is going on medically and get good advice... KWIM.
Anyhow, I had a good weigh-in (my weight has finally stabilized, I hope) but my blood pressure was up. That wasn't a surprise though because of the stress of the cycle, fibroids, etc. We got the important stuff out of the way next. My kidney function hasn't changed and it is still in the good range. I breathed a sigh of relief from that one. Then I updated him on the cycle and the subsequent fibroid situation. We then reviewed the rest of my test results. My cholesterol was up (again, no surprise because I've been eating horribly post-cycle - I blame minor depression) and thankfully since I cannot cycle until next June, I've been put on Li.pitor for the time being. Sure, I'll also correct my diet but it makes me feel a bit better about getting it under control. He also upped my blood pressure meds. He thinks the rise is stress related and with surgery coming up and another cycle a year away, he wants to have better control of it during stressful these stressful periods.
Before we finished, we talked about the high risk OB situation here on the Island. He's going to look into it because there is a strong possibility that my OB will end up being in Boston - along with the birth.... that'll be a PITA but whatever it takes. So all in all, it was an excellent visit and I am now on visits every 3 months instead of 6 because of the surgery, etc.
Aidan had an impromptu visit with his urologist yesterday. He was doing a site inspection in an operation room at the hospital and his urologist was there. So they discussed the recent IVF cycle, the fibroids and our future plans while standing their in their operating room gear - odd but effective. So his urologist gave thought we were making good progress and said he'll get an update on how my surgery went when they meet at year's end or in the new year. Perhaps the cheapest urologist visit ever!!!
Outside of that, the fall is in full swing. I've planned my house parties leading up to Christmas and now I need to get online and order some supplies from Orie.ntal Tra.ding. I have a strategy for soup and cookie making for the Dec Open House because there is no way that I'll want to bake up a storm when I get home on the 16th. Now I need to sort out one of my client schedules, and my dissertation writing schedule and I should be set!
Anyhow, I had a good weigh-in (my weight has finally stabilized, I hope) but my blood pressure was up. That wasn't a surprise though because of the stress of the cycle, fibroids, etc. We got the important stuff out of the way next. My kidney function hasn't changed and it is still in the good range. I breathed a sigh of relief from that one. Then I updated him on the cycle and the subsequent fibroid situation. We then reviewed the rest of my test results. My cholesterol was up (again, no surprise because I've been eating horribly post-cycle - I blame minor depression) and thankfully since I cannot cycle until next June, I've been put on Li.pitor for the time being. Sure, I'll also correct my diet but it makes me feel a bit better about getting it under control. He also upped my blood pressure meds. He thinks the rise is stress related and with surgery coming up and another cycle a year away, he wants to have better control of it during stressful these stressful periods.
Before we finished, we talked about the high risk OB situation here on the Island. He's going to look into it because there is a strong possibility that my OB will end up being in Boston - along with the birth.... that'll be a PITA but whatever it takes. So all in all, it was an excellent visit and I am now on visits every 3 months instead of 6 because of the surgery, etc.
Aidan had an impromptu visit with his urologist yesterday. He was doing a site inspection in an operation room at the hospital and his urologist was there. So they discussed the recent IVF cycle, the fibroids and our future plans while standing their in their operating room gear - odd but effective. So his urologist gave thought we were making good progress and said he'll get an update on how my surgery went when they meet at year's end or in the new year. Perhaps the cheapest urologist visit ever!!!
Outside of that, the fall is in full swing. I've planned my house parties leading up to Christmas and now I need to get online and order some supplies from Orie.ntal Tra.ding. I have a strategy for soup and cookie making for the Dec Open House because there is no way that I'll want to bake up a storm when I get home on the 16th. Now I need to sort out one of my client schedules, and my dissertation writing schedule and I should be set!
05 October 2009
Back home... for 2 months and 2 days...
It's been a whirlwind weekend and a busy day but I am home (can't wait to kit my tempurpedic mattress tonight!). I had such a great time in Boston. Sure, my next trip back won't be as fun, and I'll definitely be more nervous. Still, it will be good to be in a familiar place for the surgery and early recovery.
While we both felt more like our old selves for most of the weekend as we met up with good friends and old friends, there are so many other memories that Boston has for us. We celebrated our first anniversary in Boston and it also marked the end of our 'test cycle'. We literally bought out Walgreens, stocking up on ovulation and pregnancy tests. At the airport I remember purchasing Fit Pregnancy and we read it together once we got home. 6 months later we were back in Boston to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade. It was the time when I was going through an apparent chemical pregnancy. It was also the first indication of what would eventually be diagnosed as a fibroid 3 months later because I spotted for 5 days after the end of my period. And now Boston will figure into another major phase of our journey as we have the fibroids removed and will probably see us many times once we're pregnant since I'll be high risk and we currently have no high risks OBs here.
So the ride home was full of reflection and forward thought. And now, I'm feeling mellow again. I can't wait to get into the next two months of activities (I say that now...). Sometimes weekend getaways are the best!!!
While we both felt more like our old selves for most of the weekend as we met up with good friends and old friends, there are so many other memories that Boston has for us. We celebrated our first anniversary in Boston and it also marked the end of our 'test cycle'. We literally bought out Walgreens, stocking up on ovulation and pregnancy tests. At the airport I remember purchasing Fit Pregnancy and we read it together once we got home. 6 months later we were back in Boston to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade. It was the time when I was going through an apparent chemical pregnancy. It was also the first indication of what would eventually be diagnosed as a fibroid 3 months later because I spotted for 5 days after the end of my period. And now Boston will figure into another major phase of our journey as we have the fibroids removed and will probably see us many times once we're pregnant since I'll be high risk and we currently have no high risks OBs here.
So the ride home was full of reflection and forward thought. And now, I'm feeling mellow again. I can't wait to get into the next two months of activities (I say that now...). Sometimes weekend getaways are the best!!!
04 October 2009
Boston's Wonderful
Strangely enough, after feeling so cruddy for so long, a short visit to an amazing city has been the most revitalizing thing we could do. Sure, we're still tired and have a lot on our plates but we actually feel like ourselves. We're actually acting like ourselves again. We needed this.
So we're back to our regular lives on Monday evening. I hope we can carry this feeling back home and through the coming months.
So we're back to our regular lives on Monday evening. I hope we can carry this feeling back home and through the coming months.
02 October 2009
Surgery Scheduled
Talk about a whirlwind day. I barely slept last night because I was pretty nervous about today's appointment. We woke up pretty early, had breakfast in the lobby and boarded the free hotel shuttle to the hospital. There, we checked in at the international office. I received my patient card and we were walked up to the Center for Reproductive Medicine. There I filled out forms, was weighed and measured and then waited with all of the other couples.
We were finally called back and met the doctor. She was lovely - very thorough. We reviewed the records my doctor sent her and then I gave her the copies of everything we had. We reviewed the MRI scans and also reviewed the last IVF cycle. Her thoughts were beneficial to my peace of mind. I have at least 5 large fibroids - three are between 5-7.5 cm and 2 are between 2-3 cm. There are also smaller ones that she'll review in preparation for the surgery. 2 of the fibroids (the 5cm intermural one and the 7.5cm subserosal one) and possibly the two smaller ones probably have been adversely affecting my fertility. She believes we had an excellent IVF cycle and was happy with the fertility report and said we probably would have been successful without the fibroids. She said that she understands why I had to go through a cycle to get the referral and thinks that the information will be useful for cycle 2. I then had and exam to see if I can have the robotic surgery and thankfully I passed!
So, I have to fly back to Boston on Dec 7, have surgery on Dec 9 (with an overnight stay) and fly back home on Dec16. I will not be allowed to drive for 3 weeks, dance for a few months and TTC for 6 months after surgery. When we got back to the hotel, we booked the Sheraton Boston for December. Just need to book Delta.
Boy, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders...
We were finally called back and met the doctor. She was lovely - very thorough. We reviewed the records my doctor sent her and then I gave her the copies of everything we had. We reviewed the MRI scans and also reviewed the last IVF cycle. Her thoughts were beneficial to my peace of mind. I have at least 5 large fibroids - three are between 5-7.5 cm and 2 are between 2-3 cm. There are also smaller ones that she'll review in preparation for the surgery. 2 of the fibroids (the 5cm intermural one and the 7.5cm subserosal one) and possibly the two smaller ones probably have been adversely affecting my fertility. She believes we had an excellent IVF cycle and was happy with the fertility report and said we probably would have been successful without the fibroids. She said that she understands why I had to go through a cycle to get the referral and thinks that the information will be useful for cycle 2. I then had and exam to see if I can have the robotic surgery and thankfully I passed!
So, I have to fly back to Boston on Dec 7, have surgery on Dec 9 (with an overnight stay) and fly back home on Dec16. I will not be allowed to drive for 3 weeks, dance for a few months and TTC for 6 months after surgery. When we got back to the hotel, we booked the Sheraton Boston for December. Just need to book Delta.
Boy, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders...
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