About a month ago I made this post about my "female" problems and the options I was presented. I decided to go with the hysterectomy. D-day is November 6th. By noon that that day I will no longer have a uterus.
I guess I actually made up my mind rather quickly. However it did take me a week or more to actually make the appointment. Having this done is a huge decision. It means there will definitely be no more children. However, the way things are right now there can be virtually no intimacy anyway. Right now I am having my monthly visitor for about 3 weeks out of the month - not usually a full week at a time, usually a few days then a day off and then it's back again. I have cramping almost constantly, whether I'm having the visitor or not.
I have been on multiple birth control pills to try to help with my problem and they have all worked, for a few months and then it returns. This has been an ongoing problem since I got my first period.....seriously. I have had 2 surgeries already for endometriosis. The first was in June of 1998, then I had April in 2002 (which was a miracle) and helped to slow it down for a while, then again in August 2006. When I was in to my see my ob/gyn last year she said we were running out of options and if my problems continued to progress we would need to talk about other options. So when I met with her in September I was somewhat prepared for the options.
There are a some things I am looking forward to with the hysterectomy:
1. No more pills to try to help make my endometriosis more tolerable.
2. No more buying pads! (Can't wear tampons because within minutes it feels as though someone is stabbing me in the abdomen.)
3. No need to worry about sporadic gushing of blood.
4. No more cramps/nauseousness/passing out!
I am still having moments that this decision makes me very sad and I'm sure I'll have them even after the hysterectomy. Like when April asked the other day why her friends and cousin have siblings and she doesn't. I tried to explain that sometimes parents can only have 1 child. But she tried to convince me that we could have another one no matter what. Honestly it took everything in me not to cry then. To know that she will never experience the closeness with someone like I have with my brothers. To know that there is someone you can call and tell anything to without being judged. To know that there is someone that will tell you like it is and you'll be okay with the way they say it because you know that they are only telling you because they love you and you don't get angry because because you know you love them anyway. That's what makes me sad. I know she'll have good friends, but it's not really truly the same as a sibling.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
On occasion I am wrong.....
I don't know if you guys remember this post or not. I was so upset when I wrote it because of my brother-in-law breaking up with his longtime girlfriend whom I had become good friends with. Not so much because he did it, but because it seems to be a trend and it's emotionally hard to become good friends with his girlfriend and then have it end badly.
Well, I was determined that I wasn't go to become friends with his new girlfriend. I have to be honest, the first couple times I was around her I wasn't real nice. Not that I was mean, I was just well.... tolerant I guess. I wasn't mean, but wasn't friendly. I'm getting to know her a little more through the occasional email and find that I'm thinking more and more that she is someone I could be friends with - more than likely.
So there you have it. I was wrong, I admit. She is a very nice person and I am learning that we have quite a bit in common. I still am friends with his exes and plan on remaining so. I don't discuss her with them, nor will I discuss them with her. Just because that's the way to do it and not have any jealous feelings come up. Or at least keep them to a minimum.
Well, I was determined that I wasn't go to become friends with his new girlfriend. I have to be honest, the first couple times I was around her I wasn't real nice. Not that I was mean, I was just well.... tolerant I guess. I wasn't mean, but wasn't friendly. I'm getting to know her a little more through the occasional email and find that I'm thinking more and more that she is someone I could be friends with - more than likely.
So there you have it. I was wrong, I admit. She is a very nice person and I am learning that we have quite a bit in common. I still am friends with his exes and plan on remaining so. I don't discuss her with them, nor will I discuss them with her. Just because that's the way to do it and not have any jealous feelings come up. Or at least keep them to a minimum.
Menu Plan Monday
This week is full of evening activities and plans. Monday is the skating party/fundraiser for April's school, Tuesday she has tumbling, & Wednesday evening I have a meeting at church. Busy weeknights mean the menu has to be planned ahead or we end up throwing money away by having to eat fast, greasy drive thru food. So here is the plan as it stands right now:
Monday: Chicken strips w/ veggie & fruit
Tuesday: Chicken stirfry
Wednesday: frozen pizza, salad
Thursday: Spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday: not sure yet ; )
I only had enough imagination for 4 days, so Friday is going to have to wait.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Well, I think I finally figured out a menu. I'm not particularly thrilled with it, but it's not concrete and is definitely able to be changed if something that sounds better comes along.
Sunday - chicken enchilada soup
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - not sure (April has tumbling, then I need to pick up prescriptions) probably salad or drive-thru :)
Wednesday - tuna & noodles
Thursday - Steaks
Friday - steak salad (with leftover steak)
Saturday - pinto beans & eggs
The chicken enchilada soup made lots of extra - so I am going to freeze individual portions to use later.
Sunday - chicken enchilada soup
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - not sure (April has tumbling, then I need to pick up prescriptions) probably salad or drive-thru :)
Wednesday - tuna & noodles
Thursday - Steaks
Friday - steak salad (with leftover steak)
Saturday - pinto beans & eggs
The chicken enchilada soup made lots of extra - so I am going to freeze individual portions to use later.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Trying to come up with a menu
I'm sitting here racking my brain to come up with a menu. Nothing sounds good & I don't want to go to the store. : (
It stinks when I feel so unimaginative. Ugh. Better go look through some cookbooks & try to get some inspiration!
It stinks when I feel so unimaginative. Ugh. Better go look through some cookbooks & try to get some inspiration!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ideas for your family to fight cabin fever
The last week here has been rainy and cold. Definitely not typical for this time of year! Because of the weather April has been spending a lot of time indoors - and complaining about being bored. : ) I just happened to come across a list of activities that I had jotted down - a lot of the ideas came from a book titled "Cabin Fever" that I came across early in the summer. Of course at that time I didn't need it, but thought I could take notes for the upcoming winter because chances are that I would forget that the book even exists as soon as I walked out of the library doors - because I have a good memory like that. I thought this book was pretty good for 3 main reasons. 1. It's full of ideas of things the family can do together - no matter how big or small of a family you have. 2. It encourages using the imagination. 3. Pretty much all of the materials used are things that a person already has at home or can acquire cheaply.
Here are some of my favorite ideas (some, but not all, come from "Cabin Fever", and I have added my own twist to all of them). : )
Advertising - make up a product and advertising campaign for it. Or make up an advertising campaign for a product that already exists.
Alien/Animal Penpals - write letters to an alien or animal, have another family member write back as though they are the alien or animal.
Almost..... (insert holiday) - celebrate that it's "almost" Halloween, "almost" Thanksgiving, "almost" Christmas, "almost" New Year's; you get the point.
Alphabet books - these could be done lots of ways. Cut pictures out of magazines of things that begin with each letter & paste them on the corresponding page, draw pictures for each letter, etc.
Fan letter - help your child write a fan letter to their favorite singer/actress/author.
Autobiography - have each member write a book about themselves. It can be as long or short, as serious or as silly as you want.
Beauty Salon - pretend to be at the salon. Fix each others hair, paint nails, etc.
Bon Voyage party - this could be done several ways also. Pretend someone is moving or going on a long trip and your having a party for them. Or have a "Bon Voyage Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring" party.
Candid Camera - take goofy pictures or get the camcorder ready to record silly skits.
Classic movies - spend an afternoon or evening watching some great classic movies.
Clothing Store - pretend like your closets are part of the merchandise at a clothing store. Pair together fun outfits - maybe even take pictures!
Cookie/Bakery Shop - spend the day baking. Maybe decorate cookies elaborately or try some fun treats that you may not normally have time to experiment with. If you make lots of things put them together on plates and deliver them to some of your neighbors.
Costume Party - dig out the costumes and throw a party! Or just pick some crazy clothes out of the closests. Make snacks and play party games.
Crazy news - make up news stories about things that are far-fetched. Again if you want you can record it & watch later.
Create a comic - work together as a family to incorporate everyone's ideas into a comic strip.
Dramatic Reading - read a book/poem/play & really act the part!
Durable goods (bookmarks, placemats, ornaments) - look up ideas online for easy paper crafts. Just grab some construction paper, yarn, colors, & glue - now your ready!
Family business - pretend your going to start a family business. What would you do? What would each person's role be? What would your advertising be?
Family logo - make up a family logo. Draw it on paper or making something on the computer. (You could even save it and have a t-shirt or something made for each family member for Christmas using the logo.)
Fine Dining - have everyone dress in their best & serve a candle-light meal. Drink out of plastic wine glasses & use "fancy" dishes (can be real or disposable).
Floor plan - have the family work together to make a floor plan for their "dream" home. Let each person design their own bedroom & work together on the main rooms (kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc).
For a better world - come up with ideas of what your family can do to make the world a better place. Pick a couple of the ideas & starting working on it!
Group authors - write a story as a group. Let each person create a character & have some input.
Greatest hits - compile a cd of the families favorite songs.
Hat trimming - decorate any hats you may have at the house or buy some cheap hats. Add flowers, ribbon, sparkles, etc.
Holidays from the twilight zone - make up some unique holidays. Or make up crazy "traditions" for holidays that already exist.
In-print hunt - have a scavenger hunt using magazines. Cut out the picture or word & glue onto a piece of construction paper.
Memory tester - a new take on the baby/wedding shower game. Give everyone 10 seconds to memorize a bunch of items that have been put on a cookie sheet & then ask them to write down everything they remember. Give the winner a gift certificate for a 2nd helping of dessert or an extra bedtime story.
New years eve - pretend it's New Year's Eve. Make snacks, listen to music, drink sparkling juice, & have a countdown to "midnight".
Nightlife/diso - turn the lights down, play some dance music, & get move around! Get some exercise in while dancing to the kids favorite songs.
Postcards - make up some post cards from "far-off lands". Write an account of your "vacation" to that land on the post card.
Scavenger/treasure hunt - make lists of items that you have hidden around the house for everyone to try to find those items. (Make sure YOU remember where you have hidden everything!)
Time capsule - make a family time capsule. Bury it (if you want) & dig it up in a few years!
I hope that this gives you at least one idea for something to do on an upcoming boring day!
Here are some of my favorite ideas (some, but not all, come from "Cabin Fever", and I have added my own twist to all of them). : )
Advertising - make up a product and advertising campaign for it. Or make up an advertising campaign for a product that already exists.
Alien/Animal Penpals - write letters to an alien or animal, have another family member write back as though they are the alien or animal.
Almost..... (insert holiday) - celebrate that it's "almost" Halloween, "almost" Thanksgiving, "almost" Christmas, "almost" New Year's; you get the point.
Alphabet books - these could be done lots of ways. Cut pictures out of magazines of things that begin with each letter & paste them on the corresponding page, draw pictures for each letter, etc.
Fan letter - help your child write a fan letter to their favorite singer/actress/author.
Autobiography - have each member write a book about themselves. It can be as long or short, as serious or as silly as you want.
Beauty Salon - pretend to be at the salon. Fix each others hair, paint nails, etc.
Bon Voyage party - this could be done several ways also. Pretend someone is moving or going on a long trip and your having a party for them. Or have a "Bon Voyage Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring" party.
Candid Camera - take goofy pictures or get the camcorder ready to record silly skits.
Classic movies - spend an afternoon or evening watching some great classic movies.
Clothing Store - pretend like your closets are part of the merchandise at a clothing store. Pair together fun outfits - maybe even take pictures!
Cookie/Bakery Shop - spend the day baking. Maybe decorate cookies elaborately or try some fun treats that you may not normally have time to experiment with. If you make lots of things put them together on plates and deliver them to some of your neighbors.
Costume Party - dig out the costumes and throw a party! Or just pick some crazy clothes out of the closests. Make snacks and play party games.
Crazy news - make up news stories about things that are far-fetched. Again if you want you can record it & watch later.
Create a comic - work together as a family to incorporate everyone's ideas into a comic strip.
Dramatic Reading - read a book/poem/play & really act the part!
Durable goods (bookmarks, placemats, ornaments) - look up ideas online for easy paper crafts. Just grab some construction paper, yarn, colors, & glue - now your ready!
Family business - pretend your going to start a family business. What would you do? What would each person's role be? What would your advertising be?
Family logo - make up a family logo. Draw it on paper or making something on the computer. (You could even save it and have a t-shirt or something made for each family member for Christmas using the logo.)
Fine Dining - have everyone dress in their best & serve a candle-light meal. Drink out of plastic wine glasses & use "fancy" dishes (can be real or disposable).
Floor plan - have the family work together to make a floor plan for their "dream" home. Let each person design their own bedroom & work together on the main rooms (kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc).
For a better world - come up with ideas of what your family can do to make the world a better place. Pick a couple of the ideas & starting working on it!
Group authors - write a story as a group. Let each person create a character & have some input.
Greatest hits - compile a cd of the families favorite songs.
Hat trimming - decorate any hats you may have at the house or buy some cheap hats. Add flowers, ribbon, sparkles, etc.
Holidays from the twilight zone - make up some unique holidays. Or make up crazy "traditions" for holidays that already exist.
In-print hunt - have a scavenger hunt using magazines. Cut out the picture or word & glue onto a piece of construction paper.
Memory tester - a new take on the baby/wedding shower game. Give everyone 10 seconds to memorize a bunch of items that have been put on a cookie sheet & then ask them to write down everything they remember. Give the winner a gift certificate for a 2nd helping of dessert or an extra bedtime story.
New years eve - pretend it's New Year's Eve. Make snacks, listen to music, drink sparkling juice, & have a countdown to "midnight".
Nightlife/diso - turn the lights down, play some dance music, & get move around! Get some exercise in while dancing to the kids favorite songs.
Postcards - make up some post cards from "far-off lands". Write an account of your "vacation" to that land on the post card.
Scavenger/treasure hunt - make lists of items that you have hidden around the house for everyone to try to find those items. (Make sure YOU remember where you have hidden everything!)
Time capsule - make a family time capsule. Bury it (if you want) & dig it up in a few years!
I hope that this gives you at least one idea for something to do on an upcoming boring day!
Monday, October 5, 2009
It was an Energetic Sunday
Do you ever have those days that you just feel like your so full of energy? Yesterday was one of those days for me. I pulled out the produce bins from the fridge and emptied them out. I scrubbed the bins and the fridge out. I washed the apples & grapes that I had in there. I pulled the grapes of the vine (not sure that's what you call it?) & put them in a bowl. It seems like we eat the fruit & veggies better when they are cut/cleaned/etc & ready to eat.
I also had one of those big summer sausage logs. I pulled that out & sliced it up. Then I halved each of the slices. I put ten halves in a snack size baggie with a string cheese (still in the plastic so it doesn't absorb the sausage taste/smell. These will make handy snack packs for our lunches or for April after school.
The last couple weeks have been great since I've been back to menu planning. When I know what we are having it makes grocery shopping easier & since I can write the weekly menu on our erasable white board I also don't get any of the "what are we having for supper?" questions. I'm trying to plan the menu for a couple weeks at a time so that I know what we need for groceries - to avoid having to stop at the store more than once a week. Less trips = less $$$ :)
I also had one of those big summer sausage logs. I pulled that out & sliced it up. Then I halved each of the slices. I put ten halves in a snack size baggie with a string cheese (still in the plastic so it doesn't absorb the sausage taste/smell. These will make handy snack packs for our lunches or for April after school.
The last couple weeks have been great since I've been back to menu planning. When I know what we are having it makes grocery shopping easier & since I can write the weekly menu on our erasable white board I also don't get any of the "what are we having for supper?" questions. I'm trying to plan the menu for a couple weeks at a time so that I know what we need for groceries - to avoid having to stop at the store more than once a week. Less trips = less $$$ :)
Weekly Menu
Sunday - chicken & dumplings
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - grilled cheese & tomato soup
Wednesday - crockpot pork chops & a veggie
Thursday - multigrain mini pizzas
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - We are going out to celebrate our anniversary (10 days late) Yippee!!!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Ow! Ow! Ow!
Last night I did the "30-day Shred" again. Boy am I a hurting unit. I'm seriously thinking that a wheelchair may be in order. My calves hurt - I don't think I've ever had a workout where my calves have hurt before. The only things that don't hurt are my hands & feet. Seriously.
But I am going to continue to push through this - I mean, it can't hurt forever, right??? And I am really looking forward to being trim and fit. No puss-gut for me! (That's a term my husband introduced me to when we started dating. It refers to a woman whose stomach hangs over her...well, privates. I know it's not very nice.)
Right now I'm doing good to be able to get up and down off the toilet. At least I feel like I'm getting something out of the workout. I guess we'll really see in another 28 days!!!
But I am going to continue to push through this - I mean, it can't hurt forever, right??? And I am really looking forward to being trim and fit. No puss-gut for me! (That's a term my husband introduced me to when we started dating. It refers to a woman whose stomach hangs over her...well, privates. I know it's not very nice.)
Right now I'm doing good to be able to get up and down off the toilet. At least I feel like I'm getting something out of the workout. I guess we'll really see in another 28 days!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Working out and having a clothing shortage!
Last week I was doing some research on work out videos to find something to kick my workout up and help get over this plateau. I came across ‘The 30-day Shred’ on Amazon with had over 1,400 reviews and an average rating of 4.5. I decided this was the one to try. I went ahead and ordered it and it arrived on Monday. Last night I finally had a chance to try it out. It appears as though there are 3 levels (beginner, advanced, really advanced). Each workout lasts 20 minutes. Let me tell you – this was an intense workout. I’ve been exercising pretty regularly the last several months and I really had to push myself to do the Level 1 workout. After the workout I was shaky. Wow it was intense – and I can’t wait to do it again tonight. (Does that make me sick??) I’m feeling it today (I didn’t realize that I have muscles in my armpits!!).
Anyway, my treadmill is ready for the dump. I really need a new one and have been trying to find a good used one. (Wish me luck with that!) Sunday night I jogged home from my in-laws’ home. It was wonderful being outside and able to just run at my own pace. I worry about winter coming up and not having a treadmill. I know that my days of being able to take advantage of running outdoors are probably somewhat limited. So a replacement treadmill is a definite must-have.
Another must-have is some clothes. Last winter (before the doc told me to lose weight) I cleaned my closet and decided to part with my “skinny” clothes because I had come to terms with being chubby and not ever being able to wear them again. Fast-forward to today. I’m 35+ pounds lighter than I was then. I have splurged and purchased 3 pairs of new jeans and 1 pair of black slacks for church. The dresses, sweaters, & tops I had are looking ridiculous on me. The arms hang past my fingertips and I basically look silly. But I feel good and I think I look pretty good – so I guess I can deal with it for a while!
Anyway, my treadmill is ready for the dump. I really need a new one and have been trying to find a good used one. (Wish me luck with that!) Sunday night I jogged home from my in-laws’ home. It was wonderful being outside and able to just run at my own pace. I worry about winter coming up and not having a treadmill. I know that my days of being able to take advantage of running outdoors are probably somewhat limited. So a replacement treadmill is a definite must-have.
Another must-have is some clothes. Last winter (before the doc told me to lose weight) I cleaned my closet and decided to part with my “skinny” clothes because I had come to terms with being chubby and not ever being able to wear them again. Fast-forward to today. I’m 35+ pounds lighter than I was then. I have splurged and purchased 3 pairs of new jeans and 1 pair of black slacks for church. The dresses, sweaters, & tops I had are looking ridiculous on me. The arms hang past my fingertips and I basically look silly. But I feel good and I think I look pretty good – so I guess I can deal with it for a while!
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