My new drug of choice

I watch Dr. Phil. Yes, I’m embarrassed to admit it. But some of his shows are so juicy and entertaining!! I’m even more embarrassed to say that I actually DVR it and watch it at a later time. :) I usually only watch the good drama filled shows and delete some of his other boring general information filled shows. A few weeks ago, I decided to actually watch one of these pre-determined boring episodes. I thought MAYBE I could benefit from it. The show was all about money saving tips!!

There were two intriguing elements he shared on this show. The first was The Frugal Coupon Mom. She shared so many money savings tips and I’ve been reading her site almost everyday! He also had the Economides family (America’s Cheapest Family) on this show. Yes, their name resembles the word “economy”! Although, I don’t think I would ever be able to live as frugal as this family; however, they were super inspiring and I would love to read their book!

As a result of this episode, I have a new addiction – coupons. What has gotten into me? I’m not complaining, because I am actually saving money, but I’ve taken it a few steps further. I MUST have a coupon before I buy anything now!! True Story – On Friday, I needed to go buy some office supplies. My shopping list included my new coupon organizer! I was planning on going to Office Depot, but ended up going to a Staples. Before I left the house, I googled “Staples Printable Coupon”. I didn’t find anything useful, but I did find an Office Max printable coupon. I asked myself, “Hmmmmm, I wonder if they’ll take a competitors coupon?” So I printed it and off I went! Did they accept the coupon – yup!! I SAVED $10 on my $20 purchase! Yahoooo!!!

Then on Saturday I wanted to go to JcPenney to buy a new handbag. Yes, this was a want, but really it was turning into a need. I typically buy a purse every six months, when the seasons change from warm and cold (Light colored vs. Dark colored). The main reason I wanted a new purse is because I wanted a bigger purse so that I could fit my new coupon holder in it!!!! I must have my coupons with me at all times!!! :) I ended up finding a 15% coupon online and saved $4 on a $25 purse!

If my coupon clipping turns into a habit, I’ll continue to share some of my finds with you!

Here are the ones I used this weekend: Buy One, Get One Free Coke Product, JCPenney, and OfficeMax (Used at Staples!).

Children are aware of life altering changes

I totally believe in “Kids say the darndest things”. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing some hilarious quotes from the little ones in my life. I’ve never heard one as eye opening as the one I heard this weekend from my pre-adolescent nephew who is at an age of 11 years. I’ll try to capture the conversation as best as I can via typed words:

NEPHEW: Are you going to college so you can work at NASA?
(Background: My nephew just visited NASA last weekend and DH is majoring in Physics/Astronomy.)
DH: Yes, either at NASA or JPL (sp?).
NEPHEW: When will you graduate?
DH: Many, many years from now.
NEPHEW: Will I graduate college before you?
DH: I’ll graduate 3 times.
(Background: DH would like to get his PhD.)
NEPHEW: 3 times!? Well what if you have a kid before then? Are you still going to go to college?
DH: Yes, I’ll still go to school.
NEPHEW: Well, are you going to leave them at home with A or what?
DH: Yes, probably.
NEPHEW: Well, when is she gonna have time to work?

At this point, my eyes are wide open, I’m staring at my husband and laughing hysterically.

This question is my number one stressor right now. Remember my “How will we do it?” post? It’s pretty bad that my nephew at the age of 11 can see this as a problem, but it made me laugh at the same time. Here's a picture of my very smart nephew and I.

Home Remedy

I came across a home remedy from the Dominican Republic to rid cysts. I couldn’t find a lot of info on it in English, but I did find quite a few personal accounts that this concoction works.

Here is an article that I found intriguing: http://fugh-berman.com/files/Beetsjethnophar.pdf

The home remedy consists of Beet Juice, Molasses, and a plugging of the nose. First I grate the beets (like cheese). Then I heat up 1 cup of water and steep 2 tablespoons of grated beets into

the water (like tea). Then I add 1 tablespoon of molasses and stir. I plug my nose and down it. It’s not a horrible taste, but it’s not desirable. In a way it reminds me of yams, which I love, so it’s a little strange.

I figure beets can’t hurt. They are rich in fiber and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The molasses, on the other hand, is filled with sugar, 13 grams per tablespoon. I’m not really a sugar person. I typically stick to Splenda and other sugar free items.

It’s recommended to drink this tea of sorts, 3 times a day. I have been lucky to drink it twice a day. It’s also recommended to take it for 40 days. I will only be able to drink it for 3 weeks before my next ultrasound. If the cyst isn’t gone, I’ll continue to drink it.

I talked to the doctor about the Metformin and he suggested we wait to see what the cyst is doing and then we’ll consider the Metformin.

Living with a cyst

It really sucks knowing there’s a big fluid filled sac in my abdomen. Having no idea if it’s getting larger or smaller sucks even more. Dh usually cuddles with me at night and he’s been hesitant to do so, because of the cyst. He usually puts a lot of pressure on my stomach area and I have to adjust. He must have a heavy arm! I’ve purchased two pairs of stretchy pants, because I’m a little afraid to wear my jeans that aren’t exactly loose. I’m trying not to let it run my life, but it’s really starting to be an inconvenience.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I had not briefed myself about what having a cyst means, so I had no idea what to ask the doctor on Monday. I’ve learned that a lot of women who get cysts are put on BCP to aid in its departure.

When I met with the doctor on Monday he wasn’t hesitant to agree with the Nurse Practioners’ suspicion that I may have PCOS. His response of “Yup, you probably have it.” after discussing the cyst convinced me that I do indeed have it and I need to face it. So, I’ve been reading up on PCOS too. It seems most PCOS’ers are prescribed a drug called Metformin to balance their hormones. On the right dosage, most women commence normal menstrual cycles in as little as 2 – 3 months. Why was I not given this option? Why was Clomid pushed into my mouth so soon?

This has been eating me up for a few days, so I’ll probably bring this concern to my doctor and see what they say. I’d love to start Metformin now if it would assist with getting rid of the cyst. I’m hesitant to return back to taking Clomid. I now know Clomid causes cysts for me, so why would I even try a lower dose – it scares me.

My Right Ovary’s New Friend

....a 7 cm cyst. Yup, they are connected and it sucks. Maybe that’s what I deserve for not being monitored last cycle.

I have a very large cyst. The sonographer and the doctor were very alarmed. They both acknowledge that it is large. It has grown very fast in a short amount of time. It sucks. I feel like someone died. But who? Maybe my hope.

So many things happened this weekend – bad things – and now this. I’m overwhelmed and emotional. I must regroup and be positive but it’s extremely hard. I broke down today and finally heard God yelling at me. Most who know me, know listening to God is a very hard thing. I’m not religious. I’m spiritual. I believe in Him, but I don’t side with a certain religion. I don’t pray often. I don’t acknowledge him much, like I probably should, but I do believe in Him and I believe he understands all of this.

I do know one thing – the prayer of my family is extremely powerful. They have prayed for us for YEARS, for many reasons, and I believe their prayer has brought us so many great things. So today after a very bad weekend and the news of a huge cyst, I finally shared our story with my mother in law. It was a HUGE step. It was like God was telling me “Wake up, A! You can’t do this on your own! I’ve been trying to tell you this for so long!!”

TTC Update

I suppose it’s time for an update, as I haven’t blogged about it much since we started a new cycle. Honestly, I think this speaks volumes. I’ve been pretty relaxed about this cycle and haven’t gotten sucked into to checking all orifices for “signs”. I haven’t even started to OPK, and I’m not even sure I will this cycle. Hopefully being relaxed and maybe a bit lazy will bring us our BFP this cycle. It's CD11 today and I have my follicle check scheduled for Monday.

I’ll be away from DH this weekend, unfortunately. I’ll be traveling to Austin (yes, I said I would never go back) to go wedding dress shopping with my best friend. This will be the first time I’ve seen her girls in 3 very long years and I’m sooooooooo excited. Taylor (the oldest) is the only one who has a good memory of us and she’s been wanting to see us since my best friend and I reconnected. Taylor and I are going to go grab dinner together tonight while her Mom and sisters are at a Girl Scout event. I’m so giddy! Dh will have to wait to see them until our next visit....

The verdict is in

Dh and I had a nice thorough conversation about our decision to vacation (or should I say spend a large amount of money) Friday night and I’d like to believe we made the perfect compromise - Madison, Wisconsin.

What is in Madison, WI, you ask? The University of Wisconsin!

I firmly believe a vacation would be good for us, but to spend $1500 (or more) is not easy for me to fathom at this time. We agreed that if we were going to spend this kind of money to travel, we need to go use it wisely and visit an area where he might transfer.

DH will be transferring to a four-year college next year and he has researched many possibilities. His choice could take us (and our family) to Indiana, Arizona or even California (this one doesn’t have my vote) for an indefinite amount of time.

The University of Wisconsin is at the top of list. My dh would give anything to go to UW. With a tattoo of Bucky the Wisconsin Badger on his calf, he’s probably one of their biggest fans.

Not only will we tour and spend time on campus, we will treat this trip as a vacation. We already have a very long list of things to do and see while we are there, to include, visiting a casino (a first for us), going to a wine vineyard (another first), spending time at Lake Monona and Lake Mendota and sooo much more.

We’re planning to go for our four-year anniversary, which would be October 15th. Our plan B would be mid-November. We plan to watch flights and find a good deal for one of these weekends.