You know you are old when...

... The highlight of your day is buying a new fridge. Yup, it happened yesterday. The sexy little minx won't arrive until February 17th , though. Damn you, Sears. Damn you.

Thankful.

Thankful for all of the prayers that went Em's way and for the fact that after an 8 days hospital stay, she is home. She is using supplemental oxygen 24/7 which is not her "normal" but hopefully we can wean that down.

I have to call today to have my doctor do a prior authorization for the Ovidrel I'll be using next cycle... if AF ever decides to make an appearance. I was so spoiled on medicated cycles, actually having my period every month... that's just silly. I'm impatient. REALLY impatient. Maybe because I am so anxious/excited for the IUI? I don't know but I'm definitely getting a little crazy cakes while I'm waiting!

Screw you, Flu!

E was diagnosed with the flu on Sunday and we have been in the hospital ever since. Her health issues made it a pretty serious and complicated situation for a few days... But we are out of the woods and on the mend now! Hoping to be home tomorrow or Saturday!

I guess I don't really have much else to update on. The TTC front is quiet - just waiting on my period so that we can get the IUI ball rolling.

Oh, and I miss my bed and sleeping next to my husband. A lot. And wine... I really, really miss wine!

C'mon...

I want to start my period. Yeah,  that's right. I'm only on CD21 and rarely start on my own before CD50+ plus my doctor said surgery can slow things down and they wait a bit longer before giving provera to induce AF. (To make sure the uterine lining has healed)

We are definitely doing clomid, ovidrel and IUI next cycle! As long as I can stay cyst free... which I haven't been since September. Say a prayer that those suckers stay away!

As for my surgery - I had stage 2 endo removed, a softball sized endometrial cyst - which came back with normal pathology (not cancer), large amounts of scar tissue and my blocked tube WASN'T 100% cleared. The official report says that the dye may have trickled through --- so who knows.

I'm feeling pretty good... hopeful, excited and optimistic. Always optimistic.

Appointments, Appointments, APPOINTMENTS!

This week is crazy. I have to call 6 of E's specialists to schedule follow-ups. (She sees about 10 and has follow ups every 4-6 months with each of them) I've gotten 2 of those calls done so far. I also have to fight/dispute a $16,000 bill for a chest PT vest that insurance is refusing to help with at all because E doesn't have cystic fibrosis. We have appealed it twice and it's still being denied... apparently 2 hospitalizations for respiratory illness since having the vest, compared to 5-10/year prior to the vest, isn't a good enough reason for them to cover it at least partially. Frustrating, but we have a fight like this every month or so. (for different therapies, specialists, equipment, medical supplies etc... it never ends)

Tomorrow, we have to be in Boston (about 55 miles from us) for an 8am ortho appointment for E, which with traffic, means leaving at 6am. Then I have my post op appointment at 2:30pm.

Thursday should be quiet, aside from E's regular physical therapy and occupational therapy appointments. And FRIDAY I get to sit down with RE to figure out our plan for next cycle. THIS appointment I'm excited for! She has mentioned Clomid (my lining thinned on it by my 4th cycle but the first few, everything was great.) since I have been off of it for months and my lining is nice and thick, trigger and our first IUI. So we will talk about it more and schedule my nurse visit to go over everything for the trigger. I love having a plan. Now big cysts... stay the eff away!

Hey there, 2013!

Was 2012 great? Not even close. Could it have been worse? Of course!

Things about 2012 I am thankful for...

1. My faith has grown stronger.
2. My marriage grew stronger than I ever thought possible.
3. E fought illness and defied odds, EVERYDAY, with her strength.
4. I reconnected with my best childhood friend who has grown into an AMAZING and beautiful wife, mother and woman. I'm thankful everyday for her friendship.
5. My MIL fought and beat breast cancer.
6. My mom had her 3 year checkup after her double mastectomy and is STILL cancer free.

Notice a pattern?
2012 was a year of strength for my family.

Some things that brought me down?

1. E dealt with some scary health issues. A couple that left us wondering if she would be coming home from the hospital with us.
2. We spent all of 2012 trying for baby #2, with no success. (and hit month 18 on January 1st)
3. My first laparoscopy in February didn't go as planned. I ended up inpatient, with blood transfusions and unable to care for my child alone, fully, for over a month due to lifting restrictions.
4. My MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But the good outweighs the bad. Always.

2013 will be a year of hope. Hope for extending our family, hope for good health for our friends and family and hope for continued strength.

HAPPY 2013!