The (NOT SO) Skinny Girl

Have you ever had a secret that you were just dying to tell?? Usually it's a happy one that kills you from inside... something like a surprise for a loved one, or something you know someone will be proud of you for, exciting news in your life, maybe something that will totally change your and your loved ones lives. I've had many secrets over the years. Things being "hush hush" was just a way of life for me. I wasn't supposed to tell people I used to live with my aunt. I wasn't supposed to tell people that I had an 'other mom'. I wasn't supposed to tell people my mom hit me or pulled my hair. I wasn't supposed to tell people why I was grounded again, why I couldn't come out of my room or do things with my friends. I wasn't supposed to tell people how I felt about my other mom. I wasn't supposed to tell people about the court proceedings involving my other mom. I wasn't supposed to reach out to the family members of my o...

So, as you can tell from my blog there is a theme lately. Infertility.  1 in 8 couples (or 12% of married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy, per the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth by the CDC. 7.4 million women, or 11.9% of women, have ever received any infertility services in their lifetime. Couples ages 29-33 with normal functioning reproductive systems have only a 20-25% chance of conceiving in any given month, per the National Women’s Health Resource Center. After six months of trying, 60% of couples will conceive without medical assistance- that number is from 1997. 20 years later, even that statistic is out of range- #1 being that people are all waiting longer to start having children (thus they are older) and are having more issues and more time spent trying before conception. Case in point, my husband and I are 31 and 32 respectively... we started 'trying' at 28 and 29. Currently at the 2.5 YEARS mark of TRYING. When I was not...

My Intro to NaPro Technology... the bioLOGICAL path for those struggling to concieve. A few weeks ago I randomly met a woman who may potentially change the course of my 'trying to conceive' journey. After I got done working at the farm, I decided to go to the MedExpress because I hadn't been feeling good all day. I checked in and waited for an eternity to be called back. Finally a smiling and friendly nurse called me back to begin my exam. She asked me about my symptoms and took my vitals. She was intrigued when I told her I was having pain that was either my kidney or my ovary. She asked me why I thought it was that. I told her I have many instances of either kidney stones, kidney infections, or ovarian cysts rupturing. She started to ask me about my cycle to see if she could rule that out. I showed her my ovulation tracking app, and she asked me how long I had been tracking. I told her 2.5 years of tracking and TTC, so thus my cycles are pretty regular and I'm kind...

I use the "Glow Fertility- ovulation/period tracker" app, I have been a 'member' of the Glow community for about 2 years now. I have learned that there is something called the 2WW (not to be confused with WW2)- the two week wait. So, the way I understand it is- women who are trying to conceive should wait 2 weeks after projected or confirmed ovulation to take a pregnancy test. 2 weeks. Assuming that 14 days post ovulation is time enough to see if you've gotten the deed done and if the oven's got the bun. So this month I decided to look at my "ovulation date"- which was confirmed by a very painful ovulation- and calculate the exact # of days from that day to the day my period was due to arrive. 15 days projected, it arrived in 16 days. All of the ladies who are looking for support during the 2WW say things like "When is it too early to test, I just can't wait the 14 days I want to know now". Multiply that by like, 100 people. Oooor, ...

I've been told I'm good at this ranting thing. Well, today I need to. I have mentioned that at one point, I had a friend along with me on this journey. We confided in each other- She was at 1 year of trying, I was almost at 2. 1 year is when your Dr will start working with you about your fertility or TTC(trying to conceive) concerns. So she went to her doctor who sent her for the routine blood-work and for the ultrasound of her uterus and ovaries, and was told to start tracking her cycle more closely and time things better. She did that for 6 months. On the 6th month- these are her words straight to my ears- she got frustrated, stopped thinking about it and "trying". That was the month they nailed it. Apparently, that makes her a 'getting pregnant guru'. She called me to tell me, texted me a pic of the ultrasound. Invited me over for the gender reveal. Of course I tried to be supportive and happy for her. It was kind of a kick in the uterus the way that ...

It's very ironic to me that on the day that a new governor is elected in my state, a governor who wants to make my state a sanctuary state, my husband is watching the documentary about Elian Gonzalez... 17 years ago, I was 13. Elian was 7. His mother wanted to escape from Cuba. She put him in a boat (of some sort) that she and her cohorts created- because that was the loophole that Castro gave them. If you make your own boat, feel free to GTFO. Feel free to try and make your way to the sanctuary city of Miami, 'new Cuba'/'little Cuba'." His parent made the decision to uproot him, his mother decided to take him from his father and the rest of the family HE KNEW AND LOVED... and head for the US where some of her family lived. This is not something new. This is something that still goes on. People send their kids to the US to have the better life, usually as illegals. People send them to aunts and uncles, to cousins, less often to older family members like grand...

10/30/17 I drive 2 hours through east bumblefuck, to emerge in a city I've only ever heard of. I follow the directions I found via Google because no one called to confirm my appointment. They probably didn't because I called them back a week after making the appointment to see if their were any cancellations and if I could move it up- I was in luck and successful in that. We moved it from the Friday to the Monday. Anyway, the directions bring me to the wrong place. WTF I was early for once! I frantically call and get the correct address. I show up and they say they have a ton of paperwork for me to fill out and I'm late. I calmly reply that the address listed online is incorrect and I called 5 minutes ago asking for the address as I stood at the other building. They lament that it's been 6 months since they've moved and it's still not updated. I tell them before I sit to fill out my paperwork that if they give me the fax number, I'll have the records sent...