This looked like fun

I was directed to this site, and it creates a survey for me. I post it here, y'all answer it, I get to learn more about you! WHEE! So humor me? If you have some time, take this survey. (And don't forget the other new post below this one!)

Please take my Blog Reader Project survey.

Time for my bi-monthly post

That seems to be the time frame things work out in, even though I have aspirations of doing it far more often than that. I just get distracted or don't feel like it. Sorry y'all, and thanks for your patience.

Af showed up the day after my last post. I knew she would, because I dared to have a tiny bit of hope. If I contemplate testing, or being pg, she shows. It's just the way it goes...and sometimes I use that to make her show up when I want her to!

I had an injection done in my spine yesterday. Two injections, actually. The doc was originally only going to do one, at the S1 joint, and if that didn't work then next week I'd have one between L4 & L5. When he started doing the injection under Xray he discovered a surprise. I have an extra vertebrae! It's between L5 & S1. This extra disk is the root of all my problems. He won't do a diskectomy, however, because it's how nature made me. I have the spine of a 5'9" person, and the room in my growth plates (still!) to grow that tall, but I'm only 5'5 1/2". I guess it really is true: I'm not overweight. I'm really undertall! :) Hope that made you giggle! At any rate, he decided to go ahead and do the injection at L5. I'm hoping it works because THAT was painful.

What else... Oh! We sold our old car, finally. We sold it to Fred & Wilma. They picked it up yesterday. I'm just glad to have it out from in front of our house. I also got my "final" grades for school...they were finalized yesterday. B+ in Spanish, B in both Biology and Math. I'm happy with that. I can't remember if I told all of you yet, but I've finally settled on a permanent major. I'll be getting an Associate's in Health Informatics & Technology, with a minor in Sociology. I will go back for my Bachelor's, since I've already done all the ground work for it. This degree will allow me to work in a medical office...I'm contemplating my RE's office, or a hospital. I want to be where I can do good, and I can empathize with the people. I also think it will be therapeutic for me.

In other news, I could swear I'm going through menopause. It's not funny. I'm not, because I researched it and I don't match. But I am having major hot flashes all the freaking time, I'm dizzy and nauseated. and the heartburn is coming back with a vengeance. They took my gallbladder out - I'm not supposed to be having heartburn anymore! I didn't eat anything unusual yesterday...but every time I rolled to the right last night I got heartburn. Stupid acid. And the hot flashes...oh Lord. Now I know how mom used to feel. I'm too young for this! I know that it can happen early, but still! My body temp doesn't go up - I checked - but it sure feels like it. They make me dizzy afterwards. I thought it was the prednisone, because that's a side effect, but I've been off it since May 7th or so...the side effects should be gone by now, right? And no, not pregnant. I'm on CD13, and have never had these symptoms at O time before...I don't think they even are. Not sure what to do, but I can't STAND it. I HATE being hot all the time. I'm wondering if I can convince my doc to do a full hormone workup for me when I go in for my annual next month...my FSH/LH levels ought to tell me something.

I think that's about it. I've been remiss in reading blogs lately as well. There was finals week and then the boss was on vacation. I'm hoping life settles back down to normal soon...I'd like a few pj days. I hope you're all doing well!

Freedom and other stuff

For starters, finals are OVER! FREEDOM IS MINE...for the next 3 months, at least. It looks like I ended up with a B+ in Spanish, a B in Math, and either a B or B- in Biology. It will depend on how many points, if any, she adds to the test we just took. Now I have three months of no school, just work. I imagine I'm going to be bored out of my skull - I've gotten used to having things to procrastinate! Oh well...maybe I'll get caught up on all the things I've been putting off around the house. I've also changed my major - permanently. It is now "Health Informatics & Technology" with a Sociology minor. It will teach me everything I need to know to work in a medical office or hospital. I'm contemplating trying to work for an RE's office! I already have the knowledge of cycles, and can empathize with the people coming in...I think it would do wonders for me. I am also contemplating trying to work in a hospital in the maternity ward or neo-natal unit. I'm not sure I could handle the latter, though, because I know not all babies make it. We'll see how things turn out - I have a few years yet.

In other news, I'm doing the TP Tango. Today is CD26. My cycles are usually 25 days. They've been known to be as short as 23 and as long as 28. The longest cycle ever was the one where I had my chemical pregnancy and that was 3 years ago in July. I think it was a 28 day...maybe 30. At any rate, about day 23 I start looking for AF to show. About day 27 I start wondering about testing. I checked yesterday and thankfully I don't have any tests in the house, nor do I have any extra money to go get any. I guess I'll just have to wait...oh darn! I really shouldn't expect this cycle to be normal - and in a way I'm not surprised that AF isn't here yet. I'm not sure when I ovulated or if I even did. Apparently prednisone (which I was taking for my back) can be used in conjunction with Clomid to make ovulation stronger. While I wasn't taking clomid, I do appear to have developed some cysts. At least, I think I have. I'm not being monitored, obviously, but the pain is familiar. When I did take clomid, I developed lots of follies...which turned into cysts. My body doesn't like having more than one follie apparently! So I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this cycle is going to be all wonked out because of the prednisone and where in my cycle I was taking it. Joy. I don't have time for this because...

My boss is going on vacation all next week. I will be working at least 40 hours. One of the people from our parent company has been "training" with the boss for the past few weeks and will be taking my two regular shifts next week. It's going to make for a REALLY nice paycheck! On the downside, the guy gives me the willies. Maybe it's because I don't know him and he's an older man. (Old men usually give me the heebie-jeebies...childhood trauma) I don't know...but I am very glad that I will be able to leave as soon as he gets there. I have to work with him for about 3-4 hours today. ACK! So I can't afford to be incapacitated by cyst-burting pain next week. (Insert "I haven't got time for the pain" song here)

JJ also has this post about hope and how it sneaks in. It's funny - I thought I'd given up on hope. Most cycles go by without me even wondering if we could be pregnant, or really even caring. I expect AF to show without a hitch, on time like she always does. This cycle? I have hope - sorta. A jaded hope, to be sure. You see, I think my drive may be coming back. Shhh...don't say it too loud, because my body might hear me and take it away again. At any rate, we appear to have had an EOD BDfest. It was a little late in starting...CD12...but it wasn't exactly planned and it wasn't for getting pregnant. It was just plain old fun sex - I've forgotten what that's like! Not having to have sex on a schedule, or worry about laying down for X minutes afterwards. But I realized around CD16 or so that we were being bunnies...for us. And that we actually stood something of a chance. Then I found out about the prednisone...and I thought maybe we had MORE of a chance. I ovulate anywhere from CD10 to CD13 and my LP is usually about 12-13 days. So you see how hope creeps in? And causes the TP Tango? (Thanks to JJ for the term, btw) I thought I was over this - but I think it's going to be part of my life forever and ever.

What else...hmmm....Well, if you don't read the girls on my list, SHAME ON YOU! And here's some quick updates if you want to check up on them: Watson has some awesome news for everyone. Head over and check her out! Snickollet appears to be doing ok in getting her life back in order. Zee is in the dark and finding her way out. Mel is doing some virtual blogging quilts (blilts) that y'all ought to contribute to. Max's Mommy is on to DIY Cycle #2 - head over and cheer her on! And last but not least, Pattycake is still waiting on her darned HcG levels to go down so she can start her next cycle.

I think that's all I have for today. I have some nonsense, random postings in mind if I ever get around to it. Things that amuse me in the middle of the night when I'm not sleeping. Oh joy!

Elation and Panic

This is a two part post:

First, the elation. I found out yesterday that I don't have to take my math final and that I got a B in the class! WOOT! This is such a miracle! I hate math and it hates me - I'm doing good to PASS the classes I take! After each exam, my professor has given us a printout of her gradebook so we can see how we're doing in the class. She then gave us a formula so we could figure out what we need on the final to 1) take our grade up a step or 2) keep the grade we currently have. I would need a 101.8 to take my grade to an A-, a 96.8 to take it to a B+ and an 86.8 to keep it the same. She said if we were happy with our current grade, or couldn't make it go up, we didn't have to take the final. WAHOO! I GOT A B!!!! It looks like I'll hopefully pull a C out of Biology (a B if I'm very very lucky), and probably a B out of Spanish too. Not too shabby!

*JO: If you are reading this, stop here!!!*

Now for the panic: My friend Jo, the girl I just mentioned, is one of my TTC sisters and a really good friend. She lives too far away from me, as far as I'm concerned. I've mentioned her before, in this post. I could also swear I posted about her pregnancy, but I can't find the post even after 10 minutes of hunting. At any rate, she got pregnant again a cycle or two after her m/c. She's due the end of this month. I got an Email from her late last week that said she's developed Pre-E and has been put on bedrest. She won't even be able to attend her own baby shower without her doc's approval! Yesterday I got another Email from her - they're inducing her next week, just as soon as her husband gets back into town. They don't want anything to happen to her or the baby.

I have to admit that I'm worried. I know she's far enough along that the little one will be just fine. A friend of my SIL's developed sudden pre-e and gave birth to her daughter at 24 weeks! Jo is plenty far enough along. I'm just worried, because it's what I do. I know the dangers involved, and I know that inductions aren't the easiest thing in the world. I watched Wilma go through her first one. I feel helpless, because I'm here and she's there and I can't do anything but be supportive. Please...would all of you please keep Jo in your thoughts next week? I would really appreciate it!!!

One last thing: Does anyone know what happened to Snickollet? Her blog has been down for two days - everytime I try to go, I get a page that says "cannot find this site". I'm worried.