Ugly Disease

I have PCOS. I have probably had PCOS since I was 11 and started menarche. I most definitely had PCOS when I was 18 and bled for a solid month and a half but my doctor just told me I was obese and needed to lose weight. That was 80 pounds ago. Then I was diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and told I'd be on medication for that the rest of my life. It stopped 4 years later. I was finally diagnosed with PCOS when I was 26. It was a fluke. My doctor thought I had something wrong with my pituitary gland because I had high prolactin but wasn't lactating so she sent me in for a head MRI and then to an endocrinologist (doctor for gland disorders). He ignored the films even though they showed a pituitary microadenoma (small tumor) and instead just wanted to talk. He actually honestly listened to me about how my body had acted for the previous 15 years.

Gil and I have been trying to conceive for 4 1/2 years now so we knew going in we'd have problems. Given that, we didn't think we'd still be childless after all the doctor's visits, charting, pills, ultrasounds, blood tests, ovulation predictor tests, and surgery that have happened since.

But we are.

Childless.

We're essentially starting from scratch next month, almost as though we've wasted all those years. In August, I will go back to the endocrinologist who first diagnosed me. I will also go to an REI (reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist), the first one in our region. Hopefully a new and more aggressive plan of attack will be made and carried out. And hopefully I can be given a different medication that doesn't make me have to hover around a bathroom all day. That seriously impacts a person's desire to have a social life.

Moving Day... Almost

This past week was, well, let's just say there were a lot of frustrations. We found out Wednesday evening that we were not going to sign/close on our house Thursday as planned. Our loan agent "forgot" he didn't need to go through the process to procure a certificate we already had, delaying our whole process by a week. Fortunately, however, the seller had already agreed to let us move our stuff out of our storage unit and into our new shop so we didn't have to pay another full months' rent on our unit for a single day's use. So our plans to move this weekend went forth as planned, we just had to put everything in the shop rather than the house, which means we get to move again from shop to house this coming weekend when we finally do sign/close.

Then... we find out that one of the trailers we were planning to use could no longer be used and, while we still had another one to use in addition to ours, we'd have to make a 2nd trip and use a 2nd day. So while we're getting the trailers ready Thursday night, we discover this:

Thankfully, we discovered the tire an hour before the service center closed and we were able to buy and have mounted a new one. Three's a charm so we headed out Friday morning and loaded our storage unit onto the two trailers and then unloaded them. Saturday morning, we repeated the process with most of the stuff stored in my parents' garage.

We filled this - to the max - twice:


We filled this once with the big stuff and once with the Jeep Willys:


This is what we all felt like at the end of Day 1:


That's my dad. Can you imagine how we felt at the end of Day 2? Yeah... totally exhausted. Ready for a foot soak and bed. Moving in two 95+ degree days... ugh. It'll be worth it when we can officially call it "home" next weekend.

July 18th, Part 3 of 3

A Beautiful Ending...

Saturday was a great day with a beautiful ending. At about 9:30 pm, I made myself an ice cream cone and stepped out the back door to enjoy the fresh air when I encountered this:


Then I had to rush back inside and mess with my camera while trying not to drop my ice cream cone or let it drip everywhere. What a fabulous artist God is.

July 18th, Part 2 of 3

Tie Dying...

An "old" buddy from kindergarten through high school was here this past weekend for their annual family reunion. I haven't seen H in about 7 years, I'm guessing, and probably haven't had a chance to truly visit in about 10 or more. So much has happened in both our lives since then and it was a real treat to be able to see her Saturday.

We started off with a pancake breakfast at another friend's house. It was a fun time just hanging out while A slaved away in the kitchen flipping cakes and frying bacon. The kids were running around crazy; A&S have 2 and H has 3 and there were 2 tricycles in the house, another outside as well as 4 kittens, dress-up clothes and kiddy cosmetics... make of it what you will. I'm so glad I can still enjoy others' children through the pain of not having any of my own. It was noisy and chaotic and awesome.

After breakfast, we went to the parade (see previous post for pictures). All was done and over within an hour so Gil and I rushed home to start our chores... he wanted to get a luggage rack fabricated for the Jeep to go over the spare tire before the madness of moving takes away all our free time. I had laundry to do as Sunday we'd be on the road and Monday Gil would leave for the week for work and Tuesday I'd also be out of town. I got a couple loads through and decided to skip out and leave Gil in the garage while I stole mom to go over and crash H's family reunion, where she'd invited us to come try out tie dying (is it still considered "crashing" when you're invited?!). Mom and I were only gone 2 hours but it seemed like so much more. It was a great way to spend a sweaty hot July afternoon... Mom practically grew up in H's family (the generation older than us, of course) so it was good for her to see everyone again, and I felt like we were right back in school again being around H's family... except for the fact that everyone who used to be kids had their own little kids running around (except me, of course).

I don't know why I've never tried tie dying before... it was all the rage while we were in junior and high school and then the fad kinda faded. I get flack from my brother that it's the stuff of hippies and tree huggers, but who cares?! I love it! And now, thanks to H, I'm even considering getting my own kit and hosting my own tie dye parties.

Here's H mixing up the colors... making me another green to use 'cause, y'know, green's one of my fave colors.

Here's H, baby-wearing while tie dying! :)

You couldn't ask for a better backdrop for tie dying... or any other activity, for that matter.

Being silly.

My messy workstation.

The one on the left is mom's... mine are the orange/yellow and green ones...

notice not a single drop of pink!

Ta-da!

Thanks, H, I had a fabulous day! Not just 'cause I've renewed life in 2 of my dingy ol' shirts, but 'cause I got to see you again and catch up in a way that computers can't compare.

PS - A note to H's dad, who informed me he occasionally checks on me via my blog: You brew a really mean (that means good) beer! Yummy stuff!

July 18th, Part 1 of 3

The Parade...

This weekend, my hometown had its annual celebration. I took some pictures of the parade that Gil and I took time to attend. We didn't go to any of the other festivities (BBQ, concert, street "dance", 3-on-3 tourney, or the other fun and games) because we were trying to get some last minute things done before moving this weekend. We have an appointment at the title company to sign and close on our new home this coming Thursday, which means we get to spend Friday moving, and Gil's out of town this week and I have an overnight trip out of town tomorrow, and and and... it's just gonna be crazy! We did take time to enjoy a nice breakfast with friends Saturday morning and then go to the parade afterward. We had a great time.

Always honor the Honor Guard and all our service men and women.

Gotta include pictures of the old military Jeeps!

The local Methodist church put Noah's Ark together.

A great way to honor our local volunteers.

This was animated and smoke blowing and everything...
pretty high class for our little town parade.

The Big Three Oh!

Happy Birthday to my baby, ahem... I mean, younger brother today!

Mini Stur.gis

Gil and I joined the local HOG chapter last month and participated in our first community event yesterday. One of the senior residence villages in town has a "Mini Stur.gis" every summer. They put a tent up, have a live band, bbq and snow cones, square dancing, and bike rides! Friends and family of the residents come and everyone has a great time. The local HOG and CMA (Christian Motorcycle Assoc) chapters go and give rides to the residents and whomever else wants one. I decided to put my camera to use and stood back taking pictures. I took over 500 shots and filled my card to the point that I had to go back and start deleting pictures in order to take more. Here is just a small sampling of the great time we had.

Gil's first little lady.
And yes, that's him riding my bike. His Fatboy is a single-seater.

His 2nd little lady was a bit more excited. I love that joy on her face!

The young'uns had a great time, too.
It was hard for me to resist this little girl's face; she was just too darn cute.

Here's another lady whose exuberance rubbed off... I was practically laughing so hard my camera was shaking!
I feel the same joy when I'm riding my bike!

The side cars were a great way for those residents who can't walk to be able to enjoy a ride.

Our ride captain giving one of the square dancers a ride. Those skirts sure fluff out in the wind!

And here she is again... I told you she was too cute.
The local HD dealership donated bandanas and volunteered to do face painting and give fake tattoos.

We had a great time. It was a fabulous day to get back on the bikes (our first time since moving - yikes!) but even greater was the feeling you get when you do something that makes someone else so happy!