Fertility Friday: Metformin

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that a doctor had put me on metformin. 

I also mentioned that they didn't really have a substantiated reason for doing so. 

I read about all of the horrible affects of Metformin, along with those who claimed no side affects whatsoever. Well, lucky me I'm touting with the bunch who claim 

'this frakin sucks'.

I started metformin around the same time I was finishing up my last extravadance at the costume shop.

(*read* 50 hour work weeks and late late nights mixed in with finals) and around the same time as our last round of Femara.

Let me just tell you how excited a pill-a-phobe like me was to be on both a cancer drug and a diabetes drug at the same time all in the name of having babies. 

I was  not. It scared the whits out of me honestly.

I'm still grappling, at times more than others, with not being able to just 'get pregnant' without some sort of medical intervention. I mean, I don't even like taking Ibuprofen, so this whole pill popping business is not something I'm too keen on...but if it's what will work, I'll do it every day for the rest of my life.

Anyway, back to Metformin. My doctor mentioned that for women with PCOS, Metformin has helped substantially in their ability to conceive. (*note* he didn't say that I had or didn't have PCOS, he just kinda threw that out there) He also said that in fertility testing, Metformin had positive affects that they weren't really sure how they came about, so I should just start taking it to see what happens. 

I started out with 1 pill in the mornings to get used to it, starting at 500mg for the first week or two. I did just that and every day felt a range between sort of sick for the majority of the time to please shoot me in the head and don't you dare block my path to the bathroom sick. It sucked. Psychologically it especially was hard because I was most sick in the mornings and at night, so every morning I woke up to imagining my 'morning sickness' of sorts wasn't due to me taking some random drug but that maybe...just maybe...

So, that was great.

After the first week, I tried taking a pill in the morning and at night and it nearly debilitated me. I don't know what it was about that up in the dosage but I was sick ALL THE TIME. Full on sweating, running to the bathroom, laying in bed, sick. I talked to my doctor about this and he said to just go back to taking the one pill in the morning, because one was better than none. Even though he gave me no specific reason why it was 'better' at all. Ugh.

After taking the one morning pill for 2 - 3 months and having nothing happen, especially after my polypectomy I was just done feeling sick. Especially since I was guiding canyons and ATV tours and other hour+ long activities with no access to a restroom, for the summer...so I just stopped. I still have refills on the prescription and I still look at it from time to time and research it now and then but I just don't see myself going that route again...

as always, we'll see. 

Happy Halloween! and Thanksgiving...and Christmas...

We totally plan for Halloween all year, and would never dream of going to the dollar store an hour before the costume party to buy random objects for a costume.

Happy Thanksgiving Christmas Halloween!

...

From all of us :)

With the perfect colored scraps from some chairs I'm recovering...I couldn't resist!

Little Gentleman....

When you find that bright eyed boy that will both help you make breakfast and do the dishes afterwards...all while wearing an apron and button up shirt...

you know you've found a winner:

Nephews are fun :)

Fertility Friday: Saline Ultrasound

Disclaimer: if you are sqeemish, or easily grossed out 

DO NOT READ THIS POST 

:)

its just too funny/humiliating/I've-so-been-there-you-can-make-it-through-too 

to not post. 

I mentioned in my last fertility friday post that I had a saline ultrasound/sonogram/SIS done several months back and it was an experience that I was in no way prepared for....

So if you are where I was 6 months ago and scouring the interwebs for an honest account of what that little procedure is like....here's my account.

Let's be honest here, this procedure was one of the most painful things I have ever felt in my life.

I bebopped my way into the doctor's office with Russ in tow, we filled out the ever present paperwork, they weighed me for the forty-millionth time and I changed into my favorite 2013 accessory, the paper robe. 

I had had several intra-uterine ultrasounds previously and didn't really think anything of this one. I hadn't been told to expect anything and wasn't instructed to prepare in any specific way except to come in while I'm still on my period (super gross, I know).

Anyway, I pop up onto the table and my trusty hubs is sitting by my side everything starts out similar to a pap, when the Dr. warns me they they are 'sanitizing my cervix', poetic, no? That wasn't necessarily painful so much as just uncomfortable and cold.

The proceed with more poking and prodding when they inform me they will be injecting the saline and I will feel 'a little pressure' (What is this, the dentist?)

Cue full blown intense menstrual cramps/contractions. All I could do was cover my face with my hands and breathe through the pain the nurse kept saying things like 'you're doing great' 'we're almost done' and other such things that reminded me of every bubbly blonde exercise instructor I've ever met...and didn't care for. 

About ten minutes into the procedure, positioned in the no-hiding-spot-for-shame way all too familiar to someone going through infertility testing (REALLY STOP READING HERE haha) in the midst of the fog of pain pressing on my brain I realize. I'm going to poop. Now. On this man. I am going to poop right now on this doctor. With all the pressure and pain and what not, my body just decided that this would probably be some sort of solution to the goings on.

Now, don't go assuming that I pooped on this doctor and assistant. I can proudly say that I did not. But, I do consider myself a considerate person and as I'm laying there fearing the most embarrassing thing in my entire life is about to coincide with one of the most painful things in my entire life, I realize...I've got to warn these poor souls.

...

me: "I...uhhh...I"

Dr: "Everything all right? You're doing great."

me: "yea, umm. I'm going to poop"

Dr. "What's that?

me: "I really, I don't know how else to say this but I don't want to poop on you"

Dr and Nurse: laughing "Oh, it wouldn't be the first time!"

me:....

Whhhaaaattt????? 

Now I'm all about connecting especially with experiences, but there is no way that I was going to join the ranks of those who have pooped on another human being while it was still within my power not to.

...

I have never in my life been so proud of my self control. I would have never been able to look at those doctors ever again.

Bonus though...after the ultrasound they realized they didn't tell me to take pain meds before hand, gave me a horse-sized pain pill and a capri sun. Also, in my experience once the procedure was over the pain was over, no cramping afterwards.

yep, so....now you know that. 

Good luck with your SIS.

Sas Love

No matter how many ways I take a picture of this pillow, it never looks nice.

I guess you'll just have to come over and see how nice it actually does look on my couch.

And I will tell you how the trim for this pillow was only .25 cents a yard.

And I will tell you of my new-found yet undying love for Sas fabrics.

---

And we will go there and revel in textile bliss.

Fertility Friday: Polypectomy TMI for the squeemish

Our most recent (even though this was 6 months ago) breakthrough with our little fertility journey here was back in April. 

We were packing up to leave Rexburg and were rounding out our last visits with a Dr. we had found that we liked that we were just getting to join in on our desire to investigate what may be wrong instead of just throwing pills at it....which he still did and stuck me on metformin for several months...but I'll write about that later.

He ended up performing a saline ultrasound which was an experience I would rather forget, and would rather have been warned as to the pain. Even a little, 'oh...we'll be putting your body into some minor to mid-range contractions today...maybe take an ibuprofen before you come' would have been a nice heads up.

The ultrasound revealed that there was some fluid escaping into my abdomen and, although not as accurate as an HSG (let's please just never....), indicated that my tubes were clear and shouldn't be any impediment to us getting pregnant. He also found what he said may potentially be an intra-uterine septum and we scheduled surgery for the following week.

Note to fellow infertiles....maybe don't schedule minor surgery the same day as your very last college final exam and the day before you move to another state...maybe...but you probably already knew that.

I had read some horror stories about polypectomies and septum removals so I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, everything went just fine. Aside from the awkwardness of having three people poke and prod around my nethers, it really wasn't a painful or 'violating' experience as I had read many women felt. They gave me some painkillers and a local anesthetic, they told me to just relax because I wouldn't remember anything later but I pretty much remember everything...mostly just staring at the ceiling and waiting.

When everything was said and done, they told me they removed two pea to kidney bean sized polyps. The only side affects I had after the surgery were, after they removed the IV I was pretty shaky and had some pretty violent shivers, but they said that was normal. I spotted a little bit that day but that was it. The doctor seemed very optimistic that this would be the answer to our fertility issues...but still not being pregnant 6 months later leaves us feeling pretty hesitant to believe that.

On the bright side, before the surgery I had pretty painful and heavy periods. My first period after the surgery was kind of scary and heavy but every one after that I hardly get cramps and they are much easier to deal with. So, even if it wasn't the answer we were hoping for, it was still absolutely worth the time. 

Obsessed: Rustoleum Textured spray paint

The DIY projects are coming along strong here in Casa de Gordon!

One of my recent finds that I'm using in probably too many places around the house is this awesome textured spray paint. I'm a big fan of iron details (not so much curly, fleur de lis sort of iron, more industrial and minimalist?) but they are hecka espensive.

So, we've just been buying whatever shaped/functional item we can find at the lowest price and coating it with this awesome stuff. 

We found a great little whale statue for our bathroom last year, so we've been sticking with the theme. Recently, we found a rusty, oddly matted, watercolor of a whale at one of the many local Goodwill stores. The matting was a faded blue color and to match our bathroom it had to all be black, so I pretty much slathered the whole thing (cardboard matting included) in this rustoleum paint.

Someday I'll actually take a before picture.

2 years with you

Dear Russell, 

Our children will have your patience and kindness.

They will have your blue eyes and your dimples.

They will have your passion and your drive for adventure.

They will have your ability to love with everything they have.

They will have your laugh.

 They will surely have all the good you possess, and all the good you bring out in me.

And I, I will have you.

Happy anniversary love.

Honey I shrunk the dog...

We've been in such a revamp/diy/fix it up mood lately...

Echo couldn't help but get in on the fun. 

He was so fluffy!!

A little revamping...

We're getting things settled slowly but surely in our new place. We've been ransacking discount furniture stores, thrift stores, craigslist and pretty much any other venue we can find a deal in. The two latest projects we've completed is a chair and a dresser for our bedroom:

Before:

We found the chair at a Goodwill (checked thoroughly before it even left the store, the idea of bed bugs freaks me out to no end) and the dresser at Saint Vinnie's

One coat of Martha Stewart-Glidden Duo "Winter Day" later we ended up with these:

After:

We're super excited about the color and how they turned out. We only ended up using about 1/3 of the small can of paint we had purchased.