Outdoor Fun

It was a beautiful night out tonight, so we enjoyed hanging out on the driveway. It was a nice chance to let Olivia burn off some of that extra energy. She went to sleep so very easily tonight.

PCOS

Please excuse me for my rambling, but I have to get something off of my chest. Maybe someone has some insight for me. I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) a few years ago as the reason for my infertility. I was not ovulating and I did have cysts (string of pearls) on my ovaries. I have never been entirely convinced that PCOS is my problem. It's like I was diagnosed by process of elimination and this was all that was left. Many people with PCOS, however, suffer with fatigue. You add that to what I have been through the past two years and maybe that is why I'm so tired. PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. Now, if it's a hormonal imbalance then why do all of my hormone tests come back normal? I also have read that it's important to treat PCOS in order to treat your fatigue. In order to treat PCOS, you have to treat the underlying problems. These are

1) Hormonal imbalances: How do you treat when all your levels come back normal? They are putting me back on birth control pills, so I'm guessing this is their brilliant idea.
2) Insulin resistance: But, my blood sugar isn't high.
3) Weight loss: But, I'm not overweight.

Or, you can spend thousands of dollars on supplements that "supposedly" work. I'm not going to spend money on some quackadoo's big breakthrough idea. I'm so very very frustrated. I obviously have some problem because I am basically one big fertility mess. I'm trying to "treat" my PCOS but I don't know how and no one will help me. I thought my answers were within grasp with my new endocrinologist, but I was sorely disappointed. With those answers, I thought I would be given hope about many, many things. Anyway, if you have been given a diagnosis of PCOS, how are you treating it? Do you have problems with your energy levels? If you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment, please send me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

Friday, September 4, 2009 - Update

My day started very badly. I won't get into the whole thing, but I was referred to an endocrinologist a few weeks ago because something in my bloodwork came back elevated (shouldn't be over 200 and it came back 309.) The cause of it being elevated is usually due to a genetic disease that causes infertility, headaches, depression and. . .extreme fatigue. I thought I was on the road to some real answers. I went back this morning for the results of my second round of bloodwork and that hormone was back in the normal range (91) and thus. . .I'm deemed normal. I don't feel normal and I'm so depressed that no one can help me. My new endocrinologist just decided to agree with my previous diagnosis of PCOS, even though I only have a few of the symptoms. I've tried everything, spent thousands on supplements, started exercising. I'm just at a loss. So, I was sitting on the couch feeling really down and I look out the door to find this:

This sweet little kitty staring into our house. We went outside and played with the kitty a bit. Think of the friendliest cat that you've ever met and multiply that by 100. This is the sweetest, most loving cat I have ever met. An hour later?



Still here. Okay, so maybe I got her a bowl of water which may have persuaded her to stay. But, this sweet kitty has hung out at our house all afternoon. She thinks that she lives here. I have never seen it around, but I'm sure it's someone's cat. If not, I'm going to try with every persuasive skill that I have to call her my own. She's too sweet not to have a home. You should see her (I'm assuming it's a girl) with Olivia. They snuggle up together and follow each other around. We've spent quite a bit of time outside with the kitty.

Anyway, the time came when I was ready to go back inside, but it broke Olivia's heart to be away from her kitty.

I think we're headed back outside. Olivia loves animals, but I've never seen her quite like this. The two of them are instant friends. It's like this little kitty showed up at our house to brighten my day. . .and it sure worked.

Thursday, September 3, 2009 - Update

Lots to do today. . .first a doctor's appt. . .
then shopping with my baby.

Olivia had her two year appointment today and amazingly. . .it was her best appointment ever. I don't know whether it helped, but I took her favorite blanket and we listened to Celine Dion on the way in the car. Olivia is calmed by calming music. She wore her glasses the entire time (usually those are the first things to go when she gets upset) and she told the doctor her letter sounds and even smiled at him, etc. Her weight still isn't where he'd like her to be, but she seems to be staying in the same percentile (which is way below the 1 percentile.) Because of that, he concluded that she is just going to be small. My mom looked and I was only 22 lbs at 2 years old and I didn't start out at 1 lb 1.5 oz.

Weight: 19.8 lbs (Seems she has fallen a bit below 20 lbs.)
Height: 30 inches
Head circumference: 45.25 cm

So, no talk of growth hormone testing at all. Whew. The only thing that he was really concerned about was that she still has 3 bottles a day. She doesn't drink milk well out of a cup or straw, so the only way I can successfully get her the amount she needs is by bottle. When you're concerned about weight, it's a hard thing to giveup. Plus, she has fallen in love with her bottle recently. Anyway, she got one shot (Hep A) and the flu mist nasal spray. She cried more from the nasal spray than the shot and she walked out of the doctor's office without any tears. What a big girl!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - Update

I was so excited when my friend, Amanda, started a blog. She is one of my dearest friends whom I have never met in person. Isn't that crazy? We are so much alike I think we might have been separated at birth. Anyway, check out her blog here or you can find it listed as Raising Boys. She's due with her third boy in November.

I'm pretty nervous about Olivia's 2 year appointment tomorrow. I don't want her weight (or lack of) to be an issue. Maybe I'll save her diaper from tonight and put that on her before we go out to the scale. . .ha ha. That has to add at least 5 pounds. I'm sure that when I tell them that she is pointing and starting pretend play there will be something else entirely that they are expecting her to do. You can never win. Hopefully I'll have good news to report.

Also, Happy Happy Birthday to my nephew, Aidan, who turns 4 tomorrow. I hope you have a GREAT birthday!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 - Update

Ah, September. . .my least favorite month of all time. Don't get me wrong. . . .it has many great qualities. The weather turns cooler, football season starts, my parents were married in September and there are many family birthdays during this month. But, it has not been good to me. On September 3, 1993, my friends and I were robbed at gunpoint. On September 30th of that same year, I lost a lifelong friend in a car accident. On September 28, 2007, I lost my son. I'm sure I was dumped a few times in September as well. I just want something good to happen to me in September. Every year, I hold my breath and wait until October 1st. Then, I breathe a sigh of relief. Here's hoping this month is a good month or at least an uneventful one. . .

Rough Night

We still have problems sometimes with Olivia throwing up. Tonight was one of those nights. If you don't care to hear about vomit right now. . .I wouldn't read this post if I were you. Olivia ate tons for dinner tonight and then had a bottle before bed. Now, over the past two years I have become quite skilled in the catching of vomit. I've actually come up with some pretty ingenious ways to do so. One time, Olivia was in her high chair and I knew it was inevitable, so I grabbed the nearest cup and stuck it under her chin. In my haste, I didn't realize that the cup had water in it. . .and down poor Olivia's shirt the water went. Okay, so that was one of my not so ingenious times. Anyway, poor baby girl threw up tonight and I caught it all in a blanket. But, then a second round came and it went all over her, me, the floor, the chair, etc. A two year old's vomit is a lot harder to stomach than a babies. . .especially when there are whole Velveeta mac and cheese shells. I guess she just swallows them whole because there was a whole mound of perfectly formed shells. My least favorite thing in the whole world is throwing up so no matter how many times Olivia does it. . .it breaks my heart every single time. She can't eat anything high calorie, high sugar or a large volume of anything without throwing up. She can't get upset or worked up at night or she will throw up, so the term "cry it out" does not really apply in our house. I wish I knew how to help her. She's on Prilosec and when we've tried to get her off of it. . .she has more problems with gagging, etc. Anyway, it was a rough night because she was so tired and just wanted to go to sleep. But, we had to clean everything up and get her another bottle, etc. I just feel so bad for her.

Monday, August 31, 2009 - Update

It was a beautiful. . .and I mean beautiful day today so we headed out to the zoo. (Because that's what us Kansans do, right Amanda?) We met up with Shelley and Izzy along with Izzy's friend, Ruven, and his mom. Izzy and Ruven go by Iz and Ru. . .so I'm thinking that when the three of them are together maybe Olivia will go by Liv. :) We had a really good time and spent about two hours letting the kids run around in the tent in the gorilla forest. I accidentally spilled some pop in Olivia's wagon and soaked poor Olivia's pants. So, guess who had the child running around without any pants? That would be me. Luckily, Shelley somehow had a diaper cover that Olivia could wear, so it didn't make it quite as bad. I carry this HUGE diaper bag and never have what I need and Shelley has one no bigger than a purse and seems to have everything.

Olivia and Izzy were quite the pair. . .Olivia without pants and Izzy without shoes. They had a blast, though.

Pictures

Here are just a few pics of Olivia that show her love of video game cards. Hmm. . .wonder if she'll take after daddy and his love of video games?