When in Doubt, Pick Up the Phone

I have so many posts in my head (heard that before?) but this is the one I flew to the computer for.  I have been doing my cycle reviews via email since getting my period back in December after nursing a year.  These cycles are typical me unmedicated (sans the brown bleeding-praise God!).  The mucus is minimal, the post peak phase is pathetic!  In fact, the first cycle peak plus 7 was CD 1 so no blood draw for me.  Looks like the same old LUFs going on...

I am a creature of habit.  I like the expected, so I love that Dr. Hilgers has a nice little plan for me and it has worked well.  It goes like this.  Nothing cycle 1, blood draw cycle 2, medicate cycle 3 and blood draw, and then get the go ahead to ttc on cycle 4. (Give it 3 months, if nothing happens, reevaluate).  Can't argue with that.  I mean, we got pregnant with AJ on the first cycle we were allowed to achieve.  All meds I was on were the same and were given back to me all at once to take on cycle 3.  So that is what I was expecting.  I mean, if it works, why change it?

This first cycle was a bust for a blood draw, but no big deal.  We could still stick to the plan.  Cycle 2 they added B6 during cycle review.  Cycle 2 I got a blood draw and was bummed they only added mucinex for cycle 3.  Really?  With only 8 days post peak?!  I realized I wasn't getting any numbers for my prog and estrogen.  I decided I needed to call the next time.  So I did.  I called Friday, a big risk.  I dreaded the back and forth of them calling me back while in Target with two kids or whatever. 

I was so fortunate that the call to my home came today after we were back home from the dentist and AJ was sound asleep.  I could focus!  So I was able to state my concern and ask how my labs were looking.  And that is when I get the news.  My lab that is now taken on sending the blood, has sent NONE OF MY LABS!  Not two months of cyclical draws or my thyroid f/u.  Argh!  I have a call into them.   Also a little annoyance to Laura for nicely typing at the end of each cycle that they need bloodwork next cycle.  Um, not exactly the same as saying we didn't receive any blood and really need it if we are going to prescribe the big guns, which is certainly understandable.  I forgive her though.  She was so nice on the phone, listened well, very responsive,  and I am glad to know the plan is the same, we just need to work out this "kink." 

This also means that "hopefully" I get back on hcg before March 15th.  I would love to order 90 days through my mail order pharmacy on last years flex account.  We still have a bit of money we need to spend in there-go figure!  When does that EVER happen?  I know, you hate me.  Sorry.  (If it makes you feel better, I guarentee hubs shorted us for this FY as a result.  And now I may have surgery.  Oops.  We will never get this right).

In ab pain news, my primary care doc (napro trained) thought it was for sure IBS and she told gave me two helpful things-told me to eat/take fiber and gave me an anti-contracting pill for under the tongue to take when the "contracting" starts.  Guess what?  It has not come back since!  I have never had to take the other med.  And it was often-like 2 in one day often!  I am eating the things I was missing out on too.  And still not there.  Who would have thought?!  FIBER!  duh!  JB, if you are reading this, did it help you?  Anyone else?

And now that the stomach pain is gone, I have time to focus on what is really there-crampiness.  Not during my period, or right before, but during ovulation.  And you know what I remembered?  Last time during the lap the endo had an ovary adheared to something.  I am seriously thinking the endo is back and who can blame it?  It's been vacationing for two pregnancies and nursing and now wants to make up for lost time.  Evil endo!

Which brings me to another thought that didn't occur before.  Hubs wants to change jobs (do not repeat if you know me IRL, he's a bit paranoid-AIH, sense a theme? lol).  And I suddenly realized my beloved Cigna that covered Dr. H as in network despite him being in another state four hrs away...might be gone too (at this point you all are throwing tomatoes at me and shooting me with dagger eyes-I promise, I do know and appreciate how fortunate we are).  I wonder if Dr. H will schedule me for a lap now based on one month of symptoms and the fact his schedule is booked into goodness knows when-Aug?!-seriously-does anyone know?-it would be wrong to hope hubs is still at the job then...and then that would mean not ttc...lots to think about.  What would you do?  Would you just schedule it, hubs continues to look, we ttc when we get the green light and then we cancel the surgery if needed?  If Dr. H says okay, that would cover all our bases. 

Okay, I've neglected Charlie long enough.  Thanks for listening.  I hope everyone is having a productive Lent.

p.s. Still reading you all on google reader on my phone, just not able to comment on there, but PRAYING for all of you.

Where Have You Been?! (p.s. PP does provide mammograms)

Lots of big things happening that are affecting Catholics (and others) so if you haven't read up AND (here's the kicker) shared these things with others, its time to do so!  If you have already done this, keep reading.  You might learn something or gain a resource or two.  Then again, maybe not.  A lot of folks smarter than I am are writing on these topics.  But if I reach one person with new info or resources, its worth my time.  It is so critical we all have our facts straight and communicate these clearly.

First of all, Health and Human Services denied the request by Catholic institutions to be exempt from the mandate to provide employees benefits that include contraception.  An exemption was granted, but it was so narrow that it doesn't appy to Catholic hospitals and universities.  This requirement to violate our consciences is unprecedented and will likely lead down a very slippery slope. This affects individuals from all faith backgrounds and that is why faith leaders from Jewish and Protestant backgrounds have stood with our Catholic bishops. 

Want more information? 
These folks explain the issues and extreme urgency of this situation far better than I can

1. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/badcatholic/2012/01/an-open-letter-to-president-barack-obama-concerning-recent-tyranny-with-pictures.html
2. http://morelikemary-morelikeme.blogspot.com/2012/01/breaking-news.html?spref=fb
3. http://shovedtothem.blogspot.com/2012/01/call-to-arms-my-brothers.html

So what MUST you do?

1. Join 12000 others and sign the petition here: http://wh.gov/kl3
2. Write your congressman and women here: http://catholic-advocate.rallycongress.com/4339/tell-congress-to-support-concience-protections-health-care-profes/
3. Call your church and ask them to put the information in their bulletin, make announcements at masses, and conduct a letter writing campaign.  My husband said, "why didn't we hear this at mass?!"  I was hoping it was just because it was fairly new last Sunday, but when I called there was nothing in the bulletin regarding the petition or anything else related so the woman in charge was going to talk to Father and get permission to put it in.  For more info on these ideas, go here: http://join.catholicadvocate.com/hhs/
4. And for goodness sakes, use your social media resources for good and spread the word.  Even if, like me, someone you are close to (as in in their wedding close) was supportive to your face (to the tune of switching to your Catholic ob/gyn that is napro trained and doesn't script pills and stopping her pills) and then bashes you and your beliefs and your mutual ob/gyn on FB. Even then.  This is exactly what we are called to do. Sometimes hopping in the wheelbarrow involves bumps. God wants us to remain in the wheelbarrow regardless of these bumps!  Put yourself out there, you non-controversial folks.  Few of us love controversial situations, but it is necessary sometimes in order to stand up for the TRUTH.
5. Do NOT get sucked into conversations about contraception, when the issue is larger than this.  Attempt to unify, not divide.  I am at fault for doing this very thing, I am passionate VERY passionate about NOT using contraception, but I know better than to distract from the real issue in front of us today, so I caution you against this. 
6. However, if these topics lead to the conversation, why do Catholics oppose contraception, by all means tell them.  In my opinion, the #1 resource for this is Dr. Janet Smith. Her talk, Contraception: Why Not? caused my husband and many others to do a 100% turnaround.  You can find this on you tube-linked above-but you have to watch it in 20 parts.  This is alright because it makes it easier to search out a part you need to quote when you want to refer to it later.  It is important we know this information ourselves because there are so many misconceptions out there.  For example, my husband read the president of Catholics United was quoted on a CNN blog as saying, the silver lining of this HHS mandate is that the number of abortions will likely go down as a result of increased use of contraception.  This may seem logical, but it has not played out that way.  Its about the contraceptive mindset that separates sex from babies and bonding.  Contraception is available so more folks have intercourse, feeling they can do so "safely".  That contraception fails (way more often than the package says due to human error), and so abortion is the plan B.  All of this is ignoring the fact that most forms of contraception are, by their nature, abortifacients  .  Janet Smith explains it better than I can. 

 REMEMBER, GOD DOESN'T CALL THE EQUIPPED, HE EQUIPS THE CALLED! 

In other news, the Susan G. Komen foundation has pulled their funding of PP.  This is wonderful because PP is the largest providers of abortion services.  They pulled the funding do to a new policy where they do not financially support any organization undergoing state or federal investigation.  PP is under investigation for misusing funds.  This may be specific to government funds, but Susan G. Komen is making the right choice here.  It was an odd partnership to begin with because abortions and contraception have been linked to breast cancer.  We should all take the time to thank Susan G. Komen by clicking here.  It takes just a few seconds.  And we should really support them with our funds.  You can do that here.  The best way to prevent breast cancer is monthly self exams at home and mammograms.  I know we have all heard that Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms and it was probably true at the time of this article and corresponding investigation, (and I think it still is most places).  But Waco, TX does provide mammograms per the website at this time, and there may be others so keep this in mind.  Honestly, it was probably due to pressure (or the argument made too much sense to ignore!).  Anyway, I have not called the location to confirm this, and this is the only location I was able to find on the website, but I wanted to make you all aware because: we can not be caught with misinformation or our whole argument will be thrown out the window! 

And why I am sharing resources, here is a good article about single issue voting (sure to come up again soon with my colleagues in education-I just last week had to battle my former advisor who told me-"those who are anti abortion only care about the fetus; once you are born they don't care anymore." Are you kidding me?!  He also thinks those that believe in God are "superstitous." How can such a brilliant man be so in need of education?!) that includes this tasty nugget: "It was never actually true that culturally-conscious Catholics were “single issue” voters. We have considered the other issues, and we concluded they are outweighed by widespread child-murder."  A similar statement changed me from my former voting days and is the reasons I sport the bumper sticker "Imagine 9/11 everyday.  That's how many Americans we lose to abortion daily." And with that, my friends, I will leave you to ponder these things.  But don't just ponder them.  ACT.  .