Sweet Saturday

Saturday was WONDERFUL! It was wonderful because my husband and I had a day off, on the same day, with NOTHING scheduled to do.

Not that we were bored. We got up round 8:30 and went to the Farmer's Market. We bought a bunch of different vegetables and some homemade bruschetta and bread. We ran into the Philips there. I asked Melissa about selling my clothes to a local consignment shop, and she told me that I would make a lot more money on Ebay. I agreed, but that would be a lot more work, and I don't need another computer-hobby, so I dropped a few items off on our way to the Breadstore (free samples included!), Target (we were out of everything), a car wash (the car said "thank you"), the pet store (the birds were hungry), and sports authority (we both needed new running clothes). It sounds like a lot, and it was, but we just had a great time together. It has been awhile since we had some time just the two of us or without one of us (mostly JB) having to work.

When we got home, JB made smoothies and we had a sandwich before heading out on a run together.

I must digress for a minute to talk about running. I have made a decision, with the okay of my almost-doctor husband, that I am going to start running again. I will take breaks after our transfer in September, and if we do another harvest, I will also take a break, however, let's just lay the facts out on the table. My body does not do what it is supposed to do, and my lack of ovulation has not changed even a little bit. Running doesn't seem to make it worse. Not running doesn't seem to make it better. There is no change in my body. And in the meantime, not running does not help my self-esteem or my energy level. Exercising has been a part of my life since I was eleven years old. Not exercising (and speed walking does not qualify for me) leaves me feeling lethargic and couch-potato-ish. I love to exercise! I really, really do, and while I have agreed to take breaks during transfers and retrievals, I have to leave the rest in the Lord's hands.

We believe it is possible that the Lord could bless us with a child without all this fertility-stuff. However, I often use the analogy of a broken leg. If you had a broken leg and were lying on the side of the road, would you tell the ambulance driver not to take you to the emergency room because the Lord was going to heal you? Of course not. You would go, and you would allow them to set your bone, and you would pray that the Lord guide the doctor's hands. And in the meantime, if He did a miracle, and healed you before surgery, you would tell the whole world.

That's how we feel. Is there a chance that someday we could miraculously find out we are pregnant without a surgical procedure? There definitely is. The fact that we now have two issues (my annovulation and the sperm-binding issue) makes it more unlikely but only in man's eyes. With God, all things are possible.

I often get frustrated because for some reason, with infertility, people often attribute what is happening to something I am doing wrong. And often times people believe that seeking help for this "illness" has to do with not trusting the Lord. I completely disagree. I have a health condition. And I am seeking help for that health condition. I also believe that the Lord is the great physician!

Either way, I feel that running isn't helping me or hurting me so why not just do it? I have also decided to continue taking metformin which I have now been on for two years. I am at 1500 mg. The doctor wants me at 2000 mg, but every time I take that next pill I end up getting so sick with flashbacks to when I started that drug in 2004. I wasn't writing a blog then, but please trust me when I say, I didn't know it was possible for no food to go through you so fast. (Sorry, is that too much information?) I spent two weeks eating practically nothing. Then I spent another three weeks only eating breads and crackers. Then I spent three weeks only eating a select menu of foods that didn't make me sick. Even water tasted like metal to me!

In retrospect, we realize my doctor started me off on too much of the drug too fast. He wasn't experienced in using metformin and therefore didn't know you were supposed to give it gradually. When I told my boss at Mayo that I was taking 2000 mgs right off the bat, he said, "That's like poison!" It was at that point that we cut my amount in half and I started working my way back up. I have never gotten back to 2000.

However, now that that has passed, I don't want to discontinue to the metformin because that would mean possibly having to restart it some day. So I continue to pill-cut and attempt an increase even though it doesn't appear the metformin is affecting the annovulation either.

Alas ... back to our Saturday. We were also able to go to church together (the first time in forever), have dinner together, and watch a movie together. Kelsey finished her marathon training and joined us for the end of dinner and the end of The Rookie. She had never seen it before and really enjoyed it. Kels is planning on running the Chicago Marathon in October, and is running like a mad-woman. I think today is her twelve mile run! Yikes! I have been running with her some on her "short" days (three miles), and even those three miles leave me barely crossing the finish line, if at all.

Okay so this short recap of my Saturday ended up being a novel. Sorry for that. I am disappointed only my father (who has NEVER posted a comment on my blog before yesterday) attempted the trivia. Anyone else have an idea? Otherwise, it may be time to reveal the answer.