Excuse me, Life, are these lemons returnable?

*Disclaimer: I’m told that I have a tendency to be a bit dramatic, so apologies in advance…

Yesterday I went to the doctor to get the test results for blood work and a sonogram that a did last week. Well after speaking with my doctor I am convinced that my body ferociously is working against me!

All my life I knew I wanted to be a mom. I’m just that kind of person – the motherly type – and now that I’m married and we are planning on buying a house soon I’ve been ready to fill that (soon-to-be) home with the pitter-patters of children. After speaking to my doctor yesterday the sounds of the pitter-patters that I once heard so clearly in my mind are fading.

The Results:

My blood results showed what I already knew: I’m fat and I need to get healthy! My cholesterol levels (the bad kind) were high, I’m vitamin D deficient, and my hemoglobin levels were on the higher end. No worries though, operation get healthy for 2013 is in full effect. I’m already down 2lbs. (I’ll be doing blogs about my weight loss journey soon.)

The sonogram showed that I have multiple small cysts on my cervix and on both ovaries. The largest cyst on my left ovary measures 2 cm in dimension and 3 cm on the right. I’m okay with these results because it’s consistent for someone with PCOS and because before my cyst removal surgery in 2011 my largest cysts were 7 cm and 9 cm.

On to the not so good news – The sonogram also showed that I have fluid in my Fallopian tubes. What that means, for those of you reading who don’t know, is that there is a blockage preventing my eggs from travelling down and my husband’s sperm from travelling up. So, yes, in addition to having PCOS (which causes infertility) I now know that I have a blockage in my tubes (which causes infertility). Thanks for the lemons, Life!

The Solution:

Crawl into bed with Leo (my dog) and cry. Just kidding. Not really. Well kind of. My real solution is to take a break from TTC while I focus on getting healthy. I’m seeing this holistic doctor who recommended some supplements for me to take to get my hormones balanced and my body healthy. I will be taking:

Ortho Molecular, Vitamin D3 50,000 IU

Ortho Molecular, CM Core

Ortho Molecular, Balance

Designs for Health, PaleoGreens powder

If anyone has tried any of these supplements, please give me some feedback on it. I’m curious to know if it’s worth it. I’m going to try this regime for 6 months and then re-evaluate things…IVF maybe? Who knows.

Thanks for reading! xoxo

My sentiments exactly!

Elopement Pictures

On 12.12.12 I married my best friend after 5 1/2 years of dating we eloped to a quaint B&B in Baltimore, MD. Everything was picture perfect and I’m excited to spend every bit of forever with him!

TTC introduction

Okay so where should I start? At the beginning, I suppose!

Three years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS. At the time of my diagnosis I didn’t understand the seriousness of my diagnosis because Joey and I weren’t ready for kids. A year later when we started to indirectly “try” to get pregnant we learned that things weren’t going be as easy as we thought. I had an ultrasound and they found multiple cysts on my ovaries, two of which were pretty large.

In February 2011, I had laparoscopic surgery to remove a cyst on each of my ovaries and was told that my PCOS was pretty severe and the likelihood of my conceiving on my own was very low. After hearing that Joey and I discussed our next steps and decided to move forward with taking fertility meds.

Joey and I did three rounds of Clomid in 2011. The first round I didn’t ovulate but the second and third time I did. None of my cycles, unfortunately, were successful. In early 2012 I got an unmedicated menstrual cycle so that indicated to me that I ovulated on my own – something that had never happened (in recent years at least). So, we took Clomid cycle days 3 to 7 and on cycle day 16 I ovulated! I felt all the symptoms of pregnancy and I was convinced that all the trying worked…then reality punched me in the face!

After that I got a new job and we moved to NY so trying was put on hold! But, we are ready to resume actively trying again! I recently just had an ultrasound to check on my cysts and did some blood work so fingers crossed and baby dust for good news in 2013!

I thought this was funny, so I thought I’d share!

New Year, New Us

We started this blog back in August with high hopes of updating it regularly and utilizing it as an outlet to cope with infertility; HOWEVER, we only made one post because life got in the way! As you know it’s a new year, with new beginnings and, similar to countless others, I have several new year’s resolutions.

1. Be more active – Part of my infertility issues stem from the fact that I’m overweight. While I do eat relatively healthy, I need to incorporate exercise into my regime.

2. Be more patient – If you ask Joey he’ll tell you that I’m a “now” kind of person. When I want something done, it needs to be done immediately but I plan to being a bit more patient this year.

3. Finish Grad School – Three years ago I began my journey to earning a Master’s Degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy. I should have graduated last year but with a job change and consulting part time it just wasn’t possible. I only have two more classes left so I plan on completing my degree this year!

4. Buy a house – I moved from Virginia to the NY/NJ area mid-2012 and Joey and I found this AMAZING program called NACA. I urge anyone to check it out! We are trying to go through the whole process to buy our first house but we have to become more strict with our budget. We are really big on having date nights!

5. Travel – While we did have a few (mini) vacations in 2012 I’d like to have some larger scale vacations in 2013. In particular, I’d like to go to Europe!

6. Commit to projects – I have a really bad habit of starting projects and not finishing them (ie. this blog, novels, etc.). This year I want to complete things that I have committed myself to. Hence, my working on this blog today. I want to do at least to posts per week. (I’m thinking every Monday and Friday? Hmm, we’ll see.)

WOW, I have created quite a task for myself! Follow me along to see if I have what it takes to complete them! 😉

xoxo…Riss

12.12.12

On December 12, 2012 I married my best friend. We eloped to a quaint bed and breakfast in Baltimore, MD called the Gramercy Mansion. It was absolutely picturesque! It’s funny because whenever I envisioned my wedding day it was always on the beach with the ocean as a backdrop. Never in a million years did I think I would get married in front a rustic fireplace with only our closest relatives present.

Beautiful Quote…

To become a mother is one of life’s greatest blessings. It is a lifelong event that forever changes you. Becoming a mother changes your heart, your thoughts, and your actions.

I pray everyday that I can one day receive this blessing.