HOT, HOT, HOT

This weather is just killer. I don't have any energy to get stuff accomplished…and I really don't feel like working or working out! ;)  My house is a mess, I really hope no one stops by because it just ugh.  I need to do laundry, but its in the basement and I hate lugging it all down there and then bringing it back up and folding it.  I'd much rather have snow piles up to my ears…well I may not exactly be ready for this again…but I'd settle for under 90 and lower humidity.

This is the view from sitting in my car after one of our many snowstorms this past winter.  It was literally up to my shoulders.  My city was supposedly labeled, "the snow capital of the US".  It was a pretty extreme winter.

Of course, last week after my post and after my great update at the PT…I ended up with some moderate belly pain one evening.  I called CF clinic the next day and they sent me for an X-ray the same day.  Apparently I had a "lot of stool" built up in my colon.  So I was feeling pretty awful for a few days while that passed.  In the midst of that, I started coughing more than my norm.  So I called the doctor again on Monday.  They must be so sick of me!  LOL.  I am still feeling pretty bloated, but the pain in my belly is gone.  I also started Cayston (an inhaled antibiotic) for my cough.  So far it does seem to be helping.  I'm bringing up more junk and my cough doesn't seem as tight.  

Other than this heat, I really can't complain.  Our garden is looking awesome!  I'm spending a lot of time crocheting or knitting.  I have tons of friends and a coworker having babies lately.  So lots of small projects.  I'll try and do a whole update on that later with pictures.  I am so proud of (and in love with) ALL the things I make.  As much as I hate to give them away, I know they are going to good families who will appreciate them.  Some things I've made of late…lovey blankets (my new favorite thing, so quick and easy to do…and adorable), head bands for baby girls, large blankets, hats of course.  I have been slowly working to clean out my craft room and it really seems to be helping motivate me to craft more and use what I have!  Its a slow process, but when I feel motivated, I'll clean for a half hour or so and so far it looks really good.  The crafting is a cathartic thing for me.  It keeps my mind occupied while also relaxing me at the end of the day…as long as I'm not too tired.  Its like free therapy!  And crocheting and knitting can be done in front of the tv, so I am still spending time with hubby too.  

Miscellaneous Updates!

So I went for my 8 week PT check up yesterday.  At least thats how long I think its been since my initial visit.  I was there about a month ago right before our cruise, but when I started this process it was a few weeks before that.  So he said I am doing phenomenally! I was so happy to hear some good news.  It was a rough morning at work since I only work the half day on Tuesdays and we were busy.  And I was in a rather iffy mood.  I don't get to the gym as much as I'd like, so I thought I wouldn't be seeing any improvement.  It came as a bit of surprise at how excited my PT was for me.  He is very encouraging and always has an uplifting way of looking at things.  When I said I wasn't going as much as I wanted to…he said "but its so much more than you were doing."  And "you have to start somewhere, you'll work your way up to more".  And when I said that my family was ragging on my because I couldn't remember the exercises…he said "screw them.  don't let them get you down."  LOL  Funny thing is, I was thinking the same exact thing, but he said it before I could!

So far I am still loving it!  Last week, I went to the gym once and did cardio and weights.  Then Saturday, I went for a walk with a coworker after lunch. Of course I didn't have the right shoes, so my hips were a little sore after the walk.  It was pretty hot all last week and exercise was difficult even in the AC'd gym.  I had to keep slowing down on the treadmill to catch my breath.  But overall, I am doing pretty awesome.  I did cardio at the gym on Monday this week, skipped my weights because I knew I'd be doing those the next day at the PT office.  AT PT, we went over another set of exercises to do, a little bit of a step up with the intensity.  They are exercises I can work into my regimen and they are things I never would have been able to do when I first started this process.  Planks on an unstable Bosu Ball, staggered push-ups (yes I can do real push ups now too!), weighted push ups, step exercises.  So excited to start working these into my routine!

I had my CF clinic visit with my doctor last week…I go there every three months.  PFT's are stable!  I think the number was exactly the same as three months prior…haha.  Hows that for consistency? If you've ever done these tests before, its pretty difficult to get the same exact number because they make you do three (or more) tries.  I was able again to speak with the dietician.  I have been having some digestive issues, especially at cookouts lately.  I will eat something crummy, but oh so yummy, and almost immediately will get very bloated and uncomfortable.  I have never really run into this before, always been pretty good as far as CF tummy issues.  Dietician suggested staggering my enzymes a little better…maybe take two when I start with appetizers, then if I am still eating 90 minutes later, I can take some more.  Again, I've never really had to adjust my enzyme dose very much.  My prescription is for 4 pills with meals and two with snacks.  And sometimes I don't even take them with the snacks.  So I will have to keep that in mind when I am at my friends cookout this weekend and see if it helps.  I also asked her about snacking for/or after I go to the gym.  This is an ongoing issue with me.  With CF, we use a lot more energy than a "normal person" just to breathe…so we need to snack more often.  Not to mention our bodies don't digest the foods we do eat, so we aren't able to absorb the nutrients as well.  When I go to the gym, that urge is even greater…especially right after and into the next day.  I've been doing yogurts (go me!) even though I am not a huge fan of the texture, I've been doing it because I know that is a better snack than cheez-its or ice cream for example.  The other interesting thing she suggested is to buy a big bag or pack of raw almonds and make my own "100 calorie pack".  So this way, I don't have to pay for the pre-made individual packets which are always so much more expensive.  So I had my mom grab some with her wholesale club card.  I am going to try roasting them and salting them, then freezing them in plastic bags in about a 1/2 cup increments.  I also really enjoy cottage cheese and crackers as a healthier snack.

Of course my doctor asked about updates on our trying to conceive efforts.  We are still trying the normal way for now.  My husbands new insurance doesn't kick in until August 1, so we are hoping (if we don't get preggo before) to go back to the fertility treatments sometime after that.  I started a few new vitamins that are specially formulated to help woman trying to conceive.  I hope they aren't hoaxes…haha…but the reviews on Amazon were very good.  Don't worry, thats not the first place I heard of them.  I have some online forums where people use them and they do come from a legit place. I wanted to look at the reviews on Amazon because it was different than the company that makes the meds.  Meaning the reviews would be more abundant and less fabricated.  I'm also trying the grapefruit juice thing.  I have tried this in the past, but I don't think I was consistent enough in drinking it and I don't think I drank enough each day of my cycle.  INSERT TMI: For those that don't know, it is supposed to thin mucus, making it easier for spermies to reach and fertilize the egg.  It may be an "old wives" tale, but at this point, if you told me to stand on my head for an hour after doing the deed…i'd happily do it.  LOL.

So once our insurance kicks in, I will have to call them and check on fertility coverage.  Depending on what they cover, and what the copay is, we will move forward. We also both have secondary insurance because of our disabilities, which our original fertility clinic didn't accept.  Because of this, we couldn't proceed with IVF at that time.  The copay would have been pretty steep.  So IF our first insurance has a smaller copay for IVF, we can go back to our original clinic and start right away.  If the new insurance still has a high copay, I will have to call our secondary insurance and see if they have fertility coverage, which they probably do not. At that point, we'd probably try a few more IUI's with the new insurance, since those copays are usually smaller than IVF.  If they do have coverage, we may have to look for a new clinic that will accept the it.  I don't know if I've said this before, but we are very lucky to live in MA because it is mandated that private insurances cover some form of infertility coverage.  It is a proven medical issue.  But our secondary insurance is like medicare, so not sure about that.