It has been such a long time since I last blogged. I have been very busy with work and school. Here is an update of my life.
In school:
This week is our spring break. We are halfway done and I am so excited. I am only taking two classes this semester and I can not wait until they are over! For some reason, I am not enjoying this semester. I am taking a medical terminology course and the second part of my chemistry sequence. In med term I have taken 5 tests and the lowest score I have received is a 95 on them! This is a huge accomplishment and I am ecstatic! In my chemistry course I am doing fairly well. This course involves a lot of math which I am not particularly fond of. I hope to come out with a solid B in this course. After this semester I have only one more course to take until I have met all prerequisites for the MUSC PA program. The last requirement is an organic chemistry course which I plan to take at Winthrop University. I can not wait to attend my alma mater again! I have changed my career path a bit. My main goal is still to become a PA, but I would like to take a detour and become a nurse in order to gain excellent experience. Who knows I may be able to make that my permanent career. After my courses this semester, I will apply for the MUSC nursing program in July. This program will take only 16 months. After the completion of the nursing program, I plan on becoming a traveling nurse. One of my Starbucks customers has urged me to consider this type of career and I must admit that it appeals to me greatly. I look forward to what the future holds. I will make sure to keep everyone updated on my admission process.
In my sbux world:
At my Starbucks job, I recently got a new assistant. I am so excited to finally have an assistant. I plan on showing her all the ropes. I know that she will be an excellent assistant and lead when I go off to nursing school. I have enjoyed my session of being a manager but it is very hard work. I love working as a team with a little autonomy. I do not like being the sole, head person in charge, but I do love my team. I have gained valuable experience from this position and I look forward to applying these new skills to my career in the future.
In the baby world:
The weekend of February 23rd I was caught, caught staring. We decided to have a dinner date at Olive Garden Saturday night. Willie always tries to sit with his back to the room which forces me to face the room and the crowd watching their every move. That night though, the only moves I was watching belonged to a little boy. He was rosy cheeked, blond with big baby blues. So incredibly adorable and entertaining. Never would I have thought that a child could captivate me so much. It was hilarious to watch this small child sitting in his high chair stuffing his face. In one hand the little boy held a spoon and in the other he held a soggy bread stick. Y'all should have seen him shove spaghetti into his mouth. He figured out the spoon was useless so he used his bread stick to scoop the spaghetti out of the bowl. Little ones are so clever. Right now in our infertility journey we are at a standstill. We know we have to have the IUI or continue to wait patiently. Right now I have decided to focus on my career. The baby will come in time I guess. It has taken me so long to gain this attitude. I can not believe have much I have matured. A baby use to be all that I could think about. The process was oh so difficult, but it is no longer suffocating me. I can breathe again and I love the smell of life's possibilities and new hope.
Free Time:
During my free time I have done nothing but read, read, and read some more. Lately I have been stuck on vampire romances, alien romances and mob boss series. The Captive series by Erica Stevens is a new vampire romance series I have started. The first book, Captured, was free on my Nook. I loved them all! The new alien romance series I have started is by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It is the Lux series and the prequel is titled Shadows. Finally, the latest mob boss series I have started is by S.W. Frank. This series is 14 books long and I believe I am on the 9th book. All of the books in the series have been $3.99 and under. A huge bonus is that the books are also 300 pages or more. I love long series and books with many pages. The first book in this series is Alfonzo. I absolutely love this series and it is at the top of my list to reread. These authors have become some of my favorite authors. You all should also check out: Kristie Cook (Soul Savers Series), JM Darhower (Sempre and Sempre Redemption), Chrissy Peebles (Ruby Ring Saga), Danielle Bourdon (Latvala Royals series, Royal Elites series, and Daughters of Eve series), Tracey Jane Jackson (Bride series and Cauld Ane series), Jennifer Connors (Lesson Series), Felicity Heaton, Delores Philips, Octavia Butler, Elizabeth Davies (Resurrection trilogy), Sienna Mynx ( Battaglia Series), Mallory Monroe (President series and Mob boss series), Lynnie Purcell, Genevieve Jack, Elise Marion, and Penny Greenhorn. I could go on and on by naming the authors of all 593 books in my Nook, but I will not bore you. Please take a look at the books by these authors. I hope many of you love to read like I do because you will not be disappointed!
~Until Next Time
Showing posts with label Physician Assistant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Physician Assistant. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Counting.......
Days seem to take so long to pass now that we have reached a decision. We decided that February would be the perfect time to try our first cycle of IUI. I hope that this will be our first and last cycle of IUI.
As the days drag, I become even more impatient. I can imagine the procedure, feel the joy at the positive pregnancy test, and embrace the impending changes due to motherhood. Who would have ever thought we would be anticipating the arrival of my next menstrual cycle. There is less than a month left before we can start the next phase in our journey. I am counting every second, minute, and hour.
The next phase will begin with the start of my menstrual cycle in early February. On the first day of my cycle, I must call and schedule an appointment for the third day of my cycle. On the third day of my cycle, they will do some blood work. I believe that it will be done to test for hormone levels etc. After this, I believe that my doctor will start me on a medicine routine for follicle growth that will last a couple of days. The size of the follicles will be monitored along with the number. Both are very important for the success of a child, or in the case of way too many follicles, multiples! I prefer multiples. I want babies to spoil and love, but my husband disagrees. The IUI price is currently $800, a special rate they are currently running. I love this price so I hope it carries into February.
This procedure looks to be our most successful chance at children. I am excited yet wary. I keep wondering if we are doing the right thing. What if we are rushing into things? I debate whether we are ready for a child. With the doctor appointments, I was just seeking a solution. I do not believe that I ever thought beyond finding that solution. I never thought beyond finding the answer then deciding the next step. I mean of course I want children. We are in this remarkable situation were we can choose when to have kids and I am indecisive about the right time. Now seems okay. We have been married two years, together seven years. We have maintained a place of our own for five of those years. I have received an undergraduate degree and he has attended some college. We own a car and possess decent jobs with ample room for promotion. More school is still in our futures, but finally our longing for a child seems to be too overwhelming. Everyone who I have spoken to about us having a child inquires about school. It feels as if they believe that my desire to go to medical school and become a physician assistant will forever be just that, a desire. It feels as though they believe that this one future child will ruin the plans I have for a career. I detest this implication. I am very determined. I feel as though I am destined to become a PA but also a mother. I am now simply changing the order because I place having a family in higher priority. My timeline of attending medical school may be pushed back a little, but I feel that with the support and knowing myself, I will be able to succeed in returning back to school. I only have a few classes left and I plan to take classes up until the baby is here. I value education so I believe that this will not be an issue. The real issue is money.
On top of the stress and lack of sleep, my concern centers around money. How much does it cost to raise a child, especially in the early years? How many weeks can I take off after the child is born? We will have to save money while spending money at the same time to prepare. I am going to have to compromise on my beautiful nursery that I had envisioned. I have to rethink that cruise that we want to take in July. I know that we will have to rework things, but for this I am willing to. I am willing to do a lot for the chance to become a mommy!!! I sincerely hope that we will be successful in managing our money. Any good tips out there?
~Until next time
As the days drag, I become even more impatient. I can imagine the procedure, feel the joy at the positive pregnancy test, and embrace the impending changes due to motherhood. Who would have ever thought we would be anticipating the arrival of my next menstrual cycle. There is less than a month left before we can start the next phase in our journey. I am counting every second, minute, and hour.
The next phase will begin with the start of my menstrual cycle in early February. On the first day of my cycle, I must call and schedule an appointment for the third day of my cycle. On the third day of my cycle, they will do some blood work. I believe that it will be done to test for hormone levels etc. After this, I believe that my doctor will start me on a medicine routine for follicle growth that will last a couple of days. The size of the follicles will be monitored along with the number. Both are very important for the success of a child, or in the case of way too many follicles, multiples! I prefer multiples. I want babies to spoil and love, but my husband disagrees. The IUI price is currently $800, a special rate they are currently running. I love this price so I hope it carries into February.
This procedure looks to be our most successful chance at children. I am excited yet wary. I keep wondering if we are doing the right thing. What if we are rushing into things? I debate whether we are ready for a child. With the doctor appointments, I was just seeking a solution. I do not believe that I ever thought beyond finding that solution. I never thought beyond finding the answer then deciding the next step. I mean of course I want children. We are in this remarkable situation were we can choose when to have kids and I am indecisive about the right time. Now seems okay. We have been married two years, together seven years. We have maintained a place of our own for five of those years. I have received an undergraduate degree and he has attended some college. We own a car and possess decent jobs with ample room for promotion. More school is still in our futures, but finally our longing for a child seems to be too overwhelming. Everyone who I have spoken to about us having a child inquires about school. It feels as if they believe that my desire to go to medical school and become a physician assistant will forever be just that, a desire. It feels as though they believe that this one future child will ruin the plans I have for a career. I detest this implication. I am very determined. I feel as though I am destined to become a PA but also a mother. I am now simply changing the order because I place having a family in higher priority. My timeline of attending medical school may be pushed back a little, but I feel that with the support and knowing myself, I will be able to succeed in returning back to school. I only have a few classes left and I plan to take classes up until the baby is here. I value education so I believe that this will not be an issue. The real issue is money.
On top of the stress and lack of sleep, my concern centers around money. How much does it cost to raise a child, especially in the early years? How many weeks can I take off after the child is born? We will have to save money while spending money at the same time to prepare. I am going to have to compromise on my beautiful nursery that I had envisioned. I have to rethink that cruise that we want to take in July. I know that we will have to rework things, but for this I am willing to. I am willing to do a lot for the chance to become a mommy!!! I sincerely hope that we will be successful in managing our money. Any good tips out there?
~Until next time
Monday, December 9, 2013
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Prepare, prepare, prepare! It seems like all I have been doing lately is preparing.
I am struggling so very hard to prepare for my finals at school. I attend York Tech here in Rock Hill, SC. I am taking one of the last few classes needed as prerequisites for my admission into the Physician Assistant program at MUSC in Charleston, SC. I hope that by the next application cycle (Early Oct. 2014) I will be fully ready! Currently, I am also seeking a shadowing or volunteering position to observe a PA working. In other words, I am extremely busy preparing for my future career!
In five days, our two year wedding anniversary will be here! I am so excited! We are finally taking a much needed trip that could be technically considered our honeymoon. Hmmm so could I call this vacation our anni-moon? Anyways, the trip we are taking is a cruise! Thursday night we will be leaving to travel to Miami, Fl. We will spend a day in Miami and then on Saturday the 14th (exactly our two year wedding anniversary), we will set sail on the Carnival Victory for five days. Our cruise destinations are Ocho Rios, Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands. I can not express how excited I feel, yet I can express how saddened I feel.
I can not help but feel saddened. With the dawning of our two year anniversary, it also almost marks the two year anniversary of us deciding to try to conceive. It feels like so much longer, but we are only two years into our dreadful infertility war. Who knows maybe history might be repeated and this will turn into a seven year or ten year war, except exchanging the bloodshed and bodies for tears and failed attempts. Indeed I have been preparing. I have been preparing for yet another disappointment in our infertility journey. I am waiting, waiting, and impatiently waiting some more for the unwanted, bad results we are bound to receive.
After our first, initial doctor's appointment, I received a call on Friday, December 6th. Since I was at work, the call went to my voicemail. It was a call from one of the nurses on our infertility team at REACH. She wanted to discuss some results from my blood test. OMG! Terror had gripped my insides and for a moment I could not breathe. My body stopped functioning and I panicked! I had never received a call pertaining to results from a blood test. I always received my other blood results in the mail, so I thought the worse. I feared that this was it, I would find the answer to our infertility problems: my malfunctioning body. I debated forever whether I would return the call. My husband, Willie, urged me to call, but I did not want to know especially if the results would be devastating. Once home, I returned the call and left a voicemail for my infertility team. Then I was off to shop with my favorite Canadian, Samantha, for a formal dress for the captain's dinner to be held on our cruise. While I was trying to unsuccessfully squeeze into a small, one shoulder white dress with gold designs trailing the arm, I received the return call. There in the dressing room, with my head halfway through the dress, my breasts smashed flat, and my arm dangling through the top of the dress, I received the results with bated breath. My nurse was relaying the results from the AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) test. For those of you who are new to the world of infertility and its jargon (like me) the site, createhealth.org, describes AMH as the following:
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a protein hormone produced by granulosa cells (cells lining the egg sacs or follicles) within the ovary. AMH can be measured in the blood at any time in the menstrual cycle as it is stable throughout the cycle. It is a marker for ovarian (egg) reserve.
Ovarian reserve testing, as defined by the American Society of Reproductive Society is:
Ovarian Reserve Testing: When attempting to test for a woman’s ovarian reserve, the clinician is trying to predict whether she can produce an egg or eggs of good quality and how well her ovaries are responding to the hormonal signals from her brain.
Another take on these two topics from thebump.com is:
AMH, or by its full name, Anti-Mullerian Hormone, is a hormone that’s produced by small follicles in the ovaries. It’s not something you’d tend to spend a lot of time thinking about, unless you’re debating trying IVF, in which case AMH’s importance goes up substantially. Fertility doctors use a blood test to measure your levels of AMH as a way to help determine your ovarian reserve -- or approximately how many eggs you have to work with. The higher your AMH level, the more follicles you have, and therefore the higher your potential remaining egg supply. And an AMH test is an indicator of the quantity of your eggs, not the quality.
The foreign results, a number given to me and coined "very good", was either a 42 or 43 (at the moment I can not remember). I was ecstatic that this was good results even if I did not understand what it truly meant. At the conclusion of my shopping trip, I researched the results and createhealth.org provided this:
Interpretation of AMH results (As per TDL Laboratories, London)
This description of the AMH results does indeed show that my score of either 42 or 43 is "very good" or featured in the "optimal fertility" category. This newfound information was a huge relief for me. It helped to clarify my results and put me at ease, if only for a little while.
Lately I have prepared, prepared, and prepared, but I realize that some things in my life I can not prepare for. I knew that these results would be horrible, yet was pleasantly surprised. I guess you can not foresee the small blessings in life. Many times I am so optimistic, while other times I am surely counting down for the dawning of judgment day and the end of my world. From now on though, I think I will prepare myself for brighter outcomes because sometimes you have to have a little faith.
~Until next time....
I am struggling so very hard to prepare for my finals at school. I attend York Tech here in Rock Hill, SC. I am taking one of the last few classes needed as prerequisites for my admission into the Physician Assistant program at MUSC in Charleston, SC. I hope that by the next application cycle (Early Oct. 2014) I will be fully ready! Currently, I am also seeking a shadowing or volunteering position to observe a PA working. In other words, I am extremely busy preparing for my future career!
In five days, our two year wedding anniversary will be here! I am so excited! We are finally taking a much needed trip that could be technically considered our honeymoon. Hmmm so could I call this vacation our anni-moon? Anyways, the trip we are taking is a cruise! Thursday night we will be leaving to travel to Miami, Fl. We will spend a day in Miami and then on Saturday the 14th (exactly our two year wedding anniversary), we will set sail on the Carnival Victory for five days. Our cruise destinations are Ocho Rios, Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands. I can not express how excited I feel, yet I can express how saddened I feel.
I can not help but feel saddened. With the dawning of our two year anniversary, it also almost marks the two year anniversary of us deciding to try to conceive. It feels like so much longer, but we are only two years into our dreadful infertility war. Who knows maybe history might be repeated and this will turn into a seven year or ten year war, except exchanging the bloodshed and bodies for tears and failed attempts. Indeed I have been preparing. I have been preparing for yet another disappointment in our infertility journey. I am waiting, waiting, and impatiently waiting some more for the unwanted, bad results we are bound to receive.
After our first, initial doctor's appointment, I received a call on Friday, December 6th. Since I was at work, the call went to my voicemail. It was a call from one of the nurses on our infertility team at REACH. She wanted to discuss some results from my blood test. OMG! Terror had gripped my insides and for a moment I could not breathe. My body stopped functioning and I panicked! I had never received a call pertaining to results from a blood test. I always received my other blood results in the mail, so I thought the worse. I feared that this was it, I would find the answer to our infertility problems: my malfunctioning body. I debated forever whether I would return the call. My husband, Willie, urged me to call, but I did not want to know especially if the results would be devastating. Once home, I returned the call and left a voicemail for my infertility team. Then I was off to shop with my favorite Canadian, Samantha, for a formal dress for the captain's dinner to be held on our cruise. While I was trying to unsuccessfully squeeze into a small, one shoulder white dress with gold designs trailing the arm, I received the return call. There in the dressing room, with my head halfway through the dress, my breasts smashed flat, and my arm dangling through the top of the dress, I received the results with bated breath. My nurse was relaying the results from the AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) test. For those of you who are new to the world of infertility and its jargon (like me) the site, createhealth.org, describes AMH as the following:
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a protein hormone produced by granulosa cells (cells lining the egg sacs or follicles) within the ovary. AMH can be measured in the blood at any time in the menstrual cycle as it is stable throughout the cycle. It is a marker for ovarian (egg) reserve.
Ovarian reserve testing, as defined by the American Society of Reproductive Society is:
Ovarian Reserve Testing: When attempting to test for a woman’s ovarian reserve, the clinician is trying to predict whether she can produce an egg or eggs of good quality and how well her ovaries are responding to the hormonal signals from her brain.
Another take on these two topics from thebump.com is:
AMH, or by its full name, Anti-Mullerian Hormone, is a hormone that’s produced by small follicles in the ovaries. It’s not something you’d tend to spend a lot of time thinking about, unless you’re debating trying IVF, in which case AMH’s importance goes up substantially. Fertility doctors use a blood test to measure your levels of AMH as a way to help determine your ovarian reserve -- or approximately how many eggs you have to work with. The higher your AMH level, the more follicles you have, and therefore the higher your potential remaining egg supply. And an AMH test is an indicator of the quantity of your eggs, not the quality.
The foreign results, a number given to me and coined "very good", was either a 42 or 43 (at the moment I can not remember). I was ecstatic that this was good results even if I did not understand what it truly meant. At the conclusion of my shopping trip, I researched the results and createhealth.org provided this:
Interpretation of AMH results (As per TDL Laboratories, London)
| Ovarian fertility potential | Values per 2nd generation assay (TDL) |
| Optimal fertility | 40.04-67.9pmol/l |
| Satisfactory fertility | 21.98-40.03pmol/l |
| Low fertility | 3.08-21.97pmol/l |
| Very low/undetectable | 0.0-3.07pmol/l |
This description of the AMH results does indeed show that my score of either 42 or 43 is "very good" or featured in the "optimal fertility" category. This newfound information was a huge relief for me. It helped to clarify my results and put me at ease, if only for a little while.
Lately I have prepared, prepared, and prepared, but I realize that some things in my life I can not prepare for. I knew that these results would be horrible, yet was pleasantly surprised. I guess you can not foresee the small blessings in life. Many times I am so optimistic, while other times I am surely counting down for the dawning of judgment day and the end of my world. From now on though, I think I will prepare myself for brighter outcomes because sometimes you have to have a little faith.
~Until next time....
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