Monday, January 18, 2010

Birth Control and the Band

I use a Nuva ring to control some peri-menopausal bleeding issue I have been having for the past two and 1/2 years. The first year I used a ring every month just as any fertile woman would do. I am not a very pleasant person on the pill. It messes with my hormones and I turn into a bitch and lets just say a convent would suit me just fine.

I had a tubal when I had my youngest daughter because I decided to quit the baby making business for good. Needless to say this whole need to use birth control seems a waste of time and is annoying given the side effects and the seeming uselessness of the whole thing.

About a year ago I went back into the gynecologists office to see if there was anything that could be done about the situation. After four c-sections my 'equipment' is a tad scarred up. A D & C is out of the question. The doctor scared the crap out of me concerning a hysterectomy. I am not sure this was a valid fear to convey but for now I am rolling with it.

A solution to my poor family's suffering :) I have for the last 8 months or so used the pill off and on every other month. I have no period one month (this is the only positive side effect from the thing!) and then a slightly heavy one the next which is tempered by going back to the Nuva Ring.

Which finally brings me to the point of this long diatribe. Today I started the first day of my 'off ring' month. I think hormones mess with my tightness big time. I have slammed shut and I LOVE it! I am back to the level where I do not really feel hunger and a small amount of food does me just fine. My lunch took ages to go through my band and it is currently dinner time. All I am interested in is my glass of orange juice and vodka at this point. Thus far today I have had 2 inches of a turkey and cheese baguette sandwich and three bites of macaroni salad my daughter shared with me. Grace ended up eating the rest of my sandwich. I will try and get some dinner down (more quiche) a little later this evening and should be good for the day. I might try and chase it all with a protein shake just to up my protein levels.

I did not expect this to happen. This lapband is a wild ride where sometimes the variability of the band tightness is maddening while at other times it feels like I have been given a gift to motivate me forward!!

Progress:
Health-still no exercise but I will get on the wii tonight (why do I hate it so?). We did not eat dinner at the table as Grace and I weren't hungry and David was. Our biggest effort of exercise was a shopping trip.

Budget-We showed the house today and when I walked out I left my grocery money behind. We took pop cans back for our deposit money and I left them in my pocket. I spent money off the debit card that was not supposed to be spent and will have to deposit to make up for it or horrible mess up the plan...ahh I'm a bad budgeteer. Grace had the day off from school so she and I spent some quality time shopping and spending the money we weren't supposed to spend. I found a nice pair of shoes (for interviews of course!). She needed and found a pair of tennis shoes. Both of these were on 50% off the clearance price. I got 4 primrose and 4 pansies to put into my doorway flowerpots (we need curb appeal right!) and then I got some groceries that David forgot.

Work-I will finish grading the papers tonight..honest. I stayed up quite late last night working away on them. I have articles to organize on Zotero as well.

Time-the monkey is stalking me. Grace and I shopped (good). I am going to show her how to knit (or attempt to show) this evening after she sorts out a box of junk in her room. David and I will spend a cozy evening ensconced in our respective computers siting side by side on the couch. Maybe I will send him a google message just so we can feel closer (sarcasm is dripping here!! :))...but I do really need to get work done and I know he wants to start on the taxes (wait for that post and I will explain our yearly argument pattern).

Craft: woohooo I washed the purse and strap. I even put in a failed purse for another run in the washing machine to see if I can improve it. Grace was suitably impressed and wants ownership of the once large but now small bag I felted. The pattern for my new sweater project is being held hostage at my friends house. I need to walk up and retrieve it!

4 comments:

Debi said...

Sounds like you have the perfect solution to lack of restriction right now!! Isn't hormones funny how they work?

Glad to hear that you are still Knitting & going to teach your DD how to Knit too!

THE DASH! said...

These bands of ours are funny creatures - I swear they always keep us guessing! I think like Debi said, its probably hormones, but hey, whatever works, huh!!

Keep up that knitting frenzy. I will put my order in lol.. ok only joking.. but I am jealous you are so crafty. I can't knit for nuts!

uh said...

I have taken hormones since my hysterectomy but haven't noticed an effect on my band, hmmmm.

Tina said...

I wonder if it isn't the change in levels that is the issue..not the hormones themselves. Still tight today and down a pound.