7 things

i was tagged by my pal, jen, to do a "7 things" blog that tells 7 things people might not know about me.  

1. i love making lists.  of everything.  seriously, look back through my blog and see how many bulleted lists i made.  i also really need to have the items in a list in ABC order.
   

2. i have an order for grocery shopping, which includes an order for how things go up on the conveyor belt.  it actually makes my life easier.  (eg: all cold things go first, so they will have more time in the bag so they won't spoil)
3. i have gone to my church for its entire life.  i know many people who have gone to the same church for their whole life, but not many who have gone to a church for the church's whole life.
4. i think the world's greatest invention is the internet.
5. i actually like ryan seacrest (not romantically, but the work that he does).
6. i own no orange clothes.
7. 97% of the music i listen to is from male artists.

i tag the following people:

chris

dad

eric

RG

in other news...

to update my medical condition:

my last period was just horrific.  i was not allowed to start the pill until after the period, so i had to live with unbelievable pain in my side.  thankfully, it ended, so i have begun the hormones/pill.  i can't really tell if it's working yet until a few months in. but so far, so good.

it's tricky getting used to taking something at the same time...everyday.  does anyone have any good tips/tricks they use to make sure they keep on schedule?

here i am

do not abandon hope....all ye who click to here.

i have not died.

i have neglected my blog.

but fear not, i have the solution.

i am currently blogging from the comfort of my couch, although i could choose to blog from the kitchen, bed, or nearby starbucks.

why, say you?

because i am blogging from my very new, very first MACBOOK!  yes.  i actually went out and spent some money on something and i LOVE it.

i got the newest macbook (with the backlit keyboard).  i am still learning how to make the switch from PC to mac, but so far, so good.  my good pal erica recently got one too, so i'm hoping to learn a bit from her.

until then, cheers from the couch!

males beware

this week, i have had a few medical problems.

i will explain in detail below...with important points underlined. feel free to scan the underlined font, as there is a lot of information. also, i will NOT censor my explanation, so if the words period, ovary, uterus, or blood get your panties in a twist, do not read on :)

i presented on sunday with severe cramp-like pain on the right side of my abdomen. i thought it was just cramps, so i took some ibuprofen and went to bed. monday, it was worse. i went to school all day and went to UTC that afternoon.

they suspected a pulled muscle or appendicitis, so they ordered a CT. good sam hospital's radiology dept was closed, so they told me to go to the ER. being stubborn, i went to my parents' instead. (in case i birthed alien babies or something in the middle of the night).

tuesday morning, it was a little worse, so i decided to go down to good sam. (little did i know i could've just gone to st joe east...but that is beside the point). after waiting forever, they took a ton of blood and did a CT scan. blood was normal, it was not my appendix, but they found a 2.2 cm adnexal mass on my ovary.

i was ordered to my ob/gyn the following day for an immediate ultrasound. i went to dr. jean's office on wednesday where she attempted a pelvic exam. it was too painful, so she ordered the ultrasound for thursday.

thursday, i went to st joe for my ultrasound. it hurt quite a bit. i took the results back to dr. jean where she informed me:

• i have a ruptured ovarian cyst with fluid in the cul-de-sac (ovarian area)
• probable endometriosis (reason for the mass)
• my ovaries and uterus are normal size. i have a slightly tilted uterus, but that will not affect future child-bearing.

(read more about these things here and here)

every woman has (functional) ovarian cysts at all times, but they are normally dispelled during ovulation. cysts can grow if there is a problem with the release of the egg or other things spelled out in the website above.

the tissue mass is never anything that would be benign OR cancerous...it's just tissue (it is what it is). the fact that my pain has gotten worse over my last few periods leads her to believe it is more than just a ruptured cyst. also, my bowels are VERY jacked up during my periods.

the course of action is being put on hormones for the next 3 months.

if the pain gets better, then i will remain on hormones until menopause. if the pain stays the same, i will switch to a stronger hormone. if the pain gets worse, she will have to go in laproscopically to remove said tissue.

so, there you have it. it was a stressful week and i'm still in quite a lot of pain. i hope this course of action works out. i'm greatful for everyone's thoughts. now, on to the holidays....

a dalmatian plantation, I say

happy 101st post to me.

thanks to my readers. thanks to my brain. thanks to the internet.

here's to 101 more...

split screen sadness

Here's what I've learned about dogs: They're a lot like pretty girls. Having one or two around makes everything more fun, but when you get a whole bunch together, it turns into one big power struggle. --Scott Westerfield--

Canvassing my past and present friend history, I notice I have had many girl acquaintances, but few girl friends. Girls tend to always be judging and we exhaust ourselves trying to be the cutest or best.

It's true I would rather work alone than in a group, but this does not always ring true in relationships. There is only so much you can clean or organize before you start to wish you had a gaggle of girls to share funny times with.

I always seemed to find myself in a horde of girls...whether it be on a softball team, on friday nights in high school, or in my sorority in college. However, I often caught myself with low self-esteem and feeling as if I was a lone reed. I am quite shy when it comes to new people and am not very good at breaking the ice. This probably makes me appear hoity at times, but I assure you, the opposite is true.

Even in 2008, I often find myself feeling this way. Even with the world at my feet...wonderful fiance, job that I love, etc...I feel a lack of true connection. I get so pissed at myself for pushing people away, only to feel lonely. Oh, self. You stink sometimes!

Does anyone else ever feel this way or sabotage themselves?