Sunday, March 28, 2010

A Sister Type of Weekend

My sister, Rachel, was in desperate need of some girl/sister time this week. I found out that Drew was going to do some contracting work all day on Saturday, so I asked her if she wanted to go to the mall and spend the night. She, of course, happily agreed.

Rachel has never been to Gurnee Mills mall, so I told her that we'd go there. To say that she was stoked is an understatement. We got there around 12:30 and, since I was famished, went to lunch at Rainforest Cafe, where she had never been either. We had crappy service. End of story.

I usually try to stay out of the stores that we have here, but the display right inside the door at Victoria's Secret caught my eye. There were mannequins and a table filled with White Sox and Cubs merchandise. And that's when I saw it. This amazing little shirt. And since Drew is a die hard Cubs fan, it couldn't be more appropriate. How cute is that shirt? I was just giddy over it and I couldn't wait to come home and show Drew.

Drew worked all day today, as usual, so Rachel and I spent the day together again. We ran to our mall here because I wanted to get my rings cleaned and we went into another clothes store. And Rachel talked me into buying a pair of skinny jeans. Me! In skinny jeans.

Now, yes, I know I'm thin. But I don't usually wear pants that are that tight. Or short. Or tight. They feel like they are spray painted on me. But Rachel said they look cute. And I'm all about looking cute. Now I just have to find some flats. When did I get so old?

I had the best time with my sister this weekend. I so wish that we could spend more time together like this. And with Drew's new job, it may be very possible. If she wants to spend time with her old sister that is.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Work Rotations

It's time for some more changes in our home. Changes in the area of jobs. This time it's Drew's turn.

Drew has accepted a new mechanic position with another company at the airport. He has been trying to get a position with this company for something like two years. He would have interviews and then they would end up not hiring anybody.

This new position will give Drew great benefits, great pay, and GREAT experience. He will be working on heavy aircrafts, which is what he wants to start getting into. He also have the opportunity to work a lot of hours. And that's both good and bad. It's good because he'll have a nice paycheck. It's bad because that leaves me alone. A lot!

We're both very happy and excited!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Peace and Quiet

You'll never guess what happened?

Yesterday, our tenants moved out. Mike has been living in Germany, working, since before Thanksgiving. Becca and the kids finally received their orders and a moving company came on Friday to pack all of their stuff.

It's so weird that it's so quiet around here. They moved in about a month after we did, so they've been here for about a year. We've never really had a chance to be newlyweds in our first home.

There is absolutely nothing in our basement. Our minds are spinning over what to do down there. I'm sure that there will be lots of posts over changes that we make down there. I'll get some before pictures up soon.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Stuck

After work today, I had my first appointment for acupuncture. When I was doing some research on endometriosis, I found a site that said that acupuncture was recommended for some management of symptoms. I decided to pursue this option. Hey, at this point, I'm willing to try anything to fix me.

When I arrived, the doctor, who is a chiropractor, first did some chiropractic assessments. He soon discovered that my hips are misaligned. He took some pictures of my back and pelvis. When I saw the pictures, I could definitely see that my right hip sits higher than my left hip.

He then put me in another room to do the acupuncture. This appointment was just a first appointment in order to "shock" my nerves, rid my body of toxins, and get ready for more acupuncture. He put a needle in my ankle, knee, wrist, and hand on each of my body, for a total of 8 needles. Completely unpainful. For the most part. My right wrist and hand was a little sensitive, but it was really just an achy feeling. After he inserted the needles, he covered me with a sheet, shut the lights off, and left me alone to relax. I laid in there for about 20 minutes or so.

My next appointment is Monday. Do you want to know what impresses me? He actually called me tonight to check up on me. He told me that he's going to look over my information and write up my reports. How awesome is that? I can't believe he called to check up on me. Nice!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Endometriosis: The [Not So] Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Since I've received an official endometriosis diagnosis and this seems to be something that I will have to live with for a good chunk of time, I thought that I'd put a little information here on my blog. This way, you, my wonderful readers, can learn a little about it.

What Is It?

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere in the body. Endometriosis lesions can be found in the pelvic cavity: on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and on the pelvic sidewall. Other locations that are not so common are caecarian section scars, bladder, bowel, intestines, colon, appendix, and rectum. Even rarer, endometriosis can be found inside the vagina, inside the bladder, on the skin, in the lungs, spine, and brain.

What Are Some Symptoms?

The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain. The pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, however a woman may also experience pain at other times during her monthly cycle. For many women, the pain of endometriosis can unfortunately be so severe and debilitating that it impacts on her life in significant ways.

Pain may be felt:
  • before/during/after menstruation
  • during ovulation
  • in the bowel during menstruation
  • when passing urine
  • during or after sexual intercourse
  • in the lower back region

Other symptoms may include:

  • diarrhoea or constipation (in particular in connection with menstruation)
  • abdominal bloating (again, in connection with menstruation)
  • heavy or irregular bleeding
  • fatigue

Another well known symptom associated with endometriosis is infertility. It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are subfertile.

What Causes Endometriosis?

Several different hypotheses have been put forward as to what causes endometriosis. Unfortunately, none of these theories have ever been entirely proven, nor do they fully explain all the mechanisms associated with the development of the disease. Thus, the cause of endometriosis remains unknown. Several theories have become more accepted, and reality is that it may be a combination of factors, which make some women develop endometriosis.

Metaplasia - Metaplasia means to change from one normal type of tissue to another normal type of tissue. Some researchers believe this happens in the embryo, when the uterus is first forming. Others believe that some adult cells retain the ability they had in the embryonic stage to transform into reproductive tissue.

Retrograde menstruation - This theory was promoted by Dr. John Sampson in the 1920s. He surmised that menstrual tissue flows backwards through the fallopian tubes and deposits on the pelvic organs where it seeds and grows.

Genetic predisposition - Studies have shown that first-degree relatives of women with this disease are more likely to develop endometriosis. And when there is a hereditary link, the disease tends to be worse in the next generation.

Lymphatic or vascular distribution - Endometrial fragments may travel through blood vessels or the lymphatic system to other parts of the body. This may explain how endometriosis ends up in distant sites, such as the lung, brain, skin, or eye.

Immune system dysfunctions - Some women with endometriosis appear to display certain immunologic defects of dysfunctions. Whether this is a cause or effect of the disease remains unknown.

Environmental influences - Some studies have pointed to environmental factors as contributors to the development of endometriosis, specifically related to the way toxins in the environment have an effect on the reproductive hormones and immune system response, though this theory has not been proven and remains controversial.

What Are Some Treatments?

Choosing a treatment comes down to the individual woman's needs, depending on her symptoms, her age, and her fertility wishes.

Pain killers, hormonal therapies, surgery, nutritional therapy, and complementary therapies are all ways to help combat symptoms with endometriosis.

All information can be found here.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

AYKM - Something To Be Proud Of

Forbes recently put out their list of America's 20 Most Miserable Cities.

Guess what?

Rockford is number 14. Proud is definitely the word I would use to describe it! Ha!

Cities under considerations included 200 of the largest metro areas. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was considered. There were many factors that were examined and they include: unemployment, taxes, commute times, violent crimes, how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years, weather, and pollution sites.

Ready for the list? Here we go!
  1. Cleveland, Ohio
  2. Stockton, California
  3. Memphis, Tennessee
  4. Detroit, Michigan
  5. Flint Michigan
  6. Miami, Florida
  7. St. Louis, Missouri
  8. Buffalo, New York
  9. Canton, Ohio
  10. Chicago, Illinois
  11. Modesto, California
  12. Akron, Ohio
  13. Kansas City, Missouri
  14. Rockford, Illinois
  15. Toledo, Ohio
  16. New York, New York
  17. Sacramento, California
  18. Youngstown, Ohio
  19. Gary, Indiana
  20. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Does anybody else find it disturbing that Ohio is on the list 4 times? Unreal!