women stuff

Weekly Therapy: 49 weeks left in my 30s

- Mel

the week:
Friday’s Weekly Therapy was disrupted by OUR FIRST IOWA VISITORS!

weekend:
The boyfriend’s parents spent the holiday weekend with us, and we explored some fun things in Des Moines — the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday and Iowa Cubs game on Sunday were big highlights. We definitely crossed a few items off of our Iowa Bucket List!

Mel with Iowa Cubby Bear Des Moines

I get an extra (unpaid, unfortunately) day off today, and we’ll be spending our free afternoon on the golf course with some friends. I’M DRIVING! 😉

It looks like the rain is holding off until tomorrow, too — yay!

seven things, seven days:
1. This article spoke right to my soul: Why some people find crowded cities relaxing — and others don’t. I’m definitely in that latter category! Constant horn honking is decidedly UN-relaxing to me. {via City Lab}
2. I ordered fried chicken tenders in a restaurant this weekend AND THEY WERE GLUTEN FREE. Imagine that, a food place that uses gluten-free breading for all its fry stuff. OMG, going here forever.
3. 7 ways to re-motivate yourself at work {via Entrepreneur}
4. UGH. The foul reign of the biological clock {via The Guardian}
5. I know that I’ve always hated the reference to derby “girls” but this goes much deeper by way of books What does it mean when we call women “girls” {via LitHub}
6. I don’t consider myself a Millennial, but if you’re in your early 30s, you may: The anxiety of the Millennials {via Huffington Post}
7. A good run is always amazing: Neurologists explain the mind-clearing magic of running {via Science of Us}

Weekly Therapy: Habit wins every time.

- Mel

the week:
My anxiety has been calming, though my concentration factor is nil. So… see you next week!

weekend:
If you’ve been playing along, you know that I’m running a marathon this weekend. Which I will be pulling along my boyfriend for observation who is also celebrating his birthday. Poor guy/what-a-guy. 🙂

52 books in 52 weeks:
#35 Aziz Ansari: Modern Romance — hey, this was a fun book! Aziz cracks me up and the dating research and focus groups feedback made for an entertaining read.

seven things, seven days:
1. Went to Arts & Drafts again this week because Beauty Slap was performing…
2. … and we ended up with some new artwork.
3. I bought my second pair of Cobb Hill boots. They are SO COMFORTABLE — even the heels, in walking over a mile to work. And I just found out that they are made by New Balance!
4. Do you use Evernote? Let me know about your favorite features. Trying to figure out if it’s for me.
5. Give it up: Grit… isn’t all that great. Well, this is interesting. {via The Atlantic}
6. This was totally written for me, but maybe it resonates with you too: How to prioritize, pursue goals and focus when you have many interests. {via Tiny Buddha}
7. Who Am I Without My Uterus? You must read this. {via Huffington Post}

March 30: a lesson in emotional eating

- Mel

No sweets. NO SWEETS FOR 30 DAYS. I knew this would be a difficult month, but really didn’t anticipate HOW HARD keeping desserts away from my pie hole would be. It was a long, cold month.

Within the first week of giving up sweets, I had a four-day headache.

Then I had a tooth pulled and continuously craved ice cream during the healing process.

St. Patrick’s Day and my anniversary happened… this was my first “cheat” day: an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, which, naturally, included a dessert table, a bananas foster table AND a make-your-own ice cream table. The ice cream felt so wonderful on my gums that I almost tossed the entire month-long challenge in the garbage right then-and-there.

I was determined to finish strong, however; intsead using my “free” day at the end of the month (originally planned for Easter) to make up for the one-day lapse.

Each day for the last week of the month, the breakroom at my part-time job was filled with cookies and doughnuts and candy.

Then I had a death in the family and was surrounded by sugary gifts from friends and neighbors. Sigh.

Basically, after giving up sweets for 16 days straight, on the 17th day I fell to my sugar cravings because of a flaw in the emotional eating segment of my psyche. I pressed restart for another few days, then succumbed again. I didn’t just stumble, I GONE TRIPPED AND BROKE MY WILLPOWER. All of it.

And then on the 31st day, at the sight of my first period in several months, I celebrated my failure with a crushed Samoas cookie vanilla sundae. Because that’s what 30-something females do: we eat away our PMS and feelings.

What you missed:
Read more about my 30-day challenges for 2013.
January: no alcohol!
February: it’s wake-up time!

I had an ultrasound. And now I’m depressed.

- Mel

At some point in a woman’s life, she will have an ultrasound. This is a common practice for pregnant women, but also to determine medical reasons why someone cannot conceive. But, as a non-child bearing (or desire to have them) lady, I never imagined that I’d be in that exam room… with a physician-assisted dildo up my birth canal.

Sure, I can make light of it now, given that there’s seemingly NOTHING WRONG WITH ME. But last week, when I (the doctor) was looking for answers. And I had NO idea what I was in for. Thankfully, a friend enlightened me to the words TRANSVAGINAL on my script. It means exactly what you think it means.

I had a series of tests: pelvic, hormonal blood work, pregnancy testing, and aforementioned ultrasound (two ways!) with no real answer. My “problem” is scanty or non-existing menstruation (My period has been irregular since fall 2011; only having one REAL period in August of this past year). Birth control could be to blame… inconclusive (until I decide if I want to “try” going off it to see if it is, in fact, a happy side effect.) I’ve been on some form of pill since I was 17 — this particular brand for almost 4 years — but then I started experiencing severe pain and pressure in my abdomen. Cramping with no bleeding. Really severe mood swings. I was scared… and after the appointment, depressed.

I can’t explain the depression, but was told from several people that it’s normal when anticipating test results. I’ve been in a certain funk and mood that still remains a week later. I’m talking it out with my significant other, which helps to have someone listen to me vent and ramble (oh, I’m sure he appreciates hearing ALL about the random ways my body hates me… not). But I’m still struggling to understand WHY or WHAT I’m feeling.

We don’t talk enough about the difficulties and emotions associated with infertility and menstruation disruption or possible early menopause that all sadly occur to many 30-somethings. WHY DON’T WE?! I’d really appreciate some of your thoughts and feelings in the comments, so we all can commiserate about our experiences and emotions in one place.