Nothing is ever easy, but does it all have to be so tedious?

[clevermanka]

Does anyone want two Pyrex casserole dishes with snap-on plastic covers? I haven't used these things in years and I want them out of my cabinet.

I suppose I'm doing okay on the AIP. I miss booze, but not as much as I missed coffee when I quit it. So I guess that's good. I don't miss spices terribly much (yet), although I would very much like to have a curry. Cold weather calls for curry. I'm drinking a lot of hot water with lemon. Or a splash of orange juice. Sometimes with a spoonful of coconut milk if I'm feeling decadent. If nothing else, the AIP is moving me even farther away from the notions of food as comfort, reward, indulgence, or anything much beyond just plain fuel. Considering my limitations in using food in social settings (unless I plan to cook for everyone present), this is not a bad thing.

Mentally/emotionally I'm doing...okay? My lady hormones are fucked up right now and that's just plain exhausting. My cycle is so out of whack I can't even see it from here. I think I'm a bit over two weeks late to start my period. I actually took a pregnancy test over the weekend because I figured it couldn't hurt to make sure. My first pregnancy test ever! Exciting! But like every other test I take for anything besides food allergies, it came back negative negative negative.

Story of my life.

On Thursday I'll consult with Kiva to get the start date of my December period, since I stupidly tossed my 2012 planner without copying that information over to the new one. I want to make sure I remember things correctly before I make an appointment to see my GP. Which I'm going to have to do unless things move along soon because I've felt PMS-y since, oh, NEW YEARS. Total drag for everyone in the house, let me tell you. I am really tired of my breasts hurting and having low-level cramps pretty much non-stop. Bah.

The only reason I can think of that would have cause this is in November I stopped taking the estrogen regulating supplement because other than lengthening my cycle by a day or two, I hadn't noticed any improvement. Things went downhill after about three weeks off it, though. Weird spotting, then a terrible period, then more spotting and now nothing. I've been back on the supplement for over a month, so I would have thought things would have evened out by now, but OF COURSE NOT.

It's all so frustrating. And that issue is not helping my general attitude regarding the AIP. But hey, when is this stuff ever easy? There's never a good time to make major life changes.

Well. We need some good news in here, yes? The good news is I've had enough energy to get up and do yoga two days last week and then this morning. Last week I also managed to get away from my desk and walk around the building every hour on the hour. I had Grand Plans to continue that, but we've got one secretary out on family issues and the other called in sick today. Since I'm the only person in the offices, I don't feel comfortable leaving my desk for that long that often. So instead I'm doing squats or jumping jacks or push-ups or other stuff in my office when my little 60-minute timer beeps.

Also I am sure that I'm sleeping better, now. The vivid dreaming has slowed (perhaps alas), but lately I've been able to sleep through the night without earplugs. This is pretty huge. I've had to sleep with earplugs since high school. I'm sure I'll need them to sleep when I travel or sleep anywhere other than my dark, silent bedroom, but still. Small progress!

I've been thinking about reviving my Goal Posts, but I feel like I'm dealing with so much right now. I don't feel comfortable making goals, no matter how small, on a weekly basis. But for the foreseeable future, my activity goals are:

Morning yoga.

Step away from my desk at least once an hour for purposeful movement. Going to the bathroom or distributing the mail does not count.

Purposeful movement after work five days a week. Right now I'm thinking Mondays and Wednesdays I'll work with the TRX, Tuesdays I'll do dance drills and maybe some improv, Fridays are dance class, and one day a weekend I'll join mckitterick on bagwork/punching.

Comments

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

Dishes!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

They're yours!

This has the added benefit that now we need to schedule a time to see each other. I'll email you.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Yay for sleep! I'm always thrilled beyond reason when I get a whole night without waking.

Welcome to perimenopause, maybe? A heads up, docs at First Med are not all that open to bioidentical hormone treatment, but the new female practitioner, although not well-educated in it, is willing to write it up and fax it to King Pharmacy. I wish we had another option in town, but alas.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Welcome to perimenopause, maybe?

While that would be awesome, it's unlikely. I asked my mom about this when I was having woman problems with nasty periods a few years ago and she was like "HA HA HA HA HA!"

Apparently the women in my family go into menopause really late.

In fact, I think we might have had this same conversation then, too. =D I was all PLEASE GOD LET IT BE EARLY MENOPAUSE and then when I talked to my mom she was all "Yeah, no."

I think my first course of treatment when I do hit it will be acupuncture and Dr. Khosh, though.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

We very well may have talked about it before, you know me and memory.
Here today, gone tomorrow.

I was unsure of my own since I didn't have horrid period issues, or the weird cycle irregularities, it just hit me all of a sudden. My mum was useless for information, not only since we have no women in the family still around, and her mum dying so young, but also because she's in total denial she ever had a hot flash in her life. She blames her illness and medications for the months of night sweats she suffered and has apparently forgotten. Although, for general info, she was great, all from working for OB/GYN docs for years and told me that the average woman goes 36-39 years from onset of menstruation to end. Your family must be on the extreme end of that. I wouldn't rule it out, though, since years of hormonal birth control can change things. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it, haha.
Oh, hey, and I dunno about BC/BS, but when I had my hormone panel done by our insurance it was GODAMN surprisingly expensive, and not all covered. Grrr.
Acupuncture sounds like an ideal treatment, I'll have to ask about that my next visit.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. My hormone panel that I got done a couple years ago was crazy expensive. BLAH.

Let's see...the average woman goes 36-39 years? Even if I'm on the lower end of that spectrum, I've got six more years. =/

[anomali.livejournal.com]

When I have been late yet experiencing those annoying pre-menace symptoms, I've found that some good Os (solitary or in good company) usually do the trick. It may be worth a try, at any rate. :)

[sherwood21.livejournal.com]

More energy and movement and sleep are all wonderful things. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, when you put them all together like that, it does sound pretty good.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Also good: PUNCHING!

[siro-gravity.livejournal.com]

Moving away from your desk on the hour for purposeful moving is a GREAT idea.

Really feeling you on the lady-hormone problem, boy I sure don't miss that...I guess there has to be something good about getting older!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

there has to be something good about getting older!

Honestly, I'm looking forward to menopause. It can't be worse than the hormonal crap I deal with now.

And yes, the getting up and moving is great. I'm enjoying it! Certainly makes the days go by faster, too.

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

Decent sleep and regular movement are v. good, so yay for that!

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

Dishes!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

They're yours!

This has the added benefit that now we need to schedule a time to see each other. I'll email you.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Yay for sleep! I'm always thrilled beyond reason when I get a whole night without waking.

Welcome to perimenopause, maybe? A heads up, docs at First Med are not all that open to bioidentical hormone treatment, but the new female practitioner, although not well-educated in it, is willing to write it up and fax it to King Pharmacy. I wish we had another option in town, but alas.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Welcome to perimenopause, maybe?

While that would be awesome, it's unlikely. I asked my mom about this when I was having woman problems with nasty periods a few years ago and she was like "HA HA HA HA HA!"

Apparently the women in my family go into menopause really late.

In fact, I think we might have had this same conversation then, too. =D I was all PLEASE GOD LET IT BE EARLY MENOPAUSE and then when I talked to my mom she was all "Yeah, no."

I think my first course of treatment when I do hit it will be acupuncture and Dr. Khosh, though.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

We very well may have talked about it before, you know me and memory.
Here today, gone tomorrow.

I was unsure of my own since I didn't have horrid period issues, or the weird cycle irregularities, it just hit me all of a sudden. My mum was useless for information, not only since we have no women in the family still around, and her mum dying so young, but also because she's in total denial she ever had a hot flash in her life. She blames her illness and medications for the months of night sweats she suffered and has apparently forgotten. Although, for general info, she was great, all from working for OB/GYN docs for years and told me that the average woman goes 36-39 years from onset of menstruation to end. Your family must be on the extreme end of that. I wouldn't rule it out, though, since years of hormonal birth control can change things. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it, haha.
Oh, hey, and I dunno about BC/BS, but when I had my hormone panel done by our insurance it was GODAMN surprisingly expensive, and not all covered. Grrr.
Acupuncture sounds like an ideal treatment, I'll have to ask about that my next visit.

[anomali.livejournal.com]

When I have been late yet experiencing those annoying pre-menace symptoms, I've found that some good Os (solitary or in good company) usually do the trick. It may be worth a try, at any rate. :)

[sherwood21.livejournal.com]

More energy and movement and sleep are all wonderful things. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, when you put them all together like that, it does sound pretty good.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Also good: PUNCHING!

[siro-gravity.livejournal.com]

Moving away from your desk on the hour for purposeful moving is a GREAT idea.

Really feeling you on the lady-hormone problem, boy I sure don't miss that...I guess there has to be something good about getting older!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

there has to be something good about getting older!

Honestly, I'm looking forward to menopause. It can't be worse than the hormonal crap I deal with now.

And yes, the getting up and moving is great. I'm enjoying it! Certainly makes the days go by faster, too.

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

Decent sleep and regular movement are v. good, so yay for that!