Reproductive specialists: Round one!

The first time that I was told I was going to have to see a "specialist" freaked me out! My OB/GYN telling me that she wasn't able to help me kind of gave me low hope right off the bat. It just so happens that a couple we went to church with were going through some fertility issues themselves and had referred us to a doctor. A call was made and an appointment was set. We were officially seeing a specialist.

Our first appointment was the basics... how old are you? How long have you been trying? What kind of "trying" have you done? (How do you answer that one?) What tests have you already had done? (At that point, just my initial PCOS testing when I was 14) What kind of health issues do you have? What kind of health issues run in your family?  We had very basic answers. Outside of my PCOS, neither one of us had any health issues (that we are aware of). The doctor ordered a round of blood work for myself and a semen analysis for Chad. (Sorry babe, I know this can be embarrassing)

My blood work showed what I expected: elevated male hormones, elevated blood sugar, and elevated liver enzymes. Typical blood work results for someone with PCOS. The doctor then ordered a hysterosalpingogram or an HSG to check to make sure my uterus and tubes were in good shape. NOT my favorite test to have done, but the results showed everything to be in working order.

Chad went in for his semen analysis. Due to the location of the doctors office and our home, Chad had to produce a sample in the office rather than bringing in a sample. It was really hard on him and myself. I wasn't able to go with him because I had to go to work, which was an hour in the opposite direction of the doctors office. Neither one of us was comfortable with the idea of being thrown in a room filled with pornography so he could fill a cup, but at this point being as young as we were, we weren't aware that we had any other option (and there are other options!). God knows our hearts and I believe that if we were truly headed in the wrong direction, that the door would be closed. 

It took a week or so to get the results. With one phone call, we were told that his analysis showed low count and low motility. WOW! Really? We knew that I had some issues that were going to make this difficult for us, but neither of us expected that Chad would also contribute to our difficulties. We were both in shock and it definitely was a hard reality for both of us.

It wasn't long before we both were getting overwhelmed and feeling a bit beaten down. We felt God leading us in a different direction. We decided to take a step back from the specialists and try some natural and homeopathic measures. Chad and I prefer to live a more natural lifestyle and I prefer to resort to homeopathic measures when it comes to our health and our ailments. I have seen a lot of good come from this.

 I started on a PCOS diet that helped some. I was able to lose a little weight and feel better. My cycles didn't come back and I was still showing all signs of PCOS. I also started a Fertility Cleanse. With this, I also didn't see any real changes with my PCOS. Disclaimer: just because I didn't see results with the diet or the cleanse, doesn't mean that they don't work or that they won't work for you. 

We weren't sure if there was anything that Chad could do. For the time we were just praying that everything would be fine with him. The doctors had told us that being nervous can affect the sample that you give. I held on to hope that this was the reason.

It's all for a reason and only for a season!

Homemade Orange Clean

Well, it is more like grapefruit clean! I got home from the store and looked at my receipt and was like "They charged me for grapefruit, these are oranges!"

Well, dear readers, clearly these are not oranges! So... we get to see how grapefruit cleaner works! If you know me, then you know there are a few things that I could not live without! Coconut oil, vinegar, and my homemade cleaners. My homemade orange clean is my go to cleaner and I L-O-V-E it! So, even though I am using grapefruit, the process of making the cleaner is the same.

I start out by cutting up my oranges into slices- this way the oranges can be used for eating. Since I don't typically eat a whole bag of oranges in one sitting, I don't want them to go to waste. I then cut the orange off of the orange rind and cut the rind into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. I then place the cut up rind into a quart size mason jar until it reaches to the very top!

Then comes one of my favorite things... VINEGAR! White distilled vinegar is good for so many things. It is typically used in every load of my laundry! I was just telling Chadwick that I need to buy stocks in vinegar. I definitely stock up when there is a sale. 

I fill up the mason jar with vinegar until there is no room left in the jar. Seal with a ring and lid. I re-use old lids since this does not need to be sealed. I pay for those, no use throwing them away if I can use them again ;-)

Let your rind and vinegar mixture sit for two weeks. I hate waiting. I let mine sit on the kitchen counter, so every time I see it I pick it up and shake it. I don't think this actually does anything to it, but it doesn't hurt it either. I often forget to get my new batch going before I run out, so I usually have even less patience. I will tell ya, it is worth waiting the two weeks though. 

After the two weeks are up, strain into an empty spray bottle. Tada! Homemade orange clean! Orange clean that is bought from the store is told to be great for cutting through grease and that it what I used it for when I was buying it. Homemade orange clean is even better. I use it in the kitchen on a daily basis. It cleans my stove like a dream!

Once my grapefruit/vinegar mixture has sat for two weeks, I will update on how well it works. I'm not going to lie, I have doubts. Citrus, do not fail me now! 

This takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It is so easy and very rewarding! I was able to get it done this morning and still enjoy my morning tea from my favorite place: Teavana. This morning I tried my new Strawberry Rose Champagne loose leaf. VERY yummy!

'bout time...

I have been told by a few people that I should start a blog. Me? Start a blog? Is my life that interesting that I could turn it into a blog that someone besides myself would actually read? Maybe. Maybe not. As of lately, I definitely have a ton on my plate. So, 'bout time I write it all down and possibly help someone along the way.

A little about myself:  

I am first and foremost a wife to a man, Chadwick,  that has been my rock throughout life's roller coaster.  We were married in May of 2007. I could not be anymore blessed than I already am when it comes to my husband. He is just simply the best. 

We have a very fun-loving pup named Contessa, but we call her Tess. She is a 6 year old black lab/dalmatian. She has been our baby for the last 4.5 years. We love her and our life definitely wouldn't be the same without her.

I was born and raised in Michigan. Chadwick and I relocated to Nevada in February 2012 for work. My heart misses Michigan, but it was when we moved out here that our lives really took off. There was a reason why God moved us across the country away from our families and everything we have always known. This is a concept that has been a learning process for sure. Why the heck would I move from the beautiful lands of Michigan to the dry deserts of Nevada? I asked myself that question a lot when we first moved, but it hasn't been that bad. It is views like this that make life more bearable out here.

I am an artistic person. I always have myself wrapped up in some sort of creation. I love sewing, photography, cooking, paper crafts, music, and so on... I make all my household cleaners. Laundry soap, dish soap, all purpose cleaner, and orange clean. Recipes and blog posts are sure to follow. It was one of the reasons I started this blog, right? To make people impressed with how all-natural and green I am, right? ;-) As a stay at home wife, creating a naturally clean home is something that I take joy in. Not only is it better for you and the environment, it is so much cheaper! Let me tell you, I am all about saving money.  Here is my homemade orange clean. It is a very sad day when I run out of this. It is my go to cleaner for so many things. Plus, it is SO easy. 

Now onto the biggest reason why I started this blog: PCOS! Infertility! Surrogacy! Inducing lactation! Gastric bypass! My journey over the years struggling with all of these things starts with this:

When I was 14 I was diagnosed with PCOS. At 14, I had no idea how it was going to affect me over the years, and even at *gasp* 26, I still am shocked at how I am affected. Over these last 12 years, I have had every PCOS sympton known to man. I have had the weight gain, the acne, the facial and body hair, the dark patches on my skin, the ovarian cysts, the practically non-existent cycles, the insulin resistance, the hormone imbalances... need I go on? At first, I wasn't too upset. It meant I didn't have to deal with Aunt Flow like the rest of the girls I knew. Who wouldn't love to not have to worry about if someone can see your pad, if you were going to bleed through, if you had gym class that day, and all those other awkward and embarrassing things that every 14 year old girl dreads? Even in my late teens, I wasn't too concerned about it. I cared about the spare tire I had around my waist more than anything. It wasn't until 2007 and my wedding vows were said that I started to wonder if there were going to be more issues that I originally thought. I mean, babies come when you skip a period right? Well, if you aren't having periods, then how can you skip one? Hmmm. Off the doctor and thus begins the journey that almost 7 years later, we are still blindly making our way through.

It is hard, it sucks, some days I feel I cry the whole day. The hardest part is the unknown and the not understanding! One thing I do know is that I serve an amazing and compassionate God that has far more for me than I could ever fathom, especially in my times of trial. I know there is a rainbow for me at the end of this storm!