All I Want for Christmas is a Laparoscopic Myomectomy

While I won't withdraw my concerns noted in an earlier posting regarding soy milk, I feel that I must update this blog with the latest on my 'situation'. I have been diagnosed with a large fibroid tumor in my uterus, and this, not the soy milk, is what is causing my cycles to go wild.

Now, again, I do plan to avoid soy, as the studies I've read have been alarming. But, alas, when I couldn't straighten things out, I went back to my ObGyn for another exam. An ultrasound revealed a sizeable fibroid tumor in my uterus, and it must come out.

My doctor and I first saw the fibroid on a sonogram when I had my ill-fated pregnancy a couple of years ago now. It was very small and not bothersome at the time, but apparently it's grown since then and is now causing issues.

I've studied up on fibroids since getting the news. While they are a real bother to about 25% of the female population in their 30s and 40s, the truth is that most women develop fibroids at those ages -- it's just that they remain small and unnoticed in the majority of the population. Only the lucky few of us have an issue with them. Unfortunately, I am one of those who do.

And although fibroids are noted as a tumor, they are almost never cancerous, and I am hoping that my luck holds on the statistics quoted. No one really knows what causes them or what causes them to grow in some people and not others. But they do, and when they start to wreak havoc, they must be dealt with. I'm opting for a laparoscopic myomectomy -- which basically means I'm having it taken out...as opposed to more radical surgery, like a hysterectomy. I just hope the specialist affirms my choice.

Now, I'd like for this to come out of me sooner rather than later because it is causing havoc with my life and my health. But, I can't seem to get in to see the specialist right away, so here I sit, waiting two more weeks before I can see a reproductive endocrinologist. And I can only imagine that it will be at least another few more weeks beyond that until the surgery can be done. I now have visions of spending my Christmas holidays in the hospital.

This is quite unfun and fairly uncomfortable, but I don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter.

So ultimately, I must apologize to soy milk...somewhat....but I will continue to avoid you in my diet. Regardless.

Welcome Home

Experience a little joy today by watching a few of these video clips......

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

Kardashians Beat Draper

How can it be?

A million more people tuned in to watch Khloe Kardashian marry her future ex-husband than tuned in to watch the season finale of 'Mad Men'.

WHAT is WRONG with you people?

I consistently stay hugely disappointed in the general public.

No More Soy

I've just spent the worst month of my life having 'female' problems, and it's not over yet. Ugh. Not only is it the physical issue, the stress and emotional angst along the way are significant. I'm exhausted.

My mind has been everywhere on this. Is it fibroids? Cancer? What? I'm working with my doctor to try to resolve it via medication vs. something more invasive. Turns out that we think it's a hormone imbalance, and yes, all of a sudden...out of the blue.

What could cause such a thing...out of the blue? Believe it or not - SOY MILK. I've just read the dangers of soy milk and the most noted issue with it is that it contains estrogen, which mimicks human hormones in the system and can throw a woman's cycles way off balance. How did I track this down? About a month ago, I started drinking two glasses of soy milk a day with a vitamin supplement in it. I stopped because it was upsetting my digestion. Then a week later, all this started. This is after 30 years of relatively healthy female cycles. BOOM. Suddenly, my hormones are out of whack.

A friend tells me that her gynecologist told her not to drink soy milk because she did not want her sensitve hormone balance to become impaired. Seems like a long shot, but it looks like that's exactly what happened to mine.

So here's a warning from someone who's been there - if you find yourself having PMS, mid-cycle bleeding, cramps or other issues, stop drinking the soy. Put it down and walk away from it. But don't listen only to me -- Google it -- articles on 'the dangers of soy' bring up some distressing information. I can't believe this isn't more widely known by the world. Where is the FDA on this?

And reading beyond my own problems, studies are suggesting that infants who drink soy-based milk are at risk -- baby girls are getting as much estrogen hormone from a soy diet as 10 birth control pills! And we wonder why our daughters are growing breasts and starting periods by age 9 or 10. It's the hormones, stupid!

I only hope I can get this back into balance soon. And I will never, ever touch a drop of soy milk ever again.

Gratuitous Cuteness

There is no real reason for this post except that I ran into this little guy online and fell in love. I have a slight Shih Tzu obsession, and this fluffball is total eye candy for me. Looking at it makes me happy. I cannot do so without smiling.

I like animals so much more than I like people. Put me in a roomful of furballs anytime.

Eat, Pray, Love, Watch

When I've read and loved a book, I'm always skeptical when I hear that Hollyweird is turning it into a motion picture, and once again, my feelings are the same here. I just heard that Julia Roberts is off jetting around the globe filming Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Will they be able to capture the depths of the heroine's angst at the beginning of the book? Can they capture the bottomless emptiness she felt that drove her to her journey? And what about the joy she experienced in Italy, India, Thailand? Will that come through the screen with the same vivid emotion that leapt from the page? I don't know if they can recreate it.

And Julia Roberts? While she is a decent actress, I wish they had chosen a no-name....someone with an interesting face that isn't so familiar to all of us. Why? Because the focus should be on the story, on the angst, on the joy...not on the actress. Perhaps this should have been made via an Indie film, where the focus is on the characters and the story and the dialogue and not the actors or wardrobe or other peripherals. This feels like a film that could be made beautifully without a big studio budget behind it.

I'll definitely see it when it hits, and I'm hopeful....but mostly skeptical. I fear they will ruin it for all of us.

See you at the movies.

Beyond Ridiculous

This is beyond ridiculous.

I heard someone on TV asking what the point was to airbrush a super skinny model to be even thinner.

The point is that we're all talking about it, aren't we?

Double Miles

Good thing I'm earning double miles on American Airlines right now. For the next little while, I'll probably be one of their most frequent flyers.

Today? Off to Virginia with a drive to North Carolina for a visit to the Outer Banks. Duck, North Carolina. Never been there, so a new adventure. We'll be staying with 5 other couples (family/friends) in the beach house pictured above.

Next....after NC, off to Florida again for two weeks. Then back to Dallas. Then San Diego, Dallas, Toronto, Dallas, Florida, Dallas, Florida and Dallas again. All that with double mileage ought to earn me a free ticket. At least.

60's Glamour

Plunking around on the internet today, I couldn't help but notice the retro looks being highlighted in places like Neiman Marcus. They're calling it "60s Glamour".

Most of what leaps to mind for me about the 60s is anything but glamorous -- hippies, granola heads, love children -- hardly falls into the glamourous category. So they must be talking about the early 60s....the Jackie days....the days before the Woodstock crowd took over and ruined our wardrobes forever.

I can't help but believe this has been fully influenced by the AMC show "Mad Men". I'm amazed at how one little show on an 'off'' network has managed to grab such attention. But it has. It's on my Sunday night schedule every week. And yes, I started watching it mostly for the fashions. They're fabulous.

Let it Rain

Rain, rain, rain....the rain came down all day today. I don't think there was a moment when it stopped. It quietly, evenly poured every minute. But I didn't really mind. It kept me indoors turning attention to things that needed it like cleaning the house, doing the laundry and packing for my trip to Toronto next week.

My husband wasn't here today, so I did 'girl' things. Post-cleaning and laundry, I got online and wardrobe shopped. But instead of buying online, I went shopping in my own closet. I found an outfit online that I really liked, then went searching in my own closet to recreate it. And I did pretty well actually. May have even saved a few hundred dollars by mixing and matching things I don't normally wear together. The addition of an odd accessory here or there, and viola -- a new look.

All this while watching a 'Sex and the City' marathon, which prompted me to be even more 'wardrobe-creative'. I never get tired of watching Carrie and the girls. It's like visiting old friends.

Tonight? Feels like it's time for a home spa session. I see a white terry robe, a leisurely bath, a facial, a sappy paperback and a glass of Conundrum all in my near future. Not the most exciting of evenings, but indulgent and soul-nourishing, nonetheless. Sometimes a girl needs an indulgent night alone.