Getting ready

My surgery was over a month ago now and my cycle since then has been all over the place.  Both Fertility Friend and I have been a little confused as to exactly when I ovulated this cycle but it looks like it was alot later than usual as I am now at day 31 and still no sign of AF.  I normally have a 27 day cycle with ovulation on day 14.  My temps have been all over the place for most of the month but they finally seem to be settling down into a regular pattern again so hopefully that's a good sign that everything will be ok for my next cycle.

It sounds weird but my insides seem a little different since the op.  I get sharp twinges in there from time to time when I move around, especially around the incision at my belly button.  It's almost like I can feel new adhesions growing in there or something which is silly but that's what I keep thinking.  And (possibly TMI) my vajayjay seems different too!  Very weird.  Anyway ... at this point we are both just hanging out for day 1 so we can get our first cycle of TTC underway.  Scout is very excited and keeps asking about AF which is cute :)  Since there is nothing else to do till then, I am just focusing on my body and my diet and trying to do all the right things.

When I think back on the last string of months leading up to this point, I feel pretty good about how far I've come in terms of preparing my body.  In some ways I feel like I should have started preparing earlier but for 4 months I think I've done ok.  I've been taking my extra vitamins and a probiotic, cut out caffeine and alcohol (caffeine was pretty big as I was an energy drink addict), started eating healthier food and organic food when possible (we started growing our own vegies which has helped), increased my water intake which has been hard and still is, quit smoking (also hard especially since Scout didn't join me!), restored my zinc levels (which were way out) and increased my exercise from almost non-existant to 4 times a week.  My body has definately changed.  And one of the biggest changes has been that my allergies are now under control.  12 months ago I was sick all day every day and had been for over a year with what seemed like a bad cold that would never go away.  It was probably the most stressful thing I have had to deal with trying to hold down a full time job while being so unwell for such an extended period of time.  I finally got tested for allergies and have since been having desensitisation therapy for grass and dust mites and I now feel human again.  I still have fortnightly injections for it but my resistance is at a level where I think I would cope at least for a while being off them (ie if/when we get pregnant).  This has made a huge difference in terms of my quality of life.  Allergies might not sound like a big deal but they can be disabling and when untreated over a long period of time, it can take you to a bad place.  I had honestly tried everything and been to so many doctors and none of them  helped me.  I was seriously at the end of my rope ... so I'm just glad one of them finally sent me to a specialist because there is no way I would be able to get pregnant now if I was still that unwell.  Anyway the great thing now is that I am so much healthier.  I still feel pretty tried juggling full time work with family life but now I can breathe!  I'm starting to lose weight, my skin is clearer and even my fingernails are growing faster :)

The biggest thing I think I need to focus on now is my mental health.  My load at work has just doubled so my days are pretty full on.  Fortunately I don't tend to bring much of it home with me and I tend to be able to switch off when I am home, but being so busy sometimes means I don't always make enough time for the little things I enjoy that give me balance ... like playing with the girls, our animals and just spending time in our garden.  Easter will be here soon so the break will do me good ... and I've managed to get time off over the period when we will most likely be inseminating so hopefully that will help.  Only 4 more days at work now so I am looking forward to it :)  In the meantime, I might go spend today in our garden and hopefully tomorrow ... AF will arrive!