I went for my "well woman" exam for the first time in 2 years this week. I hadn't been in so long because my appointments kept getting cancelled due to the rise of Covid cases in the area. I ended up switching practices and I'm glad I did as this one is a mere 5 minutes from my house.
It's never pleasant having to strip naked and put your puss in some doctor's face, but this new doctor was really nice. I told her about my increased risk for blood clots and she agreed that the birth control pills I had been on were not good for me at all. She saw that I'm on blood pressure medication and noted that the birth control pills I had been on can *also* raise blood pressure. I hadn't even thought of that! It's been a few weeks since being off of the birth control pills and my blood pressure was, for once, normal when they took it. I wish I had stopped taking them sooner.
We discussed other options for birth control that don't have the blood clot risk, including the arm implant (nexplanon), an IUD, and progestin only pills. I chose the pills because the arm implant can cause weight gain and I do NOT need that and I'm just not a fan of the sound of an IUD. I picked up the pills from the pharmacy but I haven't taken them yet and I won't take them until I see a need for them, aka I resume having sex on a regular basis. My doctor said some people say the progestin only pills don't make them feel good, so I worry what they'll be like, if and when I do take them. For now, I'm enjoying being free of any extra pills in my body.
Nick's reaction to my decision to stay off birth control for now was less than ideal. He was definitely encouraging me to take these new pills, even though I stated clearly that I don't want to right now. I said he will just have to "wrap it up" if we ever do have sex and he complained. "I'll have to wear a condom!?!??!" He said it with such shock. Yeah dumbass, unless you want to get me pregnant, which I know you don't want because you don't want kids, so yes, you will have to wear a condom. It annoyed me how off putting the thought of wearing a condom was to him. I'm supposed to take a daily pill that fucks my body up and he can't wear a condom for 10 minutes? Lame. I suggested that he could get a vasectomy instead but he said that there is no way anyone will ever "cut" his balls. I rolled my eyes at this and explained what a simple outpatient procedure a vasectomy is, but he couldn't stand the thought. Idk, seemed kinda wimpy to me. His reaction was such a turn off to me that I know we won't need any condoms or pills anytime soon. Suits me!
Anyways, my new nephew Max is growing more every day. Amber is definitely struggling a lot harder than she thought she would. She said she thought she would love the newborn phase but she definitely doesn't. With Max being so small and needing constant feedings around the clock, she has gotten very little sleep. Her milk supply also didn't fully come in so she is having to supplement with formula, but there's a nationwide formula shortage right now due to a recall and supply chain issues, so that has caused her massive anxiety. She wants to quit pumping completely and switch to full formula, but the the shortage has her worried. So, she's still trying to pump as much as she can, but she only gets a little bit of milk at a time. She said the constant pumping is depressing because she can't hold Max and bond with him while she's doing it. She admitted to grieving the life she had before Max and I told her that was totally normal. Everything she is going through is a total shock - it's like wtf did I just do to my life?! But she loves her baby boy and each day things get better as he gets bigger and stronger. She's currently insisting that she doesn't want anymore kids after this, but I bet she'll change her mind once these tough days are a distant memory.
My car needs new tires and I got to use Nick's tire discount, getting 4 tires for only $415! Amber recently had to get tires too but she got hers through a dealership, which cost her over $800. I'll probably have the installed sometime next week. What a boring adult I am, excited over a good deal on tires!
I only have 4 weeks left of work and only 2 weeks left with students and teachers. I'm looking forward to 6 weeks off! We don't have a family beach trip planned as usual but I'm kind of okay with that. We usually rent a condo for a week but I'm kind of glad we haven't this year. As I've gotten older, a whole week at the beach is kind of a lot. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but I also miss being in my own home and being with my cat, Ollie. It's also a lot of work to drag stuff out to the beach everyday, slather up with sunscreen, etc. I've also become the breakfast chef for beach trips, so it's a lot of cooking in the mornings for me. I've also not had luck with the ocean lately and have gotten stung by jellyfish larvae for the last two summers. I was covered in a horrific itchy rash the summer before last. I got stung last summer too but luckily I didn't break out into a rash. It's just not very relaxing to feel constant little stings and itching when you're trying to have a good time swimming in the ocean, ya know?
This summer, I hope to do lots of swimming at the lake near my family and I hope to spend lots of time with my friend Brittany, who I reconnected with about a year ago after years (like maybe 10) of separation. Speaking of Brittany, she has actually moved away from where I live and back to our hometown, so now she too is 80 miles away like all of my family. I really enjoyed having a friend that lived near me but now that's gone. We have vowed to continue hanging out and it really isn't a big deal as I'm constantly visiting my hometown anyway. It'll just be a little tough to now fit in time with Brittany, my family, AND Nick's family all in 2 day weekends.
I just hung out with Brittany last weekend, in fact. Nick and I were in town for Mother's Day and I promptly dumped Nick off at his mother's house and met up with Brittany for drinks. We hadn't seen each other since the end of March, so we were WELL overdue for some girl time. We enjoyed ourselves, as always. I got to see her new apartment and meet her cat, Samantha, finally! Her apartment reminds me a lot of my old apartment, which I loved. When I walked in and saw her place, I was immediately jealous. Having never lived alone in my life, I was jealous of her cute little spot that is all her own. Of course, I am very glad and thankful that I own a home as I know it's better than renting, blah blah blah. Still, the thought of having a place that's all yours and having no one to answer to just sounds like a dream! While we were having drinks, a song by The Weeknd came on and we both started singing along. I didn't realize she liked The Weeknd, but she does! Cue us buying tickets to see him on his stadium concert tour! The tickets weren't cheap (about $350 each), but worth it! The concert will be in another state, so that will involve getting a hotel and stuff, but I'm so excited! I've wanted to see The Weeknd for ages and to see him with Brittany will be SO fun!!!!! Giiiiiirls tripppp!
TGIF! Nick has plans to meet up with a coworker after work, so I'm looking forward to some uninterrupted time in front of the tv with some wine. His friend better not cancel or ELSE! Our dinner plan is for Nick to pick up pizza on his way home. Yum! We're also going to get garlic knots and mozzarella sticks! Yummmmmmmm
12:34 p.m. - Friday, May. 13, 2022