Proud to be an American

20 years ago I arrived on the campus of UNC-Greensboro to learn more about government and leadership. Thanks to the dedicated staff, I enjoyed one of the best weeks of my life. I have been so lucky to continue this tradition every June since.

I'm in there somewhere...

The Tar Heel Girls State program has been such a huge part of my life, I tend to forget that a lot of people don't exactly know what it is. There are so many that have never even heard of it. In a nutshell, THGS is week long workshop in the legislative process sponsored by the North Carolina American Legion Auxiliary. North Carolina's program is the longest continuously-running (this was the 74th session!!) Girls State program in the United States. For a week in June, approximately 300 of North Carolina's most promising rising high school senior girls from every part of the state come together to learn about and  participate in various parts of government. The "citizens" will form a mock city & state government throughout their week including creating a political party with platform ideas and participating in a mock state legislature by debating and voting on bills and laws.

We have been blessed with amazing speakers over the years including past governors, US Senators Elizabeth Dole & John Edwards (pre-scandal) and many state & local politicians and experts in various fields. Certain speakers have developed such a fondness for the program, that they consistently return to speak to and empower these young ladies.

Janet Ward Black, Attorney in Greensboro and Elaine Marshall, North Carolina Secretary of State (taken 2013)

After being at UNCG for so many years, we relocated to the campus of Catawba College 12 years ago. The people of this school have been so gracious and wonderful to us over the years. I can honestly say, several of them I count among my friends because of this association.

The week is filled with SO many activities. Sessions are scheduled almost non-stop from 8AM to 9PM. Our staff meetings don't even start until 11:00 at night! Whew...this makes for such a long week. But I wouldn't trade a single minute of it.

The feeling of doing something good for young ladies that have so many of the same passions as I did back in high school coupled with the AMAZING relationships I have built over the years drives me to return year after year (after year).

A lot of you know the story about how I met JGIII while being a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. That friend was made through years of being counselors together at THGS. We truly have a lifelong friendship that goes way beyond the boundaries of this program-JGIII and I consider her and her family, our family.

myself and Andrea at Catawba before an inauguration (circa 2005-the year she married her husband and introduced me to mine)

She's only one of the great friends I've made by attending and working this program for so long. I'm not even sure I could count up all the wonderul people that have touched my life in the past 20 years. And every year I meet more girls that hold a special place in my heart.


2005 Staff in Clifford, the Big Red Truck

I may only see these ladies for one week out of the year (although I sure wish it was more often) but I consider them sisters in my life.We have shared so many things over the years like weddings and babies but we've also helped each other through hardships. If nothing else, I know each and every one of these women would be there for me no matter what I needed. And that road goes both ways.

Julie, me, Susan, Andrea (taken 2006)

Saturday's closing ceremonies are always so bittersweet for me. I DEFINITELY need sleep when it's all over and going home to my own bed is the goal all throughout the week but saying "goodbye" to them is one of the hardest things I will do.



Rena, Marsha, Susan, Julie, me, Grace, Anna (taken 2012)

I know a time will come in the future when I'm not successful at this and need to move on. For now...I think I'll enjoy that one week every June when I get to reconnect with these special people. I love you all and am so proud to call each of you my friend. Thank you for everything...

Bridgette, me, Marsha, Julie, Grace, Susan (taken 2013)

I can only hope that the young women of this 74th session of Tar Heel Girls State feel the same level of dedication from some of the best women (and friends) I have ever known.

I can't end this post without a rendition of one of the more emotional things from our week. As corny as it seems to some, Lee Greenwood's song "God Bless the U.S.A." has become a favorite of ours, both because of the patriotism we share as participants and because of the direct connection many of us have to the military. This song is amazing when you hear 300+ people singing together.

THGS sings God Bless the U.S.A.

Beef Burger...Biff Burger



I had a "first" on this past Saturday....I got to eat at Beef-Burger in Greensboro. JGIII has been talking about this place since I met him but I've never been to it. He's taken me to several of his favorite places since we met, Yum-Yums (LOVE the hot dogs!), Ghassan's (you know I can't pass up Greek food), etc. but this one remained on the list. We were making the trip to the 'Boro to go to a grad party and also celebrate Mother's Day while we were there. We got into town early and ran some errands but ended up eating a late lunch. JGIII suggested this place. And let me tell you, when we pulled in the parking lot, I wasn't sure how good it would be. It was definitely crowded which is always a good sign when you visit a new place.

Beef Burger is on Lee St. in Greensboro, near UNC-G's campus. You can also get there from High Point Rd. off of I-40. It apparently used to be called "Biff-Burger" back in the day. Those were a chain of restaurants around the country which started in the mid-1950s as drive up burger stands. I read that the Greensboro location was renamed in the 1980s and is one of only TWO left in the country. Wow!

It was also featured in the movie "Bull Durham"-it's famous!!

You can read more about the history here...



This is my DELICIOUS burger.

 They cook the burgers on a round broiler with the buns on the lower level-this way the delicious grease from the burger drips down on to the bun. Then before putting it together they dip the burger into the Biff-Burger "Special" Sauce. Oh. My. Goodness. It was slap yo' momma good. I'm not usually a huge burger person but sitting here typing this I'm already craving another one. Their menu was HUGE. I couldn't even take everything in that they served. We also had fries (as you do) and believe it or not fried broccoli and cheese bites that were awesome. Who knew?!? Take a look at this menu. We left with our dessert-Oreo milkshakes that were so thick I could almost not get it through the straw but the perfect ending to lunch.

I definitely recommend this "dive" for anyone who is in Greensboro and looking for some good greasy food. I will certainly be paying a visit to it the next time I'm visiting that way.

Side Story:
Back when I was a kid I used to love those machines that you put a quarter into and it spit out an egg with a treasure inside. Specifically the "Flintstone" ones that had Fred spinning around and saying Yabba Dabba Doo were the best. When we sat down at the booth I looked over and dang if Beef Burger didn't have one of those machines.

Before we left, I HAD to try it out. It didn't disappoint. He still spun around and still yelled out his fabulous catchphrase. 

I am now the proud owner of a genuine "gold" (in color) necklace. Who cares-it was the fun of doing it.



Back to My Creativity - On a Budget

Since this blog was originally created to share FUN and CREATIVE things (not my fertility journey)-it's about time to get back to that!

I actually made this wreath a few weeks back but didn't get to share because I was posting about all the medical stuff. Now that it's temporarily behind me, I wanted to show the SUPER easy wreath that I made for Spring/Summer.

Of course, the idea came from Pinterest (what idea do I have that doesn't start there?).This is the original pin.

I got all my supplies together which only required 1 trip to Michaels believe it or not. (Not technically true because mom had to pick up the paint for me when she was there at some point.) I love the ribbon that I found. It's so feminine and springy without being flowery. I found some great flowers at Michaels but 1 bunch of daisies was $7!! Are you kidding? I headed over the Dollar Tree (thanks to some tips I picked up from other crafters online) and found these perfect flowers for $1. Yes! By using my 40% Off coupon at Michaels, I ended up spending about $5 for the whole project. Score!

One of my biggest hurdles when making anything is a bow. I am TERRIBLE at bow making. It shouldn't be that I hard to make some loops and tie it up and it look pretty but I just cannot figure it out. Usually I just ask mom to do it for me but this time I was determined I could do something easier for this wreath. Again, I took to the internet (what CAN'T you find on Google?) and searched for tutorials on bow making. I found this little gem that was perfect for this wreath. It wouldn't be good for every project but it was just right this day.

Here's my bow before I put it on. I put the tape measure next to it so you got an idea how long the tails were.

A little paint on the letter, some hot glue and VOILA! It was done. Putting it all together only took about 10-15 minutes. I made a loop and glued it to the back so that I would have a hanger for it. It probably doesn't need to hang down as long as it does but I wasn't going to go back and redo it. I'm really pleased with something so simple that I can now leave out throughout the spring and into summer.

Under the Knife

I had NO idea what to call this blog post but I did want to share this part of my journey here since I have had so many people supporting me and reaching out to me throughout this journey.

I mentioned in my last post, after my most recent doctor's visit, that I would have to have a surgical procedure done to close off my fallopian tubes in order to keep the fluid that is created in them, out of my uterus. This fluid has been described to me as "toxic" to both my eggs and any sperm that are introduced as well as similar to oil in that if the doctor was to implant a fertilized embryo into my uterus, it would be very difficult if not impossible to implant along the uterine wall.

The process for rectifying this situation, is by inserting a clamp on the fallopian tube at the point in which it meets the uterus. Bluntly, this is a tubal ligation. However, I like to use the medical term of bilateral tubal occlusion because it doesn't sound as if I am electing to have the procedure done. Trust me when I say, if there was any other process I could do, I would.

1. I don't love the idea of having surgery (who does?) and
2. I'm completely distraught over the idea that I am not going to have the option of getting pregnant naturally after this is done.

All this being said, I have now been told by 2 doctors that my chances of getting pregnant without any intervention, would be almost impossible.That coupled with the fact that we have been trying to conceive for over 2 years (with breaks for the health issues I've encountered), leads me to the decision that this is the best course of action for us to proceed with IVF. I have prayed about this over and over and really have achieved a sense of peace about this procedure.

Worst case scenario (according to Dr. Fritz) is that he gets in there and finds way more scar tissue than he expects. If that's the case, and he can't get to the tubes. He will stitch me back up and not do anything. He assured me that it's OK if this happens, we can still move forward with IVF, it'll just make the journey that much harder. As he puts it, we want to "tip the balance as much in our favor as possible" before starting the process. I'm praying for nothing less than a perfect surgery and for everything to be better than he expects. From my lips, to God's ears...

So, tomorrow, Thursday, May 2, I will be heading over the Ambulatory Care Center at UNC to have an outpatient, laparoscopic surgery done by Dr. Fritz. The surgery should take less than an hour and I should be fine by the weekend, only having "discomfort" as he calls it. We'll see. At least he's giving me some prescriptions in case the pain is more than he's expecting it to be.

There are thousands of women every day that are going through the very same thing if not something much worse. It still can feel lonely at times with no one to share your feelings, etc. with (aside from JGIII of course-although he's probably tired of hearing me talk about it lol).

As always, I am grateful for each of you that has taken the time to read this and support me along this path. For those of you that have reached out to me, either in the comments or on Facebook-a huge thank you. I know that I am not alone in this journey.

Quick Update to "Uncertainties"

I wanted to write a quick update to my earlier post today...

Just got back from my appointment with the fertility clinic. Again, I can't stress enough how great Dr. Fritz is. If anyone is reading this, or knows someone who needs a reference on a fertility clinic I will definitely back them for everything I've had up to this point.

I had asked that other fertility clinic to send over my medical records (really just the results of the AMH blood test I had done) to UNC Fertility. As a reaffirmation of why I was NOT in the right place when I went there, they sent over records on a completely different person attached to my release. After calling and relaying my frustration to them (I was polite lol) they did manage to find the correct information and fax it over.

The good news....my AMH levels were great! Dr. Fritz couldn't have been more pleased. For those of you with a medical background, it was 7.4. Not sure what "normal" is but it was good news all the same. Before I left, Dr. Fritz wanted to do an ultrasound to get an idea of what my reproductive anatomy looked like.

He also had some concern that the ovaries had been moved out of place and were behind the uterus. More good news-they were right where they were supposed to be. :) The left ovary is VERY large (7 cm - 8 cm/normal is 2 cm) which presents it's own problems.

The next step is a surgical procedure to clamp off the tubes from the uterus. This will keep the fluid from getting into and possibly damaging the uterus. It also means that the fluid will not be there when they attempt to implant an egg down the road.

Overall...I give this appointment an A+. Dr. Fritz was encouraged by the news we had today and, like me, is taking this one step at a time.

God truly has answered all my prayers up to this point and I will continue to trust in Him that His will for my life will be done.

By telling my story, I have been reminded what terrific friends I have in my life. Those of you that I don't get to see or talk to on a regular basis, know that you are just as special to me and that your prayers and thoughts mean more to me than you know. To those of you that I lean on each and everyday (you know who you are)-thanks for always being there for me. Love to you all!

Uncertainties

I wasn't sure how I felt about blogging about this process but I have been reminded that there are so many people that have gone through this scenario before me and have lifted me up with their experiences that I would like the opportunity to do the same for someone in the future. I feel like that's one of the reasons that God has put me here on earth.

A short back story...I have had painful periods for as long as I can remember. My doctor originally put me on birth control to make it ease up and for years I was fine. After JGIII and I got married and we decided to start a family, I was no longer going to be on these pills. I began having worse and worse pain every month but thought it was something we (as women) just had to live with. I refused to ever let that be a reason for missing work or not being able to do something. Fast forward to 2 years ago. In a routine visit with my endocrinologist about bmy thyroid issues, she discussed with me the possibility of having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). No one had ever mentioned that to me before and after a simple blood test for my hormone levels, it was determined that I did in fact have that. I was put on Metformin (a diabetic drug) that has been shown to help with PCOS. After being on that for only 2 months, I ended up being in the hospital diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (a whole 'nother ordeal lol). While I was there, they confirmed that I didn't have quite a few cysts surrounding both of my ovaries. I got the UC under control and was seemingly fine. However, I was still not able to get pregnant and having those painful cycles. Each month that went by was more frustration and heartache that it hadn't worked.

Fast forward to 1 year ago. I was at home with the flu (the real flu-it'll teach me not to get a flu shot) and of course started my cycle at the same time (Murphy's Law). I was having such bad pain that I finally had to go to the emergency room. They decided it was my appendix which they removed but made sure to tell me that the cysts that had been on both of my ovaries were now abscesses. I left the hospital from the surgery and returned right back the next week because the pain had actually increased. Turns out those abscesses were causing high fevers and LOTS of pain.

My ob-gyn finally saw me and did an ultrasound. Something had to be done immediately. I was admitted for my 3rd hospital stay within a month and placed on high intravenous antibiotics. They also attempted to drain the abscesses around my ovaries. This was all the doctors combined efforts to save the ovaries as I was still trying to get pregnant for the first time. The procedure worked on my right ovary but not on the left. They successfully got the infection under control and happily I've had no fevers since then. However, in the past 2-3 months, the pain has been coming back with a vengeance. Some days I can go with only taking Advil/ibuprofen at bedtime other days I have to be on it every 6 hours or I can't function.

Because of the problems with the abscesses, my ob-gyn said I will have to see a fertility specialist to assist in our getting pregnant. I had my first appointment with a local clinic that many people I knew had used and were successful at. I met with the doctor on the first visit who told me there would be nothing they could BUT in vitro fertilization. I was totally not prepared for that. Because of the damage that was done by the infection, much of the area surrounding and including my ovaries is damaged. My fallopian tubes are at least partially blocked and the fluid that is supposed to be absorbed by your body is instead cycling around through my tubes, uterus, etc. This fluid will be instantly toxic to any egg or sperm that encountered it. The doc wanted to perform a sterilization procedure on me to seal off the tubes and keep this fluid out of the uterus. Wow! Imagine going in thinking they would go over the several steps you could take before in vitro but being told they wanted to "sterilize" you. Needless to say I was shaken up. I had been at this appointment alone because JGIII couldn't leave work and I was falling to pieces. I honestly felt hopeless at this point. To top everything off, before I left I had to meet with the financial person. I felt like they were just there to take my money.

As I am not one to relinquish control on anything, I decided to get a second opinion. I had several other people who recommended UNC Fertility. I did some online research and decided to give it a try. My meeting with Dr. Fritz was awesome. He spent SO much time with me and made sure I understood everything that he was talking about. He didn't rush or act like he had something else to do. He was totally honest with me that my body is really failing me in this area. He told me the same things that I had been told at the other clinic but I didn't feel like all hope was lost.

We are taking everything one step at a time.

Today is the first step. I had my AMH (Ovarian reserve) levels tested to see what my total number of egg storage is like. As long as it's good, it means that if we go through with the in vitro, the stimulation would be able to produce eggs. I'll be meeting in a short little while to get these results.

I'm saying lots of prayers today that things work out. I know this is in God's hands and I need to, as they say, "Let Go and Let God". Easier said than done sometimes.

Homemade Healthy

Since February, JGIII and I have been part of a challenge to lose weight. Of course things have gotten in the way over the past weeks (his being in the hospital for one) but we are both back on track and more than ready to keep losing. I am happy to say that I have lost about 10 pounds total and he has lost more than that so far. Our challenge ends on April 15 but I'm hoping we can keep it up past then.

In order to maintain this lifestyle, I've been looking for healthy/low-calorie recipes to make for dinner every night. I didn't post some of the other's I've made but last night's was SO easy that I had to share it here.

Enjoy!

Pesto Flatbread Pizza
Original link: http://crunchyfrugalista.com/flatbread-pizza-weight-watchers/

8 Weight Watchers Points

the ingredients...

1 Flatout Light Italian Wrap

1 tablespoon pesto spread

1/3 cup pizza blend cheese

Veggies (JGIII had just mushrooms and black olives, mine had mushrooms, black olives, green pepper slices and roma tomato slices)

Before it went into the oven...

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread pesto over entire surface of flatbread. Arrange veggies on your pizza, and top with cheese (I used a little more than it called for only beacuse I wanted the cheese to hold the veggies on the pizza). Bake for 10 minutes, and follow up with the broiler on high. I don't time this part-I just watch it until it's as brown as I'd like it.

the finished pizza...

What a great and easy dinner right?!? They were really good (I ended up eating 1 1/2 of them but it was totally worth it). I don't have the calories on this but the wrap is only 90 calories so it can't be too high since I only added pesto, cheese and veggies. 

I've got dinners lined up for the rest of this week so if they turn out as good as this one-I'll let you know.