Thursday, September 8, 2011

OPKs, Temps, and Mucinex

A cyster's life is full of medical equipment, nebulizers, bottles of supplements, enzymes, antibiotics, PICC lines, hospital stays, and doctor appointments. Needless to say, my life often feels very medical. I barely notice how different our apartment looks from that of an average apartment. The vest in the corner, the nebulizer next to the couch, the sterilized neb cups in the kitchen, the cabinets dedicated to enzymes and meds. Even my routine of doing treatments three times a day and popping pills without thinking twice seems somewhat normal because it is all I have ever known in my adult life. I find it dumbfounding that friends of mine complain about taking their birth control pills the same time e.v.e.r.y. d.a.y!!!!! I just can't fathom not being able to take one measly little pill each day. A cyster remembers dozens and we do a pretty damn good job. My OB upon seeing all my meds listed said, "How do you keep them all organized, do you have a giant pill box?" She didn't realize that most of them are nebbed, but even so no pill box necessary. I just know I need to take my meds and so I do. Simple as that.

Now as normal as my life seems I know it is far from normal. I just need to glance at my husbands routine to realize this. I don't mind that my life is extra complicated so much. I mean I would be more than willing to give up CF and all the crap it comes with in half a second, but I have gotten somewhat used to it. But there is one thing that I just want to keep out of the medical realm- having a baby.

Okay, I know this sounds silly. Being pregnant requires an obscene amount of blood draws and doctors appointments. What I mean is I just want to have a baby the old fashion way. I want to wake up one morning after only a few months of trying for a baby and realize my period still has not appeared. I want to create a baby out of love and not in a medical office. Medical offices already take over my life I want this one act, creating another life, to be free of doctors and sterile environments and needles and nurses.

Although this is my wish I am not dumb. I realize natural conception is not always feasible with CF and so I must remind myself that regardless of how a child is brought into this world, it will still be a beautiful love story. I have decided that I will do as much as I can to increase my chances of conceiving a baby without the assistance of a doctor. I have started officially temping, stocked up on OPKs, and started taking Mucinex religiously. Although, I wish I could be like my friend who recently found out she was pregnant by old fashion baby dancing often mid month my desire for a baby exceeds my need to create a child without "assistance"

5 comments:

  1. I feel the exact same way. I just bought a bunch of Ovulation Test strips and we're going to try those out for a few months.
    I asked my CF Dr about taking Mucinex and she didn't think it would help at all. I'm wondering if you've asked your DR about taking it, or just started taking it on your own? I'm all about getting pregnant as 'natural' as possible, but hey, what's one more pill added to the daily routine. (And I think the SAME thing about people who complain about BC!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great article! I always forget how different we are from everyone else, but then when people ask me about my vest or about how many pills I take, I'm snapped back to reality. I'm sorry that you're having to chart and buy OPKs and take the mucinex. I am going to ask my DR. about the mucinex, see what they say. I see it so often on the forums - who knows.

    I just wish we could all get pregnant the natural way!! Well, regardless of which way it happens, here's hoping for BFPs for ALL of us! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't ask my doc about Mucinex for ttc, but a long time ago I asked about using it when I got sick. My doc said that (in regards to CFers, not the general pop) some people think it works and some don't. He wasn't very confident in it, but said it can't hurt. I decided if it can't hurt then I am using it while ttc. Even for the placebo effect :)

    This charting thing is a whole new ballgame and a little confusing, but whatever works I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Charting IS confusing. I would definitely check out the book I read (I know we talked about it before, but..) Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It helped me out. I have a REALLY strange pattern for my temps so I'm still getting used to it but it's not as hard as I originally thought it was. It's still not fun though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That book is on my to do list. Thanks! This is my first month charting so I am still figuring out what constitutes dips and spikes and all that. I am sure the more months of data you have the more it makes sense.

    ReplyDelete