Practically a doctor

I work around a lot of doctors and have a medical dictionary at my desk so I have thought of myself as practically a doctor for a while. I was kind of joking -- but I think I know more about reproduction than mnay ob/gyns. Scary.

I was talking to a friend who is many months into the ttc journey without luck thus far. She is in her early 30's. After trying for 9 months her doctor didn't ask any questions or give her any tips, just said keep having sex and come back after a year. After talking to her I can already say her cycles are too short and she likely has a luteal phase defect. I'll bet money that after the bell goes ding on a year she'll take clomid and maybe progesterone and get knocked up on her first or second cycle. Her doctor didn't suggest monitoring her cycle or keeping track -- which I don't understand? Why wait for the bell to start paying attention?

So, I gave her some sage advice and a suggested course of action -- and when she has that baby she better hope I have one too or I'll be furious!

Anyway, it just strikes me as such an unfortunate thing. I just wanted to have a baby, not become a doctor.

An LA moment

I didn't grow up in LA so I don't really understand the whole "Hollywood Thing." You see it at every turn here because of star sightings, and if they aren't stars yet, they have had the surgery to get where they want to go. My claims to fame are that my dermatologist is the one on Extreme Makeovers (she was my doctor first) and my ob/gyn delivers the babies of the ER stars, but so far not mine.

Back to my LA moment...at work today a woman who just started left a meeting with a colleague and exclaimed to another "I hear you did commercials as a child, so did I!" They exchanged their credits and one by one people emerged from their offices to share their experiences. One was a "pseudo stage mom" because she never cared and the daughter wasn't great. Another has a daughter who has kicked ass in Hollywood and earned enough money for a private college and grad school. Out of an office of five, I was a team of one. I live in a strange place.

The often overlooked ankle/uterus connection

I finally got in to see an orthopedist today to look at my ankle/foot. Since I was a new patient there I had to fill out a form about my medical history.

My question is this, what do pregnancies and miscarriages have to with my foot? I was really surprised to have to answer reproductive-related questions -- the form read: How many pregnancies? How many miscarriages? How many children? My score was 2 pregnancies; 1 miscarriage; 0 children. I needed a box marked other so I could explain about the loss I suffered at almost 5 months that wasn't a miscarriage because it was so late. But don't worry, we now know I have an incompetent cervix so we'll know what to do...and then there's the cyst they just removed and the clomid I'll start next cycle. Did they want to know about bed rest?

OF COURSE NOT! I was there about my freaking foot.

Pain not found in the "Ladies Place"

Who knew you could need a doctor for something not related to miscarriages, childbirth, fertility?

I wiped out my ankle and maybe fractured my foot Friday night and ended up at the urgent care part of the hospital on Saturday. They asked for my doctor's name and I could barely remember the name of my used-to-be doctor who referred me to my ob/gyn/fertility doc. Since then, the only things requiring medical assistance happen in the "ladies place."

Imagine that they didn't care that I had a laparoscopic cystectomy two weeks ago! Could have cared less where I was in my cycle! Pregnant! Yes or no? All these questions asked just after they manhandled my mangled foot and scampered from the room to push the x-ray button.

Luckily, they did care a little about the "ladies place" and tossed a metal lap apron my way as they ran from the room.

On another note, vicodin is awesome.