The eat nothing tasty diet - progress

It's day 35 of my anti-allergen diet (no gluten, dairy, eggs, soy). I feel like 35 days is sufficient time to make some observations that aren't just one-day flukes. Here's how my body has responded so far:

The first few days I was extremely tired and lethargic, and quite bloated. I figured it was either not working or my body was just in a sort of withdrawal that would pass with time.

Things started to improve after about a week. I began to feel way more energetic and alert. A few days later I also noticed that my digestive system was working much more efficiently - no more bloating/constipation. Most interestingly, I was LESS hungry even though I was eating less. I presume this means that I am absorbing more nutrients from the food and my body doesn't keep asking for more. 

It's actually weird to feel full. I'm so used to always being hungry and therefore always having room for seconds/thirds. It's a very bizarre experience to look at food and not want to put it in my mouth! No complaints though =)

And the coup d'etat - NO MORE ACNE!!! Unbelievable! Not even one tiny zit to be found for weeks. If you've ever struggled with acne, you know how frustrating and demoralizing it can be. You also know the amazing feeling you get on an acne free day (I've had only a handful since puberty). Not only does this make me feel awesome on the outside, it makes me think that things are also working better on the inside.

Now, on to the TTC related things. When I started the diet I was on CD 19 with no sign of ovulation (CM totally dry, OPK's all negative). After giving up the bread, I ovulated within 10 days and had a 44 day cycle. That is the shortest cycle I have ever had, and is even recognized as within the "normal" range by some. Now I am on day 10 of this new cycle, and we'll see if ovulation occurs within a reasonable time again, or whether last cycle was a fluke.

Missing Cat - Reward - 100 kibbles

I have been totally M.I.A. from this blog for some time. But whatever, this is to be used on a needs-basis. I have actually been bumming around the blogosphere reading other people's blogs but not posting on my own, which I think is a good sign (that I don't feel the need to vent about anything at the moment).

Nothing major has happened recently. I'm still working, going to yoga, and playing with the cat. I'm still charting, but not googling/messageboarding as obsessively as before.

I guess I'm just in a place of nothingness at the moment and feeling ok about it. And that's pretty great.

I do want to write an entry about my gluten-free diet progress, as I want to have a solid record of it. I will get on that.

Yeah, baby! ...not quite

Ok, I don't know if it's the new diet or just pure luck, but YEAH BABY! We have ovulation!! Not to mention it's on CD 32, which is like, unheard of. That means this cycle will be around 45 days long. I have never gone below 60 days.

The "not quite" part in the blog title refers to the fact that, as you perverts may have already noticed, there was no BD'ing anywhere near the big O on account of hubbs being away. I suppose I could have BD'ed with someone else here, but would rather not.



So definitely no chance of a kitten this time around, but we're making progress!

Epic Wins

I know I spend a lot of time whining about bad things that happen to me (at least I feel like I do)... but I really am a firm believer in balance and karma. You win some, you lose some. Sometimes fortune smiles upon you, sometimes it takes a dump on your head. So even though the past year has been filled with unhappy and disappointing events (i.e. dead babies), I still had faith that eventually things would turn around and balance out the horribleness. And they have.

In the last 24 hours I got great news about two very different but important things:

1. I was hired as a full-time lawyer by my firm, which is something I have been working towards for the past 7 years. Woot.

2. I found out that my blood work and ultrasound are normal and I do NOT appear to have PCOS. Double woot.

All of a sudden I have renewed energy for this TTC process, and for life in general. Even though today the doctor offered Clomid to speed things up, I declined. I have the strength and patience to let nature take its course (at least for a little while). And now that I'm basking in this glory, I am thinking of all you peeps out there who may be going through a rough patch, and hoping that you all get to experience an upswing very very soon, because you all deserve it. Word.

Isn't it IRONic

Alanis Morissette's song Ironic isn't really ironic. "Rain on your wedding day" is not really ironic so much as just shitty. Same for "good advice that you just can't take". Not ironic. Wikipedia agrees with me on this, so I rest my case.

Similarly, this post is not actually ironic - but don't be disappointed, there is still a play on words! This post is about iron, as in the metallic element listed as "Fe" on Mendeleev's Periodic Table, with atomic number 26. *Nerd snort*. More precisely, this post is about my LACK of said iron and how it may be the key to everything that's been going on with my body of late.

Here's the deal. I am severely anemic. My ND says he has never seen someone with such bad numbers, and coincidentally with such long menstrual cycles. He believes the two are linked, and that this may also explain my tendency to miscarry. So far, that makes sense to me.

The real question is why I am so lacking in this essential mineral. I went through a vegetarian spell a long time ago, but have been eating plenty of meat and other iron-rich foods. The problem is with absorption in the gut, and the suspected culprits are common allergens such as dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts, etc. which irritate my belly and prevent it from functioning optimally.

Facts that are consistent with this theory:
- I don't menstruate when I'm exercising regularly (exercise takes up the little iron I have left).
- I am also low on other nutrients that are essential to a successful pregnancy: Vit D, Vit B, Calcium, Magnesium.
- I have constant indigestion and all the other things listed in the Pepto Bismol jingle.

So the plan right now is to clear my diet of all those things and see if the numbers improve over time. I am more than happy to do this as I am already very particular about what I eat.

Interestingly, the ND said that he has never seen anyone with such a long cycle (2-5 months). As much as I would love to be so special, I have a hard time believing this is such a rare thing, since I know a number of ladies in the blogosphere who have super long cycles. I am definitely going to cross-check everything he said with my OB and possibly get a second opinion to confirm.

A most enjoyable spin class

I signed up for the "30 day challenge" at my yoga studio. This involves attending a class each day for 30 consecutive days. So far it has definitely been "challenging", both schedule-wise and physically, even though I haven't been doing that many intense hot classes. It's amazing how much energy you use up by just stretching for an hour...

Anyway, today I decided to kick it up a notch and go to a spin class (they do a weird yoga + cycling thing, that actually works). A most interesting thing happened when I got on the bike... I know that I'm in high pre-ovulation mode these past few days, and I know that one thing that happens is you feel, umm, more easily pleasured, but I did not expect to feel it through my padded bike shorts! Goooood tiiiiimes.