I am sleepy and trying to figure out if I want to march in a parade or just spectate. Would involve different clothing options, so no changing mind at last minute. I'm thinking of just watching, but then I feel guilty and like I might regret that.

In my Halloween-only experience, being in the parade is a thousand times more fun than being crammed in the sidelines. BUT if you think you might crap out at any time before it's all done, maybe not.

Nonsequitar: Dumbest shoes yet [link]

Enjoy the parade, meara, whether you decide to watch or march!

Go, JenP!

Yay coloured hair (and breakfast) Perkins! Eggplant with extra red sounds purty.

Comfort is not part of his creative process? If I had the money, his shoes would not be part of my wardrobe process.

Zen, can I ask your age? Gynos generally hesitate to do a hyst until they've tried other procedures, because it really IS major surgery, with a long recovery time.

I had ovarian cysts, so they took one ovary out first, and then when that didn't work, we went for the full hyst, and both ovaries are gone. They REALLY generally want at least one ovary to stay in there so you can avoid HRT.

I have had friends for whom a D&C helped for a while and they said that the pain from it was just about as bad as cramps. But get painkillers. Before the oophrectomy, my gyn (who, relaatedly, was awesome, because she had had the same problem as me, and also had pain and an early hyst -- I wish you were in KC so you could go to her, because she is fantastic) had me on Vicodin 3 days out of the month for the pain -- it helped with the agonizing cramps but not with the heavy blood loss weakness.

A hyst is nothing to do lightly -- it WAS the right decision for me, but I was 4 hours under the knife, since my cysts were all Alien-ed in me and had to be fought out. I have a high pain threshold, but it really was very painful, even with the morphine pump, and I was out for 6 weeks. I heal pretty quickly, and I thought I'd be able to be at work in 4, but I was wrong.

I totally get the frustration with dinking around with various solutions, but trying a D&C and seeing what that accomplishes before going into hyst territory really IS what a responsible gyn should do.

Morning rant (a.k.a. Oh, Facebook people. Really?)

I'm not prepared to have a discussion about illegal immigration to the U.S., because I am woefully uneducated about it, and I know it. I am aware enough to understand that it is a complex topic not suited to FB status line pronouncements.

So, naturally, someone on FB just posted something really glib, irritating, pointless, and stupid; I know it's all of those things, and I wish I could refute or at least address it intelligently. What I really wish is that I could download Stephanie's extensive experience and knowledge base into my brain and then got to town. Someone should invent that process.

Maybe I'll just post New Colossus as my status instead.

Deep breaths, and letting it go... what bugs me is that I love the guy who posted it, and I know he's not the jackass that post makes him sound like. I also know that he does not have an in depth (or, frankly, cursory) understanding of ANY OF IT either, so why go there, dude? Why?

OK, now deep breaths, and letting it go for real.

ETA: Thanks for the yays re: quitting smoking. It is possible I haven't quite worked out a new and improved de-stressor. Ha!

Immigration posts really irk me too, Jen. It IS a really complex issue, but ever since I taught so many kids who were illegal and/or whose parents were illegal, it just really bugs me.

People tend to talk out of their asses with no actual knowledge, and they can be so smug about it -- I'm like "Do you realize that these are REAL people and families you're talking about, many of whom are hard-working people who can here under great danger to try to get a piece of the same American Dream that YOUR great-greats did? Do you know how HARD it is? Do you realize you're talking about a lot of kids who have been here since they were very young, and who just want the same things you want, to go to college and have a job and a family and clean the house and do dishes and watch movies and live, but they live in fear because their parents made a decision 16 years ago?"

There's no perfect answer, and it's really complex, but it annoys me, esp. since, unless you're full-blooded NA, we're all children of immigrants (whether voluntary or involuntary, in the case of indentures or slavery.)

Good luck with the procedure, Zen.

Thanks, -t.

If it's any comfort, when I had to have a D&C the "twilight" anesthetic seemed like being completely knocked out to me

They didn't mention anesthetic, just said it wouldn't hurt. I assumed they wouldn't be using any. I dunno. I plan to take Valium.

Good luck, Zenkitty. I hope they can fix you up! I realize it's major surgery, and not to be done lightly, but can you ask about a hysterectomy?

Oh I did! My ovaries seem to be fine, they'd only remove the uterus, and I made it clear that's what I'd like to do, but they, being doctors with some oath they took, would rather do the least invasive thing possible. So, this horrible thing instead.

Zen, can I ask your age? Gynos generally hesitate to do a hyst until they've tried other procedures, because it really IS major surgery, with a long recovery time.

I'm 48. I wouldn't have to lose the ovaries, they're fine. There have been no babies, nor will there ever be, regardless of whether I have a uterus. I know it's major surgery, it's just that... recovery, I can deal with just fine. The D&C - a simple outpatient procedure with little to no pain or down time - makes me near-hysterical just thinking about it. But I know it's the most responsible thing, for both me and the doctors.

today I am officially three weeks without smoking.

Congrats, Jen!

Wow. I had my first full week of teaching this past week, so I've been largely absent on the boards. I just backread almost 1000 posts, and I can't believe how much I missed, including that Kate's pregnant! Congrats, sweetie! You are going to be such an amazing mom.

I have so much more to say, but I'm on my phone and so will settle with saying you are all amazing humans, and seeing our community support each other through the good and thr bad never fails to humble and awe me.

Right on, Erin.

I have to get ready to meet friends now, and I've been sitting here googling like a mad woman. So, I guess "breathe and let it go," didn't happen. Oops.