Oh, The (Body) Hair Drama

This post was inspired by Kate Harding's guest blog about facial hair. Check it out here.

As you all know, I have PCOS. While it's major affect on the body is no ovulation, it does cause other symptoms, which include difficulty losing weight, and excess body hair.

Ah, the body hair. As I look at myself right now, it's time for a Veet session.

Prior to my diagnosis, I've always tended to be hairy. Now PCOS just exacerbates it. I've got hair everywhere: Arms, legs, upper lip, chin, and other places I don't care to mention.

Somedays it bothers me, somedays it doesn't. My chin hairs fortunately grow weirdly horizontal instead of down. Which makes them less noticeable. Mr. Salt doesn't mind it too much...except when he calls my chin hairs "billy goat" hairs. Thanks, dear. He also says this in Navajo, though I can't recall the spelling for it.

So now it's time for a Veet session. I use Veet because Nair burns me, and I don't like shaving. I slather two formulas on: The new shower version for my legs, and the pump version that I use for everything else. All this usually entails me sitting in the restroom for about twenty minutes, since Mr. Salt has a sensitive nose and doesn't like the smell. I jump in the shower afterwords.

I usually do this about once or twice a month. I probably should do it every weekend, but like I said, it doesn't bother me that much. But if I do have a major event to go to, I do Veet then. And I do Veet my underarms more often just for hygenie sakes.

Just another day in the life of a womn with PCOS.

-DineBoo

P.S. Great quote of the day from Mr. Salt:

Mr. Salt: I'm just an Indian trying to live in the White Man's World.

Pills, pills, pills...

Again, TMI warning.

After much research(thanks ChelB for the website), I've finally plotted which pills to take in order to restore some balance thrown out of whack by PCOS. Here's what I'm taking thus far.

• Metmorphin (for insulin resistance)
• Vitex/Chaseberry (to get my female hormones balanced so I don't need Progesterone pills to start my cycle)
• Black Cohosh (for hormones and to help with my cycle. I get terrible cramps now that I'm off the pill)
• Multivitamin (for diet and folic acid)
• Mucinex (thins out the mucus...everywhere)

All pills except for the Mucinex and multivitem, I'm taking twice a day. I need to take my Metmorphin three times a day, but I have to work up to it (and remember to take it).

Pill total: 8. Yikes!

Now that I'm doing low carb, my Metmorphin doesn't bother me as much. Which is a good thing.

I wonder if I should throw in some corn pollen, too...

-DineBoo

Glad to see ya!

TMI warning for the post, just in case.

Here's a conversation I had with Mr. Salt the other day:

DB: No zhindians this month...But at least my cycle started.
Mr. Salt: That's good.
DB: Must be the corn pollen.
Mr. Salt: You know, shi ma(SaltMama, Mr. Salt's mom) said that some people back home on the Rez are mixing drugs with corn pollen now.
DB: ...What?
Mr. Salt: It was talked about on Navajo Hour on Rez Radio (660 KTNN-AM). Some Medicine Man was probably blessing someone with the corn pollen and they both got high.

A day in the life of being Mrs. Salt.

I've never been so glad to start on my cycle. Or to see it. Hated when I was young. Like seeing it now...though it comes with disappointment now these days. It shows that my drugs are working.

People in my PCOS post mentioned natural remedies regarding regulating one's cycle. If you're still out there, e-mail me or send me a comment about some suggested herbs to take with Metmorphin, or what to take in general. I'm really getting serious about this.

In the mean time, I'm going (and Mr. Salt too) are going low carb. Mr. Salt moreso is going on Atkins. I pretty much have to go low carb since I'm taking Metmorphin, or else I get some really interesting side effects of the gastrointestinal kind. It'll be hard...I love bread and pasta, but that may have gotten me insulin resistant in the first place.

Also, we got a used Gazelle Elite for sixty bucks (thank you Craig's List). I need to use it more, and Mr. Salt has been on it every morning. He also joined the Biggest Loser at work. Ironically, he complained about all the skinny people who do not have much or any to lose being on his team. Now I have to lose for everyone, he said.

I love my Salt.

-DineBoo

The Shattered Heart Effect...and the Nosy Aunt

I debated with myself if I should write this. But, I always feel better after I write, and I haven't posted in a while, so here goes.

I call it the "Shattered Heart" effect.

Mr. Salt and I visited my aunt's house for Christmas. The house was full, I was expecting my side (i.e. my mother's side) of the family to be around. But, my aunt's husband's family was there too. No big deal, just means I can't 'visit' with the family as I would like. Too many people around.

So after the obligatory hugs and kisses between my aunts (younger, whom I'm referring to now, and older, who I'll get to in a minute), grandma, and cousin, I get drawn to a side room I realized now after all this that I was trying to get away. Maybe I sensed something.

Younger Aunt: I have something to tell you.
DineBoo: What?
Y. Aunt: I'm expecting twins.

Instantly, I felt my heart literately break. The Shattered Heart Effect struck again. The Shattered Heart Effect when something causes me extreme deress.

Nobody noticed the fake smile I pasted on my face as my immediate family surrounded my younger aunt with excited tones. Nobody noticed how quiet I got, not really cotributing to the good cheer. Nobody noticed when I excused myself(twice) from the grand announcement to the rest of the family to go to the restroom and cry my heart out. Nobody noticed my red eyes, or how I clung to Mr. Salt.

I felt so alone.

I felt crushed, but so guilty. My aunt has a one year son already, and now she's having twins? I can't get just one! But why am I not happy for her? Why do look at her with envy?

This, as you can see, caused me extreme duress. Why, you ask?

PCOS.

I've talked about it here. My PCOS prevents me from having a regular cycle, and how my chances of having kids drop if I don't take the require meds.

Also, Mr. Salt and I have been wanting zhindians for a while now. This year, we're really getting serious about it. For me to have even a chance, I have to be serious about taking all my meds, even though they make me nauseous, and have some interesting side effects. Looking at my pill box, I have to take five pills a day right now, dropping to four once I induce a cycle. There's insiline resistance drugs, prenatal drugs, and progesterone to reboot the system, as I call it.

All this for a Zhindian. Which will be worth it. But now, I hurt.

And what bothers me is that no one, besides Mr. Salt, saw how hurt I was. Granted, I'm good at hiding it, but when Mr. Salt decides that leaving the celebration is good for my well being, no pings to radar went off. I guess everyone was wrapped up with the celebration to notice.

And, just when I thought my older (and the nosiest) aunt was going to ask me what's wrong (she had dragged me to a quiet room to talk), all she asks was if Mr. Salt and I were having any money problems, how long my hair is getting, and my job. If I ever thought about opening up to her, it stopped just because of it. I know my eyes were red during the whole evening.

And nobody asked why.

Sigh. I'm rambling, but tha's what blogs are for. Hopefully, I'll have good news to share someday. But for now, I'll just pray.

-DineBoo

Dreaming of fish?

This is the one time in my life that I want to be told that someone in my family was dreaming of fish.

As a lot of black people know, to dream of fish is a very good sign that someone you know is pregnant. I'm unaware of any signs that the Dine'(Navajo) people use (and I have asked Mr. Salt), but I do know that SaltMama is very keen on her predictions.

Yaah! (Navajo translation: An expression of frustration) Who knew that trying to create a Zhindian would be so much work! Especially with my PCOS. I've finally delved deep into the Trying to Conceive world and it can be intimidating. From basal temperatures, to egg whites, to 'Tussen, and baby dancing of course, there's a lot of information out there to make your head spin. And I'm beat.

PCOS, how I hate thee. I used to be regular to the day. Now I'm lucky to have a period. Mr. Salt is always happy for me when I do get it, though I always feel guilty about it. Why? Because culturally, Navajo men are not supposed to know when their ladies have their periods. The women just make sure that everything associated with it (like pads) are out of sight and unseen. So I feel like I'm shattering some of his traditions when I talk about it.

I don't know why I'm making myself depressed right now. It's still to early to know if I'm carrying a Zhindian or not. I'm hopeful, but all my twinges and signs in the past have been false alarms. So I don't want to be too disappointed.

But maybe one day...soon...

-DineBoo