Follow Up on My Bloody Hell

Taking on an unruly menstrual cycle one gallon at a time!

I bleed enough to use 20 pads/hour!

Not too long ago I wrote Bloody Hell about my out-of-control periods. For those of you who are concerned about my well-being, this post is for you. Since my bloody suffering became unbearable and I decided to take action, I've had two cycles and I'm about to start my third.

I've had two acupuncture appointments, taken Slow Flow herbal pills almost daily, taken ibuprofen at the beginning heavy days of my period and now finally spoke to my gynecologist at my annual exam. Not that I was against talking to her in the first place, but in addition to not likely to 'waste time' with extra appointments, I assumed that she would prescribe me something hormonal and I didn't want to go back on the pill again.

She offered me the opportunity to get a procedure that seems too good to be true - an ablation. It removes some of the lining of the uterus and helps minimize menstrual bleeding and the PMS nonsense that goes along with it. She told me that it's only for women who are completely done having children because the thinned uterine lining wouldn't be sufficient to sustain a fetus. 

I have three children, I'm 39 and Daddy-O just had a vasectomy. I guess you could say I'm done having kids. Yet, I have a melancholy feeling of wanting one more baby. Not really a likely reality at this point, but I let my mind wonder what if anything happened to any of my children or my husband or if I just wanted to round out our family or if I accidentally got pregnant after the ablation and had a miscarriage... 

Ultimately, I told my doctor that I wanted to schedule the procedure. If I still have a heart for children in a few years, I can always consider fostering, adopting, or just waiting to be a grandma I suppose. Or just occupy my restless mind and heart with hobbies; like toning my six pack abs. I'm actually kind of looking forward to it and wondering if it will reduce some of the bloated appearance of my muffin top region. One can dream...

I'll keep you posted!

Someday My Ship Will Come In!

Photo Credit: SanDiegoInternationalBoatShow.com

You may not know this about me, but I'm shopping around for a luxury yacht. Yep. I'm in the market for a top-of-the-line yacht to cruise the world and have a hot boyfriend in ever port. Okay, I'm dreaming...

When I turned 25 (14 years ago), my fun friends and I took a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and had a blast at the beach and bars. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw all the expensive yachts with all the luxuries in the harbor - especially the ones with the helicopter pad on top! I only saw them from afar, but got a glimpse into the glamorous sea life. I also saw some awesome boats for sale recently in Dana Point when we went whale watching on Mother's Day, but they were definitely out of my price range. Our Sea Doo and stand up paddleboard will likely be the only watercraft we own for a while.

This is the (yet-to-be-used) inflatable, portable SUP I bought Daddy-O for Christmas this year!
(Amazon Affliiate Link)

But if you're like me and enjoy lusting after the boating lifestyle, you should check out the upcoming San Diego International Boat Show this June 20-23! It's Southern California’s premier summer boating event and lets attendees dive into the boating lifestyle for a day. You can shop for new boats and marine accessories from entry-level family cruisers and personal watercraft to luxury motor and sailing yachts. There will also be a new selection of superyachts docked in the marina and parked on land for visitors to browse, board and buy.

Photo Credit: SanDiegoInternationalBoatShow.com

This awesome boat show also offers a festive seaside atmosphere for visitors to experience everything that boating has to offer, with activities and education for all ages, including a chance to stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and take a variety of boating courses on-land or in-water. Food, beverages and live entertainment will also be available, making the boat show the ideal place to enjoy a fun day on San Diego Bay and discover boating.

Photo Credit: SanDiegoInternationalBoatShow.com

The San Diego International Boat Show highlights include:

• A selection of superyachts from 100 ft. and up. 
• DIY Fun: Head to Fred’s Shed Interactive Learning Center, a garage-like setting, to learn how to keep a boat in tip-top shape. 
• On-Water Educational Clinics & Seminars: Discover Boating Puts You At The Helm during 60-to 90-minute on-water skills-building clinics, with instruction on a variety of power boating and sailing topics.
• Several advanced 3 ½-hour courses scheduled. 
• The California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA) will be presenting dozens of on-land seminars ranging from “intro to boating” to lessons for experienced skippers.
• Learn to SCUBA (for ages 10+): At the ‘Be a Diver Pool,’ dive into an underwater world in the comfort of a heated pool.
• Paddlesports fun at Try It Cove: Try It Cove challenges attendees to find out firsthand why paddlesports are all the rage with a variety of daily opportunities to get on the water, including Stand Up Paddling (SUP), kayaking and more.

When: 

Thursday through Sunday, June 20-23, 2013
Thursday, June 20 – Noon to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, June 21 – Noon to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 22 –10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 23 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where: 

Sheraton Harbor Island and Spanish Landing Park; 1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
Tickets:
Admission: $12 – Adults (13 years & older)
FREE – Children (12 years & under) and military personnel with proper ID
Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.SanDiegoInternationalBoatShow.com

If you'd like to win tickets for your family to the boat show, leave a comment for me below and/or tweet me up on Twitter. As far as boating goes for me, someday my ship will come in... Until then, I'll see you on the water, flexing my muscles on a SUP! 

Disclaimer: I wasn't compensated for this post, but I'm waiting for someone to send me the keys to their yacht for a test spin. I'll let you know when at that happens. 

Mud Runs are Perfect for Girls Who Pee When They Run!

Two more days until Gladiator Rock 'n Run race at the Irvine Great Park and guess who's ready? NOT ME!!

I have not 'trained' in a traditional sense, so that makes me a little unsettled. I exercise in small doses sporadically but rarely get my heart rate up for a sustained period of time, so I'm sure to have a slap in the face with reality. Just tonight I went to walk the dog around the neighborhood, attempted a jog and only made it to the end of the street. Not only am I not very interested or good at jogging, I can't even stop myself from leaking urine!

I thought my stress incontinence would be improved by now, but unfortunately it's not, which is embarrassing and inconvenient in a race. I'm going to have to wear a Poise pad and try to focus on squeezing my pelvic floor in for the entire 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) not to mention the crazy obstacles.

How about an obstacle called 'Swimmin' in Pee'?

Check out this crazy course! The obstacles sound a little daunting - the Tube Steak, The Pit, The Beast, Trenches of Torment, Polar Bear Plunge, Dumpster Dive, Burn Rubber, Skid Marks, Cargo Congo Climb, Wall of Fame, Fools Spools, Mud Madness, Buddha's Burden, Terrible Tires, Gladiator BBQ Fire, Ring My Bell and the Turbine Twister. How about they create an obstacle called, 'Swimmin' in Pee'? I'll master that one!

I just want to wear a funky race costume, people watch, have some good laughs and drink a beer or two at the end. My friends and I are still brainstorming on costumes, but I suspect they are going for girly-girl cute and I always go for ridiculous.

I've been feeling a little discouraged and burnt out from the end of the kids' school year and juggling it all and I almost wanted to bail on doing the race. Now I'm thinking maybe it might just cheer me up and give me a boost of happiness. The main thing to remember is that it's just for fun for  athletes (or wanna-bes) of all (or no) abilities. I know I'm not a weakling when it comes to strength and agility so even though I'm not a hard core gladiator, I know I won't be a total failure. And when I pee my pants along the way, the mud will just camouflage it - perfect.