Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 118)

1) Reading retreat

My reading retreat last weekend was so lovely! I did not make my goal of reading 15 hours over the course of the two-and-a-half days, but I logged 11.5 reading hours and I’m very happy with that number! I finished the audiobook I was reading, sped through the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series, nearly finished a romance novel, and logged around 150 pages of Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin! I would consider that a successful reading weekend. If I can manage something like that once a quarter, perhaps, then I would be one happy bookworm!

2) Chip and Lucy time

I was on Chip and Lucy duty this weekend, which is my favorite kind of duty! We had lots of snuggle sessions on the couch, a ton of kissing, some games of fetch, and less time outside than I thought. It was just so hot and humid that I couldn’t stand to be outside for longer than a few minutes. I couldn’t go into the pool (for reasons I’ll talk about in the next point!), which is the only place I want to be when I’m outside in the summer. So we spent a lot more time inside than I thought! I also left once a day to check in on the girls, and I had a lot of explaining each time I came home smelling like a pair of dogs. Oops!

3) Medical news of the week

This week, I got bloodwork done to test for Celiac disease and food allergies. All of the food allergy testing came back negative, which wasn’t surprising. I’m still waiting on the Celiac panel.

I also saw my gynecologist for a follow-up about my ultrasound. As expected, I do have fibroids (as well as a very small ovarian cyst) and it’s actually the smaller one that is causing my period symptoms. The other, bigger fibroid is in an area that doesn’t cause symptoms.

It seems like the best scenario for me is an endometrial ablation. If I do that, I won’t be able to get pregnant. While I am fairly certain I don’t want children, I am having a lot of feelings about having that option completely taken away from me. I’m not sure I’m ready to go there just yet.

My gynecologist did not make me feel all that comfortable about getting an IUD, either. She cautioned me that a) it will take 6-8 months to start seeing a difference and b) I may become one of the unlucky people (around 30%) who still have heavy periods afterward. Honestly, I did not love the way she vilified IUDs, but I guess since I’m coming at an angle of helping with period symptoms and not preventing pregnancy, she wanted me to be aware of the potential downsides.

My other option is hormonal birth control, which has helped eliminate my periods in the past. This was before I had fibroids, though, so I’m not sure if it will be as effective, but it’s worth a shot, I think. Otherwise, there’s not much I can do unless I want to get an ablation.

In other fun news, I had my skin check on Friday and had to get a mole removed. I thought it was just a skin tag, but my dermatologist was concerned and sent it out for testing. Thankfully, it came back as just a fibroma (basically, a benign tumor) and all is well there! (But that’s why I couldn’t go into the pool. While I didn’t have to get stitches, it was an open wound on the back of my leg and I didn’t feel comfortable being in chlorinated water!)

Next week, I have my abdominal ultrasound as well as a routine dental cleaning (somehow I scheduled them for the same day, sigh). I can’t eat for four hours before the ultrasound, so I scheduled it for 10 a.m., which was the earliest appointment available. My dentist appointment is at 7 a.m., which means I will need to get up extra early to have breakfast so I’m not a hypoglycemic mess during the ultrasound. Fun times!

4) A coloring callus

This is embarrassing to admit, but I have somehow developed a callus on my right pointer finger from all of the coloring I’ve been doing. The callus is right where the marker sits on my ring finger (and where my other two fingers push down on the marker to keep my grip steady). It’s ridiculous. I didn’t get a callus from something cool like learning to play the guitar. I got it from coloring! I told myself I should take a break from coloring to let the callus heal, but I have not. I have a PROBLEM.

5) Weekend plans

My weekend should be a good one! My only plans are game night tomorrow night with the fam and a movie date on Sunday evening with two friends. It’s the 30th anniversary of Clueless (omg) and there’s a showing at our local movie theater! Afterward, we’re going to get dinner and discuss details to organize a book crawl, a la this Instagram Reel. Woop!

Categories: Recurring Series

Snapshot of My Day: Tuesday, June 24

Time I woke up: 5:15 a.m.

First thing I did upon waking: I brushed my teeth, got dressed for the gym, filled up my water bottle, and then was almost late to leave for the gym because I spent too much time taking selfies in the mirror. Oops!

Today’s weather: Hot and humid. The high was 92 and as I’m typing up this post around 8 p.m, the humidity is hovering around 70%. It start thundering and got cloudy at 5 p.m., but a storm never materialized.

Something I spent money on today: Groceries! I went to Publix after my spin class since I hadn’t had time to go grocery shopping this past weekend.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: I got bloodwork done! This time, I’m testing for Celiac disease and food allergies. It was quick and easy! I went early (right after spin class, but before Publix) and was out of there within 10 minutes. I’m also relieved that getting bloodwork has gotten easier now that my veins are easier to find. (It used to be a process because of my hidden veins, but then a phlebotomist told me dehydration can make it hard to find veins, so I try to be extra hydrated on the days I get bloodwork done!)

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Last thing I read (on the Internet): Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack newsletter

Last text I sent: “Booked.” I sent this to my mom after booking Wednesday’s HIIT class.

Last text I received: “Me too.” My mom’s response!

Last website I visited: Gmail to read some infuriating newsletters regarding politics. It’s fun! I rant alone in my apartment! I wonder why I have so many newsletters that tell me terrible things!

Last show I watched: The Amazing Race (I’m watching season 4!)

Last podcast I listened to: Currently Reading

Last thing I said: “Lila, are you secretly a genius?” I found this page she had opened on Feedly with all sorts of coding language, and I have no idea how she opened it or got to this page. The only conclusion I can come to is that she’s a tech genius!

Last thing I ate: Reese’s peanut butter cups!

Cat hair everywhere!

What I was doing an hour ago: I was reading and commenting on blog posts.

What I will be doing an hour from now: Most likely, I’ll be tucked away in bed, reading my book!

Current whereabouts of other members of my household: Lila is sitting next to me on the table and Eloise is perched on some of my “fresh from the dryer” laundry. I should be upset that my clean laundry immediately has cat hair on it, but she’s so cute that I can’t get mad at her!

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Laundry! I’m very happy I was able to get my laundry done, even if I am folding it at 9:30 at night.

What time did you wake up today?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday (v. 117)

1) A HIIT compliment

Wednesday night’s HIIT class was completely full, which is pretty rare. This class has 8 workout stations and you rotate through each one. Typically, my mom and I can be in our own “group” during the Wednesday night class, although sometimes we’re joined by another person. This time around, every group had four people and it was the first HIIT class for one of the women in our group. The first station we chose was a burpee with a deadlift holding a kettlebell. The first thing she said was, “Oh, I can’t do a burpee!” and then proceeded to look at the kettlebells (I think the smallest one was 25 lbs) and went to the shelf to get a 10-lb dumbbell. Me? I was ready to get the burpee station over with first and was just fine doing a deadlift with a 25-lb kettlebell.

Then, during another station, we had to do high knees while holding dumbbells high above our head. I chose the 15-lb dumbbells and this woman chose a lighter weight, but didn’t even attempt to hold the weights high, she just held them up to her shoulder. And then she saw me doing the workout as intended and was like, “How are you doing that?” And I had to admit that I’ve been coming to this class for a year, so I have built up the endurance and strength to handle (most of) this high-intensity workout.

And I’m not saying all of this to demean this woman. She was a conventionally thin woman and you would think she would be the one killing this workout, not me. But I’d like to think I gave her the permission to not be limited by her own expectations. In the second round of the high knees station, she held the weights high above her head like I was doing and got through the next two rounds like a pro.

What this reminded me is that I have come so far in the past year. I no longer need the modifications that my HIIT trainer used to give me, and I’ve even noticed that my lower back pain has decreased dramatically. (I used to struggle with it during every HIIT class and even wore a back brace for a period of time.) My standard weight is 15 lbs (dumbbell) and 25 lbs (kettlebell). Sometimes, I can even handle the 20-lb weights. And this is because my HIIT instructor pushes me in every workout to exceed my own expectations and in doing so, he has taught me how often I limit myself. Because I am just like this woman in some respects. There are still some workout moves I don’t do because I don’t think I can. For example, I’m still doing push-ups on my knees even though I am certain I can do them on my toes. I’m still letting myself take a break during a hard cardio set even though I want to be a person who pushes through.

And because of this woman, in my HIIT class yesterday, when the instructor asked us to get a set of dumbbells, I opted for the 15-lbs dumbbell, even though my brain was telling me to pick up the 10-lbs and take it easy. I also made it through an entire 30 seconds of plank jacks at the end of the workout when previously I would have taken a break after 10 seconds. This is my reminder that I can do hard things and I can be the kind of person that doesn’t quit even when I want to.

2) Medical updates of the week

From now until early August, my life is going to be filled with tests and doctors’ appointments and all that fun stuff. And who knows what will happen afterward, depending on any diagnoses. This week, I, erm, collected my stool sample. I will not say much about this, other than it traumatized me and the fact that they only provide one pair of gloves in the kit is criminal. (Thankfully, I have a whole box of gloves from my old hair-dyeing days!)

Yesterday was my ultrasound at my gynecologist’s office. While I won’t know my official diagnosis until I meet with my doctor next week, I took a peek at the screen afterward and noticed that there were two measurements for Fib 1 and Fib 2. I snapped a photo, uploaded it into ChatGPT, and asked if that meant I had fibroids. Apparently, yes. One is small (under 2 cm) and one is medium-sized (4.5 cm), and that’s the one that’s probably causing the more intense period symptoms. But wow, imagine if I kept brushing off these bad period symptoms as just part of being a woman!

I am so, so thankful to Michelle, who was the first one to encourage me to ask my gynecologist for an ultrasound to make sure my intense periods weren’t due to fibroids or polyps. (And extra thanks to Nicole, Julie, and Tobia for seconding, thirding, and fourthing Michelle’s suggestion.) This blogging community is everything!

On the docket for next week is bloodwork to test for Celiac and other food allergies and my follow-up gynecologist’s appointment.

3) Should I do “101 Things in 1,001 Days?”

Tobia has been posting about completing her latest “101 Things in 1,001 Days” list, and I have the itch to create my own! Basically, this is a challenge where you set 101 goals to complete within 1,001 days (which is just under three years by a few months). I did one of these lists a long time ago, but gave up after a few months. It’s a fun idea because there is so much that can happen in 1,001 days! That’s such a long time, and it would allow for more long-term goal planning than I currently do. But I also know how quickly I need to pivot on my yearly goals when I realize something I wanted six months ago isn’t necessarily something I want today. I worry that happening a lot more with such a big list of goals and a longer time frame. Anyway, right now, I have started a Google Doc to do some planning. I set the start date as August 1st, and we’ll see if I go through with it. I guess it will depend on whether I can really come up with 101 goals!

4) More London planning

This week, my mom and I met with our beloved travel planner Amber for more London logistics. Because Amber is so dedicated to her job, she went to London this month to scope out the scene. (Okay, fine, she actually went with her best friend to see Beyonce, but I like to pretend she’s just a full-service travel planner.) She had lots of great advice for us, especially some of the public transportation logistics, which is the part of traveling that I hate the most. I just really struggle with public transportation! She also saw the hotel we’re staying at and was able to scope out some nearby restaurants we’ll be able to walk to.

One thing I want to mention is that using a travel planner doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t get to do the fun part of planning a trip, like research and scoping out the places you want to see and building an itinerary. My mom and I did all of that on our own and built an itinerary. We’re working with Amber to fine-tune the itinerary to make sure we’re being as efficient as possible and not missing any must-see sights. Plus, she’s doing all of our bookings, which is not the part of trip planning I enjoy, and is also researching different types of travel insurance/rates for us. I’ve also asked her to provide specific instructions on how to get to certain places and restaurants to eat at. We are not foodies and I work better when I know exactly where I’m going to eat for each meal, rather than playing it by ear.

Anyway, Amber is a true gift and I know she’s the reason this trip is going to be EPIC. And if you need a travel planner for your next trip (or just want someone to help you find a good deal on a cruise or travel insurance, she’s your girl).

5) A reading retreat weekend

It’s going to be a low-key weekend for me, and I’ve decided to make it a semi-reading retreat. My mom and stepdad leave today for a short weekend trip, and I am on Chip and Lucy duty. (I always stay at their house when I dog-sit since it’s easier, and I check on my girls once a day.) I figured that I’ll be spending a lot of time snuggling the dogs and generally being lazy, so why not try to get through a few books this weekend, too? My goal is to log 15 reading hours!

What’s on your agenda this weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five for Friday: The “I’m Falling Apart” Edition

My life is now just one doctor’s appointment after another. I turned 37 and suddenly started falling apart. Let’s discuss.

1) BRAIN

I had an appointment with my psychiatrist this week, and we discussed my anxiety symptoms. I do feel like Prozac has helped decrease my frequent anxiety spirals—now, I can bring my brain back online much more quickly than I used to, and that’s a major improvement! In its place, however, are random spikes of anxiety that come out of nowhere. Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, wrapping up work for the day, when my heart started racing and butterflies began a dance party in my stomach. No reason for the anxiety, but there it was. So, we’re going to increase my dosage of Prozac (we started off at a lower dose to get my body used to the new medication) and she also prescribed an as-needed medication that I can take during those random high-anxiety moments. So here’s hoping things start to improve!

2) SKIN

I have an appointment with my dermatologist next week. It’s my routine skin check that I get twice a year since I’m prone to moles, and those moles are prone to have skin cancer markers. It’s fun times! I also need to talk about my lingering scalp psoriasis issue. While things have dramatically improved from where I was a year ago, thanks to steroid shots, I have started to notice that the psoriasis has moved to the skin behind my ears, next to my scalp. I’ve been using the prescription lotions my doctor has given me, but I’m not seeing any improvements. So hooray, more issues to talk about with my derm!

3) UTERUS

I have an ultrasound scheduled for next Thursday! I sent a message to my gynecologist in the patient portal on Monday afternoon, telling her all about my heavy periods and intense cramps, and within a few hours, someone from her office called me to schedule the ultrasound. I have Thursday off work, so it worked out perfectly. I can get this taken care of and then have the rest of the day to take it easy. It’s a really good thing I met my deductible this year—it’s nice to do all of these specialist appointments and tests without paying a dime!

Fingers crossed I don’t have any fibroids or polyps! If I don’t, I will definitely make an appointment to get an IUD to see if that helps lessen these intense periods.

4) BUTT

After four months of chronic digestive issues, I finally decided to see a GI doctor. I was really hoping this issue would go away on its own, but no such luck. I had my appointment yesterday, and I left the office in a daze, overwhelmed by all of the different tests my new doctor ordered for me. There was a part of me that wanted to just throw everything away, cancel all the tests, and pretend that everything is FINE because it’s going to be a lot and may not provide me with answers I like.

But then I was in the bathroom almost every hour yesterday afternoon and evening, and realized I need to know what’s going on. My body is not functioning normally and I can’t live this way forever. So I am going to be a big girl, get the tests done, and hope for the best.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to get blood work done to test for certain food intolerances, schedule an abdominal ultrasound to see if there’s anything going on with my gallbladder (or liver/pancreas/kidneys, although the doc is most concerned with my gallbladder), and send in a stool sample, which should just be the most fun to handle. I am also scheduled for a colonoscopy on July 18th! I am very much dreading all of the prep, but everyone tells me it’s “not so bad” and I’m choosing to believe them. I am very grateful that my doctor listened to my concerns and ordered a ton of different tests to get a comprehensive look at my digestive system so we can figure out what’s going on.

5) NERVES

And last but not least, I’m also dealing with carpal tunnel pain! I already talked about my upcoming nerve conduction study (July 22) and I’m very curious to see where things stand with that because I’m back to waking up with numb fingers and pain, even though I only got the steroid shot a few weeks ago. Imagine if I need to have carpal tunnel surgery on top of dealing with all of my other ailments.

I am falling apart, you guys.

Categories: Recurring Series

TGIF (v. 76)

The high of my week was meeting Moose! My brother and his family recently adopted this adorable dog who had a very bad previous owner. He didn’t take Moose for walks (even though he lived in an apartment!) and underfed him. So Moose has a lot of anxiety right now and needs a lot of tender loving care. Which he is definitely getting now! He is the sweetest boy and the whole time my mom and I were at my brother’s house, Moose kept bringing us toys to play with. It was so cute! I’m totally in love with this big, goofy dog!

The low of my week was my period. I used to have easy-peasy periods—four days, normal flow, little cramping. But in the past year, my periods have gotten really bad. They are lasting longer, way heavier than they used to be, and the cramps are awful. Once or twice during every period, I am usually up in the middle of the night running a hot bath for myself because it’s the only thing that makes me feel better. I heard that periods tend to get much more intense before a woman starts going through perimenopause. I’m only 37, so a bit young for that, but who knows? The easiest thing to do is to get on birth control, which is not my favorite, but I’m not sure how many more of these intense periods I can deal with.

I’m currently reading three books. I’m still slowly marching through Stamped from the Beginning. I’m nearly at the halfway point, though! It is not a very engaging read, but I’m determined to keep on. I’m also reading The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan, although I haven’t picked up the book since Monday. Oops! And on audio, I have about two hours left of Pete and Alice in Maine by Caitlin Shetterly. I don’t think I like this book at all, but it’s a short audiobook so I’m just powering through.

A Reel I loved was this adorable Reel that Kim sent me. I love the internet when it’s used for things like this. People are so creative!

A show I watched this week was New Girl! I am nearly done with season 2 and it has been such a delight. I can’t believe I took such a long break between watching seasons 1 and 2! Gah.

A podcast episode I enjoyed was Power Ranking the Books of 2005 on the Book Riot podcast. This was a fun walk down memory lane! While Jeff and Rebecca’s taste diverge from mine quite drastically, I enjoyed this look back on some of the top books of 2005 and what made them stand out. I totally didn’t realize this was the year Twilight was released!

The best money I spent this week was $25 on lunch yesterday. Yesterday was not a great day; I was very moody, work was “something else” (to borrow a phrase from Birchie), and my cramps were not letting up. So I decided to order something off Ubereats for lunch and it was a great decision. I didn’t have the energy or desire to make something at home, and this was easy, simple, and satisfying.

My plans this weekend include nothing much! I don’t have any plans tonight so I’ll probably try to finish up season 2 of New Girl. Saturday is another low-key day with no plans until game night in the evening. I might do a mini-reading retreat in the morning/afternoon to see if I can finish The Three Lives of Cate Kay before May is over. And Sunday, I will do a workout at the gym, have a writing date with Mikaela, and run some errands. It will be a lovely mix of downtime and productivity!

What was the high of your week? What’s a show you watched this week?