Life goes on...

I've been reminded this week in many ways that life goes on.  Like it or not, it does.  For the past week we have been struggling to get an IVIG appointment scheduled.  The lovely person that kept taking our messages was not getting the whole message to the PA-C that I see between visits with my doctor.  We FINALLY got through to another person that actually knew what was going on.  Now all we're waiting for is a call from the infusion center to schedule treatment, and they should call tomorrow.  I don't know how many times I had to say that I had a miscarriage just to get this taken care of.  The words hurt, but they sting a little less with each day.

This morning I was up at sunset to get showered and ready for my yearly breast cancer screening.  My mother was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at the age of 32.  She is a survivor in more ways than one.  The women in my family have been blessed if you will with dense tissue.  That dense tissue makes reading mammograms very difficult, and also raises the risk of cancer.  The radiologists my doctor spoke with recommended that I alternate digital mammograms with CAD with MRI's.  Because we'd like to get pregnant again, and because I breastfeed, my doctor wanted to get it out of the way so that we both felt more comfortable.  

There is no way around it - mammograms and breast MRI's hurt.  The MRI involves laying face down in on a table with boob and face holes.  It digs in and hurts because your weight rests on the lower ribs, sternum, and face.  Even with some Valium, it is difficult to lay like Superman with squished boobs for 30-45 minutes.  About 3/4 of the way through the test, contrast dye is injected through an iv.  Mammograms...well, they just squish and pinch and bind.  Luckily those are quick.  I lucked out and did not need the ultrasound that was scheduled and only needed if indicated by the MRI and mammogram.  

We stopped on the way back from the tests to pick up some potting soil.  Mom got a Topsy Turvy last year, and I finally got around to planting a tomato in it.  The Topsy Turvy got a San Marzano tomato.  We plan on canning and drying a lot of tomatoes this summer, and I've lost count of how many of each that I've planted.  I think we're at 14 plants.  Normally I'd have tomatoes by now, so I have no clue how the harvest will be this summer.  We are planning on extended our back garden bed out a few feet, and marked that out with some spray paint when we got home.  Adam is going to till it under later this week, and then we can have fun deciding what to plant.

We have harvested enough summer squash for a few meals so far, but even the squash is acting sluggish from the weather.  I'm hoping that a nice spray of kelp, some fish emulsion, and some warm weather this week will help.  I'll have to post some pictures when things are looking a little less pathetic. :)

EDIT: I found two tiny green tomatoes when I went out to spray the plants with kelp.  Woohoo!