I need a new pharmacy

Remember this?  The annoying time I had at the pharmacy last week trying to get my femara?

Fast forward to today, when I finally look through my pile of mail (come on, you know you've done that too), and see a letter from the pharmacy.  My first thought it "Oh no!  My insurance must not have paid them for something and they are sending me a bill.  Crap."

And then I open it.  And it's not a bill.  It's a letter telling me that they saw that I've been prescribed femara.  And that they are here to help me with my breast cancer journey.  And that even though I have breast cancer, they know I will overcome it and live a long healthy life.

Apparently 5 femara pills can cure breast cancer.  Who knew?

A quote

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
--Seneca

Wow.

I just got back from the pharmacy.  Went to pick up my femara and metformin.  Had to explain to the pharmacy tech why I was taking femara.

Me: I'm taking that pill so I can get pregnant.
Idiot: But it's meant for breast cancer.
Me:  Yeah, but I'm not taking it for that.  I'm taking it to induce (hopefully) ovulation so I can get pregnant.
Idiot: Blank Look
Me: See, some of us can't get pregnant so easily.  And we have to use other methods to help us. . .
Idiot: But on your list of prescriptions, it says you are taking birth control pills.
Me: Yeah, I took those last month to shrink some ginormous cysts that I grew from taking the last fertility drug.
Idiot: But won't they counteract each other?
Me: I'm not taking the bc pills anymore.
Idiot: Well I'm going to have to have the pharmacist ok this before I can give them to you.

Seriously?  JUST GIVE ME THE DAMN DRUGS.  Holy hell, I'm pms-ing anyway, and now angry that I have to explain infertility to some fresh faced 19 year old, and now you tell me I have to talk to the pharmacist??!?

Pharmacist:  Tell me yourself why you are taking these drugs.  The tech said it was for fertility treatment?
Me: Yeah, the clomid didn't work and so the doctor moved me to femara.
Pharmacist: Why would he put you on birth control pills if you are trying to get pregnant?
Me: (seriously angry now, but trying to stay polite) He put me on bc pills to help shrink a giant ovarian cyst that grew from the clomid.
Pharmacist: Well I guess since the same doctor prescribed both drugs, he knows what he is doing.  But we'll have to see next month.  You'll have to go in for a follow up visit to your doctor before we can give you more.

I had to sign the thing saying I accepted his counseling (like he knows more than my doctor about infertility?) and they finally handed over the drugs.

And as I type this all out, I'm struck by the thought that I was on bc pills in January when that same pharmacy gave me my clomid.

Hell.  This is all so damn frustrating!

One Month Follow Up Visit

I went back to the doctor today for my follow up appointment to check on the cysts.  And I'm happy to report they've shrunk.  I still have a few cysts on each ovary, but the biggest one now is an inch.  He said my ovaries looked "classic poly cystic."  And I've got to admit, I was proud of the little suckers for at least doing something textbook.

I'm off of clom.id and on to femara.  Crossing my fingers that this will do the trick.  I also talked to the doctor about other parts of the PCOS diagnosis and what to do to take care of myself.  Since I've been diagnosed I've lost 26 pounds, which is awesome, but still not enough.  So I'm going to continue to eat healthy, and exercise and hopefully drop some more weight.  The doctors also put me on metformin.  I'm a little nervous of the side effects, but hope the good outweighs the bad.

In other news, it's looking more and more likely that I will get to keep my job!  Of course, since my contract doesn't end until September 12th (a Sunday by the way, which makes no sense to me as I work M-F) I don't expect to hear anything concrete until September 10th.  But as you are sending positive thoughts out there for other people, send a small one out to the universe for me.  Life would be so much easier if I get to keep my job!

My mom has started physical therapy for her arm, and is hating every minute of it.  For once I get to sound like the parent when I tell her "It's for your own good.  One day you'll look back on this and be grateful."  Yeah, I'm totally practicing my mom skills.

Life has been pretty quiet otherwise at our house.  We've been catching up on yard work and house work, and really enjoying our break month.

Anger

I am so angry right now.  People are so stupid, callous, idiotic and cruel.

I just spoke with one of the girls I work with.  A guy in her department told her that he is disowning his brother because he is gay.  I guess the brother finally got the courage to come out to his family.  The guy here at work says he doesn't want his brother to have contact with his son, because "he might change him"

Ok, that pissed me off, but people are entitled to their own opinions.  I can mostly respect that.  Here's where I get really mad.  The guy here at work then told the girl I work with about his brother, because his brother is a teacher at her child's school.  He wanted her to know, because he wouldn't want his child to be "around that."

It's one thing to silently disapprove of what a family member does (for the record I see nothing wrong with this guy's brother) but when you go out of your way to make life hard for that family member?  That really angers me.

Menu Monday: Key Lime Tartlets

Marla has started a most yummy weekly thing.  It's called Menu Monday, and I'm finally organized enough this week to contribute!




So, my Menu Monday are these fabulously delicious Key Lime Tartlets.  They are so delicious, and came about because I was feeling creative (read tipsy) while making sugar cookies last Friday.

Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Dough (I used Pillsbury dough this time, because I'm lazy!)
Key Lime Pie Filling (I used the store brand)
Cool Whip, or Homemade Whip Cream (Yeah, I was lazy with the other ingredients so that I had the energy to make the home made whip cream.  OMG, its the best!)
Mini Muffin/Cupcake Pan

So, step one:  Roll out the cookie dough and cut out circles, like so

Then place the cookies inside the cupcake tin, like so

When you fill up the pan, bake them for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  When they come out of the oven, they are going to be puffy.  Take a wooden spoon and tap down the centers to create a spot for your filling.

Now let the cookies cool down in the pan.  This will help them keep the shape.

While you're letting them cool, you can make the homemade whip cream.  I promise it's super easy, and tastes so much better than cool whip!

To make the homemade whipped cream you need whipping cream (the smallest container), sugar, and either a hand mixer or a really strong arm.  Poor the whipping cream into a bowl, add two to three tablespoons of sugar, and mix until it resembles, well, cool whip.  Yes, this may seem like a step you don't need to take, but its so much yummier!

Ok, so now you have your cool whip and your pie filling and your tart shells.  You just need to put them all together.  For this step I use my fancy Pampered Chef tool, but a spoon works just as well.  First take the tart shells and put them in a cake pan (trust me on this, they are harder to get into the cake pan after they are filled)  Then add the key lime filling.  (I forgot to take a picture of that step, so use your imagination)

Then, put on the whipped cream topping! 

Huh, looks like I forgot to take a picture of the finished product as well.  And since all the Key Lime Tartlets went to work with the hubby, and are now gone, I'll give you a picture of him smiling because I made him goodies!

Ok, not the biggest smile.  And more of a "get that thing out of my face" look.  But, isn't he adorable?