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February 4, 2001
I know it has been a long time since I’ve last written. A lot has been going on lately that has kept me away from the computer.
In the beginning there was the cycle…
My last cycle was really strange. AF lasted 10 days and I spotted afterwards. I kept thinking that the spotting would stop. But it didn’t. So I went to my OB and he did an internal u/s and said that 2 follicles were forming nicely and that the spotting would stop probably that day since there was so little of it. Well after that visit, the spotting continued until day 18. I called the OB and he said that I should come in on Monday (I called on Friday) and he would see what to do next. So the next day, Saturday, the spotting became heavier, but not enough to say that it was AF. But Sunday she came in full force. On Monday I went in and he did another u/s and said that the follicles shrunk back to their original size. I know that I didn’t O because I took my temp every morning- they were, as usual, all over the chart. The good news is that I didn’t have any more cysts. So I am on my second round of Clomid and started taking it on day 5 instead of day 3. I’m on day 8 now and am having only a little bit of spotting, but on day 8 that is actually usual for me. I have an appointment with the OB on Monday the 12th. We’ll see what happens.
Sick
Ever since before Christmas I have been off and on sick. At first I had a sinus infection, then I was having diarrhea and was throwing up. Then I felt better. I had vacation and could relax a little. But last Saturday I started getting sick again. I’ve already finished taking Penicillin but am still sick. My normal doctor sent me to an Ear-Nose-and-Throat doctor who sent me to the University Clinic in Essen. I have an appointment for Tuesday. The problem is I can only take Penicillin since I am allergic to the other types of antibiotics (which I hate taking anyway) and if I have an infection that is resistant to Penicillin then I’m on my own. I’ve tried Echinacea, teas, garlic, vitamins, hot baths with Eucalyptus oil, sleep, going for walks, I don’t know what else there is.
The Exam
On Wednesday I had my oral state exam. I’ve been really nervous about this for months and I think that is one reason that my immune system is so shot right now. I didn’t care if I had a 104 fever, I wasn’t going to miss the exam because then I have to wait 6 months to take it again. My appointment was for 9:00 and it goes like this. I have 15 minutes to solve one of 2 situations that are given to me and I have to prepare a presentation on transparencies- there was no limit on how transparencies I could use. So at 9:00 I step into the room and am given the two problems and I decided to present the second of the two. So I filled up 2 transparencies and after 12 minutes I was completely done. At 9:15 I was called into another room and there sat a panel of “jurors” that was made up of two of my teachers and some people from the state (Chamber of Commerce). Anyway I presented my solution that took about another 15 minutes and then they started to ask questions- only two of which I could answer. I thought I was doomed. Afterwards they said that I could leave the room and that they would let me know in about 5 minutes as to whether or not I passed. Well, after waiting what seemed like a year I was called back into the room and was told that I passed with a B+. I was so shocked, they had to practically scrape me of the floor. So that means that I'm state certifed and am allowed to work in the field! That will be the end of my schooling for now. It’s so nice to be done- I keep thinking that I need to do some homework or read something, but I don’t have to do Jack if I don’t want to. It’s like a huge log has been lifted off my shoulders! My MIL/FIL want to take me to Holland next week to a great Chinese restaurant that has a huge buffet. Yummy! My parents and sister keep asking me what I want for graduation. The only thing that comes to mind is not being sick anymore. But I think I will have a lot less stress and that will help. Other than that I can actually think of a lot of things that I want, but it’s all too expensive or illegal. I'm thinking, though, that I want to take night classes or Saturday classes (not for about a year though!) and learn another language. I've been thinking about either Spanish, French or Dutch. I can definitely use any of them either at work or when I travel anyway. I'm definitely going to wait a while first though.
The job
So, yes, there is more. My new job officially started on Thursday, the day after the exam. I barely had a voice and generally felt like crap. But I showed up punctually at 8:00. Since there were 2 other new people for the department that started on that day, there was a presentation set up and coffee and tea and, of course, a tour of the buildings. After 1 ½ hours at 9:30, all of the presenting, coffee drinking and touring was done and they said that I should go to the doctor and come back healthy on Monday. Well, I told you all about the doctor visits. Today is Sunday and I still don’t feel well, but I’m going back anyway. What a great way to impress my future employer. I’m really excited about starting the job. I really think it will be interesting and fun too. All of, well, most of the people that I met seemed really nice (they always do at first) and not conceited or anything. But I’ll have to wait to be able to say more about that.
The house
I didn’t even want to mention the house situation. Things have changed drastically and I have started to appreciate the American land laws more and more. The bottom line, here, is you pay a fortune for a piece of land with a house on it and can’t do anything with it. We wanted to build on to the house because otherwise it is too small. But, thanks to the German bureaucracy, law says that we can’t build on to the house or make it in any way bigger until we have lived there for 3 whole years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never heard of such an asinine law in my life. I can understand that we wouldn’t be allowed to pollute the land or do anything that could injure others. But we saved up to buy this house and we when buy it, it belongs to us and nobody can tell us that we can’t build on three or four stupid rooms! What does the state care? I’ve even been told (not from anyone in the family here) that that is just my typical American “everything belongs to me”-attitude!!!!!!!! Wow! And, it gets better: after the three years are over we can’t just build on as much as we want. We could only build on about 25-30 m² or about 2 rooms! These laws only apply for houses outside of city limits and since this house is not even ½ km from the town limits it is in the country and the laws are different. But in the city there is no way to find a house with this much land even if we did have a million DM to shovel out for a house. Stefan and I have been arguing so much about the whole house issue, that we aren’t on talking terms today. Isn’t that crazy? We never fight like that. Usually a difference of opinion which lasts 2 hours or so and it’s over.
So, that about wraps up this week. It was a hard week to swallow and I hope that next week will run more smoothly.
Special thanks to Dawn (you’re awesome!!) for sending me the Vitex. I hope it works as well for me as it did for you!
I hope everyone has a good next week and congratulations to all of the new expecting mothers!!
Take care,
Cindy
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