Starting off the new year right/IUD review

So, I was going to do one of those New Year's posts, but I realized that I've seen very few movies and I don't know any new songs. Plus, I've done so much reflection on my blog that you guys probably know what my best things are anyway. As for resolutions, pretty much the only one I've got is to add yoga once a week to my fitness routine (so I'm still doing a cardio/toning workout 5 times/week). I know it will do me some good, I just have such a hard time fitting in that 6th workout a week...

So, on to the IUD story - feel free not to read this if you don't want to. First, I should mention what I chose and why. There are 2 types of IUDs, a 5 year, which is plastic and contains hormones, and a 10 year, which is copper and works because it’s copper. I chose the 10 year because it lasts that long, and because I’ll have normal periods. With the plastic one, the doc said I’d probably have very light, or no, periods, and might have some spotting. With the 10 year I’d have a normal period, and it might be heavier. Something that was important to me with this whole issue was that I wanted to keep having a normal cycle, which is partially why I didn’t do something like Seasonale. Not having a period for months or years really feels unnatural to me.

Anyway, I went in Friday a little nervous, a little anxious, and a little excited. I knew it would be uncomfortable (the doc said to take some Motrin 30min before coming in, or offered to prescribe a narcotic if I wanted as long as I had someone to drive me home) but I'm really good with pain so I wasn't too worried. Before starting the doc went over everything, I signed the consent form and we were off.

It did hurt, more than expected – at the point when it hurt the most it was maybe a 7 on the pain scale, which to me means it’s not fun at all, if it went on for too long I’d cry, but it wasn’t unbearable. Felt sort of like someone was punching inside my uterus really, really hard? First the doc cleaned everything, then she dialated my cervix, and then put in some kind of measurement device, which hurt the most. She took less than a minute to trim the IUD, or whatever she did to make it the right size as I couldn’t see, and then put it in, which hurt slightly less than when she measured. After that she trimmed the strings and that was it (a note on the strings – you have to feel for them after your period, but if you don’t know what they feel like you won’t know they’re there). The whole thing took 5 or 6 minutes.

When it was done I sat up, got dizzy and laid back down for a minute, and then got back up. Was a little shakey putting my pants back on, and then walked to my car. I immediately took 3 more ibuprofen, and drove home half doubled over, praising God for the heated seats in my car, and wishing I’d taken the doc up on her offer for stronger drugs. I got home with about 20 minutes before I had to leave to go to dinner at my grandparents, and decided that if I didn’t feel better in 15 minutes, I wasn’t going. I did go, and the rest of the evening was really only as bad as having bad cramps (btw, they put in IUDs during your period, so I would have been a little crampy anyway), though I did keep taking 3 ibuprofen every 2 hours. Funny thing, too, was that I had 1 more vicatin left from when I broke my foot that I was hanging on to until I really needed it. Friday night I couldn’t find it! Ha!

Saturday was much better – I went from 3 ibuprofen the first two rounds of 2 hours, to just 2 after that, and then just 2 every 3 hours. Sunday morning I took 2 before working out at a preventative, but didn’t need it the rest of the day. Though aunt flo had left I was still the tiniest bit crampy, but that’ll pass. Right now it feels a little different than normal, but more like when you’re not used to wearing a watch and then wearing one. I’m sure that will pass, too, and if I’m good for the first month, I’m pretty much good to go – doc said that if your body decides to reject it, it’s almost always within the first month, sometimes within the first year.

Anyway, if all goes well, that’ll be it for 10 years. Trey and I went out to celebrate Saturday night…funny story there is that we each got sprigs of rosemary sticking out of our dinners, which he thought would be fun to take home and try to root, like we do after Kirchweih. How funny would it be if the sprigs of rosemary we got at a dinner to celebrate our infertility started to root?

So, there you go – I hope this was informative for everyone…I know I would’ve liked to have found something like this to read. Also, before my original doc mentioned on IUD a few months ago, I’d never even considered it because I thought they were for older women, or that you couldn’t get one if you hadn’t had a baby, or something like that. Obviously it’s a little more intrusive than your conventional pill, patch, or that kind of thing, but all in all, so far so good. If it stays that way, it’s really worth it!

Finally, please feel free to ask questions if you want...