Another Thursday yet again, only that much closer to the weekend! Woot woot! I’ve been having crazy dreams about babies and fertility drugs and all sorts of whacko stuff. And staying in theme with this week’s post about Germany’s way of announcing babies I decided to throw us all back to a cold December day in 2009 when my nephew was born! He was the first to give me the name “Aunt Kait” and I just fell TOTALLY in love with him when I saw him all wrapped up like a burrito.
Isn’t he adorbs?!? He’s all grown up now practically…talking, walking, saying “no” to everything because he can and because he’s a little manpants. Still totally in love with that sweet boy! This picture was also before I knew I had endometriosis and it was a time where the possibility of having my own child was still an easily reachable goal on the horizon.
For those of you who know that I wrote a story called “The Letter” for a great organization called CausePub, we need a certain amount of people to sign up to buy the electronic story. It’s only $10, and it would help us meet our goal to 1. Publish the book and 2. provide clean water to over 40,000 people in Africa. This is such a big deal to me.
I wrote the story a long time ago, not really sure that I would ever publish it in fear of showing my feelings and sounding too dramatic and spotlight hogging. But that’s not the case. I published it and people wrote to me, thanking me for my bravery. That they share the same feelings and problems and are feeling less alone. To have this story published in a book would be not only incredible for a writer like me but imagine the people it would influence!
If you would like to spend the $10 (come on, we all have it to spare!) then please go to CausePub – Buy the book and read more about what your money would do for others. Andddd of course, how it would make me kinda famous!
Ah yes, another Thursday is upon us and in light of my new (hoping to make it an..) obsession, I decided with my wedding coming up in one year, it was time to get myself into a habit I can love and really hold on to for years to come. I’ve read a lot about a few fitness guru types and the one I really seem to like is Tracy Anderson. Fitness freak to the stars but I like that she utilizes the idea of keeping things small and lean. I do not like the look of bulky muscles on me so I would prefer the “ballerina” style. So, the 90 day metamorphosis transformation has begun. Just finished workout number one and I want to kill myself! lol. She’s no joke and with my back issues, its not easy. I can’t lay on my back for the abs workouts so I’m going to do her standing ab workouts during that time in the video.
In honor of my day 1 achievement, I felt it was fitting to post a picture of my younger, thinner self. Motivation! Try to be like in my 20s…those were the good old days!
This was my 21st birthday. Such a great birthday! Had a bunch of friends in a hummer limo and we bar hopped…mixed way too many different kind of shots. lol. Eh, it was all in good fun! Felt like a million bucks bags of sewer water the next day but what a fantastic memory. And more so, look at that 21 year old body! AH! How did I let myself go?!
This is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing I’ve made off of Pinterest thus far. It’s like the Goddess of all salads. In fact, I pray that my grocery store is stocked with Strawberries regularly just so I can have this awesomeness in my mouth from time to time. It’s so easy to make and ohmygod so good!!
Found on Pinterest here and actual website is here.
2. I used a cow’s milk feta rather than the normal goat cheese feta (regular feta is sheep and goats milk combined)
3. After I washed and chopped the strawberries I put them in a bowl with some balsamic vinegar for about 10-15 minutes prior to using in the dish. Still leaves them sweet but mixes better with the whole salad.
4. Spinach is boring all by itself so I used rucola (yummy nutty flavor to it) and a field salad which is really popular here in Germany.
5. I didn’t have time to make the raspberry poppyseed dressing ( I think it takes 2 weeks or so). I do as the Germans do – vinegar, vinegar, and more vinegar. My dressing was balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, and a dried herbs mixture special for salads.
So far, everyone I’ve made this for is RAVING about it. And I literally crave this baby several times a week. Make it! Enjoy! And let me know if you like it as much as I do!
First and foremost – Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there!!! Especially to my mom. She’s the greatest person in the world, my best friend, my confidant, and the mother everyone dreams about having. She’s perfect in every way and thank you, mom, for guiding me into the person I am today. Now to figure out how to clone you so I can have you here in Germany with me! 🙂
Here’s a dose of cuteness of me and my mom when I was just a wee thing:
I read this post yesterday written on the Still Standing website – a place for women who handle loss or infertility. The post was titled, ” I AM a Mother,” eloquently so. Whether you read through it or not, it comes at a time that I needed to hear it. Today celebrates the women who physically have children but what about the women who are trying. The women who want nothing more than to have their own.
Children come so easily to many and too easily for some who don’t deserve them. I salute the mothers who have children here on earth already but more importantly, I give a big giant mother’s day hug to those of us who have been mothers for longer. Mothers to the children we’re trying so hard to have. The poking, prodding, surgeries, hormones that ruin us, etc just to bring our child home. This mother’s day is for you.
Me and my nephew – he’s fresh out of the oven!
A lot of women take for granted that they are able to just pop out kids without major complications. What about those who are left without…every mother’s day that passes the ping in your heart tightens. You put a smile on your face when others show you pictures of their babies growing older. Thank you for sharing your blessing with the world…we LOVE your babies. (That was NOT sarcastic by the way.) I just can’t wait to show off mine one day, hopefully. Make sure to say Happy Mother’s Day too all the women you know that wish to have a child as well as those with children currently. Don’t leave anyone out!
I suppose I should explain why I chose suddenly not to get the surgery to check out how bad my endometriosis is or hopefully isn’t. To put it simply, it’s all bad timing.
First of all my visa expires June 30th. I was here for 3 months before I was issued my 9 month “Student’s visa.” My German language course was the only reason I’ve been able to stay here without being married.
So part two of this story is that I know I will always need these surgeries for the rest of my life for preventative pain measures or to pursue a family. In the moment, it’s April…I wouldn’t be able to start the fertility process until June or later. I don’t want my body to be cut open unless it’s necessary. Last time the Endo was so severe I was down and out for a week when normally the downtime is 2 days at most. I can’t deal with that again! I think the doctor’s here were a little to trigger happy. First steps I think are to sit down with a fertility clinic. Here in Germany the GYN has no part in the fertility process. Completely ass-backwards if you ask me but whatever! So I think if I can line up the fertility stuff with the GYN stuff then we’re good to go. I wish I knew that months ago because I could have gotten a start on it but you all know how I feel about dealing with doctors over here. Not so pleasant and COMPLETELY unorganized.
I had to go into the hospital (1.5 hour drive both ways) the working day before my surgery for pre-op discussions. I met with 4 different people over the course of 5 hours. To do what exactly? The same stuff they could have done with one doctor the day of. It was INSANE. The process was ridiculous and I felt like I was in some sketchy plastic surgery hospital in Mexico. I wouldn’t even find out my surgeon until minutes before my surgery. That to me is insane. My OBGYN in the US was also my surgeon. I had no qualms about it. Here, they didn’t know who it would be and they never make the process personal. I realize doctors can’t attach themselves to one case and it make it their own but it would be nice if they tried. For me, this is my whole world and to put it into a bunch of people’s hands is not for me.
At this moment the time frame didn’t make sense. I want a family but I want one when the timing allows for it. I realize chaos and stress may cause it all to be delayed anyways, so I’m waiting.
A million people yesterday told the world they are having another baby or their first one. I’m so unbelievably happy for everyone but truth be told, my heart breaks every single time. It’s just unfair. I won’t go on and on…you all know how I feel. I just hope by the time all the pieces fall together it won’t be too late.
Yesterday was my first appointment at the Women’s Clinic here in Germany. I had been pretty nervous about this for a few days but was trying to mask it by keeping busy (hence the lack of a blog post! SORRY!) Now that my nerves are back together, I’m doing good and can tell you all about this stage of the journey!
So this place is known for it’s specialists in Endometriosis and even though I was nervous I was still hopeful that they wouldn’t get my hopes up right away. Unlike my regular doctor who flat out told me that babies and me weren’t meant to be. Bitch. After the hour long drive we arrive to this massive city and to this massive University Hospital with multiple buildings. I got right into my appointment with maybe a 4 minute wait time which was excellent considering how I couldn’t focus on anything anyways.
After the tests and what not (you’re not getting the details) they told me that they will need to do another laparoscopic surgery. It’s through the belly button which makes me want to barf just thinking about it. Did I ever tell you guys that I HATE belly buttons? They make me gag. Anywhooooo WAY off topic. So another surgery – and if there is a lot of endometriosis they won’t touch anything. They will sew me back up and after the surgery will put me back through the miserable menopause injections called Lupron for 2-3 months to shrink up the large masses. After the 3 months is done, I will go back in for a second surgery where at this time it’s easier for them to zap all the crap out. That’s option number one. Number two is they go in for the surgery and where there isn’t a lot of tissue to remove, they will just zap it out of there and sew me up. Then the baby making process will start.
However, this baby making process is freaking me out a little bit. I’m not sure what is to come after the surgery. There is still the possibility that it will be too difficult for us to conceive naturally. There is the possibility that the fertility processes may not work. There is a possibility that after years of trying we still will come up empty handed. I need to stop waiting for the “bad news” and focus on the positive but thats really hard when the one dream you have could be crushed in one appointment. Luckily, I like my doctor and she will not be harmed if in fact the news is bad. I promise!
So here’s to stage one of the process. Really wishing it wasn’t going to be such a long and winding road. (Queue: Beatles) I guess the part we are waiting to hear is whether or not I have stage I,II, III, or IV of this illness. One and two we can work with…three and four is much too difficult I think and we will consider our other options. Anyone up to be my surrogate?! Anyways, thanks for reading, listening, and following my babble of a journey. I’m super glad I have my Toblerone right by my side through all this, I know it hasn’t been easy for him either. (Thanks Bubs!) It helps me for some reason to just get it out in the open. I’m gonna show this mean old Endo that I’m not scared of it and I will fight it to the death!
I just returned from a doctor’s appointment and feel completely deflated. What better way to heal then to just get it all out there for the world. Yes, I’m looking for sympathy, I’ll admit it.
NOTE: This post is a little long but it’s informative. Just stay with me 🙂
In all the many years I played with Barbie and her 20 children (yes 20) I also envisioned my own life to be much of the same. When someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say something along the lines of Ballerina, or Veterinarian. When someone would ask me how many kids I wanted I would easily say 10. Although the idea changed about my career a million times over, the fact that I wanted 10 kids remained for many many years. I recently changed my number to 5 but that’s as low as I was going until….
When I started getting lower back pain I was about 17 years old (that’s ten years ago, people) I thought it was from wearing high heels every day or from running. I went to a chiropractor and felt fine for a while after that. Gradually, the back pain got worse and stayed for longer periods of time. I then went to physical therapy and to a chiropractor. Also getting massages twice a week. This seemed to help for a while. Then about when I was 25 years old, I needed a frequent visitor card to the local hospital. Where one doctor (very hot doctor) stated that, “In the ER we can’t diagnose you, only make you feel comfortable with drugs.” I did everything to try and find out what it was. Accupuncture, spine specialists, hydrotherapy, nerve testing, you name it…it’s been done.
My last visit to the ER I was pumped up with two doses of morphine and percocet along with some other pain-killer as well. This reason for this visit was the worst. I woke up from a dead sleep with shooting pain in my lower back. The kind that if I laid down, sat up, stood up, walked, or breathed…it hurt. No, not just hurt, literally felt like someone reached inside and was ripping my bones out one by one. There is no description for how excruciating this was. When I made it to the hospital they wanted to put me in a wheelchair but that was so painful to sit. Going to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet was unbearable. For ten years no one had an answer for me. No one could help me. But why was an all-around healthy 20 something having this much pain?
I missed out on so many things due to this. I was bed-ridden for weeks at a time and even had to go to work using a cane. I missed out on wine tours (never been to one due to this back issue ALWAYS happening when one was planned), parties with friends, dinners, family gatherings, etc. For my birthday one year I planned a weekend camping trip with 5 other people. I was in the hospital the night before (see above mishap) and stocked up on serious drugs and did my best to pull through. Although I was in another world I was there and tried to push past the pain.
I decided to try one last thing. I went to my GYN and asked her if there was something that could be causing this back pain from her perspective. We did a few tests which were painful…I won’t share what we did – you’re welcome. Then she said she couldn’t see anything unless she did laparoscopic surgery. As horrified at the idea of surgery I was, I decided this was my last chance. My last hope for an answer. After the surgery, she told me she found endometriosis everywhere. It was attached to my appendix, gall bladder, all over in my uterus. Just everywhere. This “Endo” is scar tissue that you get only when you have your period every month. Not everyone has this, obviously, but I must have had it for years and didn’t know it. But this scar tissue latches on to things and grows. Suffocating whatever it is attached to. You would think I would feel a million times better after the surgery but in fact I had visits to the ER even so. My doc then suggested she puts my body through temporary menopause with a 6 month injection to see what becomes of this.
Fast forward 6 months, the hot flashes are treacherous and the weight gain was unwanted but the back pain was gone. For 6 months I was great. After we were done with the injections, I was good for exactly one year. Almost to the day – one year. This January…it started all over again. Now I’m here in Germany, with back pain so severe I’ve been laying on the couch for 3 weeks. Rarely get fresh air and miss out on everything. I haven’t been to my German classes in 3 weeks, haven’t been able to give English lessons in so long. It’s just been a complete mess.
So…I went to the GYN in Germany. She did a full exam – much to Toblerones dismay. Poor guy! He had never been present for this type of thing before. Ha..as I’m sitting here I’m cracking up at his reactions! After all was said and done she basically told us that my Endo is so severe and extreme that having a child would be very complicated, if not impossible. This was a moment I wished I didn’t understand German at all. Looking at the walls covered in Anne Geddes photos of babies just shot an arrow through my heart.
Ok....maybe not this but close enough
Here’s the thing, I knew this was a possibility but you hear so many good stories about women who have had children despite the odds. But did they all have severe endo? Extreme endo? Odds are, probably not nearly as horrific as mine. Knowing it is one thing but actually hearing it was another. I started crying immediately. I’ve just been so down and out about living on the couch and then to have this on top of it. She said she couldn’t help me, not to mention her sense of humor and compassion were lacking. Reminds me of this (here’s a little laugh for you):
So this also explains why I’ve been lacking on the blog front. I’ve been distraught and have nothing to write about, quite frankly. I can describe the view from my couch but that’s about it. Let me ask you this, how long does it take you to go down 13 stairs? Probably under 10 seconds for the average healthy person, right? Well, yesterday it took me over 5 minutes. Think about that. 5 minutes. That’s a hell of a long time! I walk like a dying pterodactyl!!! My flippers are all over the place just to hold my balance. It’s crazy!
I’ll be going to a specialist for endometriosis about an hour away from home. I hope they can help me. I know the next few months are critical. I need to find the strength to fight. To fight for my dream of having a big family, to fight for a life. I want my own child and as good as adoption and surrogates sounds, I just want my own. I want to have the big belly and I want everyone to come up to me and hug it ( I know most women hate that!). I want the morning sickness and I want the swollen feet. I hate seeing people talk about how pregnant they are, complain, post pictures of their baby bump, the cute clothes, the nursery. It’s so painful for someone like me that has to sit around and watch as everyone is easily getting pregnant (even those that shouldn’t be allowed to) and I get a punch in the face.
I’m not sure what I did in my life to deserve this kind of punishment but I will tell you all something. From here on out, you will be apart of my journey…every step of the way. Please join my journey by becoming a subscriber or a fan on the facebook page! What is new in the fertility world, navigating through a language barrier, and so on. I will fight for my dream…and I will fight for the life of my own child.
I’ve been working on this little ditty for a long time now. I mix all sorts of random things together and hope it turns out good. I’m still perfecting this but I’ll let you in on my little secret so far! 🙂 This is only one of the variations I make but seems to be the winner around here and SO easy!!!
What you will need:
Pork Tenderloin
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Rotisserie Mustard (or if you don’t have this Dijon Mustard would work also)
Spicy Mustard (of your choice)
1 small or medium onion
I add in a few dried spices like Chili flakes, Basil, and a pinch of rosemary
flour or cornstarch
Here’s How:
Depending on the size of the tenderloin, that will dictate how much of a marinade you make. I try to make a little extra to have more sauce since Toblerone LOVES any and all gravy.
Pour a good amount of balsamic vinegar into a small bowl. I usually use about 1/2 a cup or a little more. Then add in 2-3 teaspoons of honey. You can add more later if you want it a little bit sweeter. Next I add in the Rotisserie mustard, approximately 3-5 teaspoons. Mix together.
Then I add in the spicy mustard about 2-3 teaspoons. Again, this is based on how you like it. The Honey will make it a bit sweet so I feel the more mustard the better. Add in any extra spices you like (ie: basil, rosemary, garlic, etc.) and stir together.
Cut up the onion so it’s in thick long pieces and place in a zip-lock bag. Put the pork tenderloin into the bag as well and then pour the honey mustard mixture over the pork. Close the bag, refrigerate. Here’s the trick: I usually let it sit in the refrigerator for 2 days or so. The longer the better!
Dirty Minds....cut it out!
Cooking this beast is simple, really! There are two ways to do this. You can cook it in the oven or on the stove but I usually do it on the stove. First, heat your pan on high heat. Place only the pork tenderloin in the pan (not the marinade – that comes later) and cook all sides. It’s ok if the outside is charring, that’s what you want. It hold all the juices in so the meat stays moist as you cook it longer. So first things first, char that baby!!! Once all sides are “crusty” then turn the heat down slightly and let it cook, turning occasionally. This is about 10-15 mins, maybe more depending on the size.
In a separate sauce pan pour in the remaining marinade and a touch of flour or cornstarch. Heat on low while continuously stirring. Once pork is cooked and sauce is warm, cut the tenderloin into large pieces and pour sauce on top. Serve immediately. Done and DONE!
I hope you enjoy it! Just give it a try…I PROMISE you’ll love it!
We’ve been doing good eating better and so far so good! Toblerone loves being my guinea pig of sorts. Actually, I think he doesn’t mind as long as his belly is full!
Tonight I made smothered pork chops with apples, onions, and cheese from Rocco Dispirito’s book, “Now Eat This!” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this guy is a genius…and hot. Of course I didn’t have the exact ingredients so I improvised with what Germany has to offer me but it’s do-able, in all countries people! NO EXCUSES! EAT BETTER!
I’m not big on apples to begin with but the mustardy oniony appley taste is different and paired up perfectly with the pork meat. Guten Appetit!
Normal Smothered Pork Chops: Calories 500 Fat 15 grams
Revised by Rocco: Calories 243 Fat 6.5 grams
What you will need:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Large red onion cut into 1/2 inch thick slices/rings OR 2 small white onions
3 Large Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 6 or more wedges each (less sugar than the typical applesauce used)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low fat, low sodium chicken broth
Four 4 ounce portions of lean pork loin (1 1/2 inches thick) trimmed of all visible fat. For this I used minute pork chops, very thin just cooks quicker.
2 Tablespoons coarse-grain Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or I just used dried basil because it’s what I had on hand.)
1/2 cup shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese such as Cabot. (Germans don’t know what cheddar is so I used the closest I could find.)
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. or 230 C. Spray a large foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Separate the onion rings. Lay the onions and apples on the baking sheet in a single layer. For me, my oven is made for ants so I had to squish a bit. Yours should be more spread out. Spray lightly with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast the apples and onions until the apples are tender and start to brown on the edges. Should take about 20 mins.
For those who don’t know (I didn’t, I had to look it up!) “Roasting” means to cook/bake at a higher temperature. Just make sure your oven is preheated to the correct temp!
3. Turn the broiler on high. Broil the apples and onions until they are slightly charred – about 3 minutes. The pieces of onions around the edges of the pan charred a lot more than the rest and the apples looked like they were about to explode but that’s probably more because I don’t now what the options on my oven are telling me. I just pick one at random and enjoy the show! 🙂
4. Put about 3/4 cup of the apple-onion mixture in a blender and add the chicken broth. Puree until the mixture is smooth and put the rest of the apple-onion aside. For this, I don’t have a blender but the apples and onions are both so tender and mushy you can easily just smush and whisk with a fork or so. Doesn’t need to be perfect.
5. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper to taste. When pan is hot, spray with cooking spray and add the pork (careful of splattering!) Sautee until brown on both sides and cooked through ( about 3 minutes or so.) Transfer pork to a plate and cover.
6. Reduce heat of the skillet to low and add the pureed apple-onion mixture. Add the mustard and whisk. Once stirred together, add in the rest of the apples and onions you set aside from earlier and the tarragon if you have it. Be sure to cover the added apples and onions evenly with the sauce.
7. Remove skillet from heat and add salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the pork chops and sprinkle with cheese. Serve Immediately.
VOILA! Until next time, Readers!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
As I mentioned in my new year resolution long term/short term goals, I have decided that we need to eat healthier. We all know that grabbing a twinkie or a bagel with cream cheese is never good for you. I’ve definitely graduated from the nights of the ramen noodle or the frozen chicken nuggets. Now in all honesty, I think the last time I had all of that stuff had to be well over 5 years ago and I don’t crave it one bit! I’m perfectly ok with ordering a salad in a restaurant and I turned something like the going to the gym into a habit and a way of life (Thanks to my wifelet for that one!)
So with that being said, I’m still a human. I still love food and I’ve learned to love cooking. Diet food is bland and boring and I’m a “spice whore.” I don’t want my potatoes to be plain, I want them to taste like garlic. Get what I’m saying? Yup, spice whore. I like it. 🙂 Thank you to the GORGEOUS Rocco Dispirito who published his cookbook “Now Eat This!” As a chef, he keeps the flavor together but he worked with a nutritionist to knock the calories and fat grams out. I encourage you all to make these small changes to your every day cooking! Let’s remove the stereotype that all Americans are overweight!! 🙂
Toblerone’s Tasting Table:
Well, most Americans are right ?!?! Just kidding 🙂 The Germans are the fattest people all over Europe, so that tells you enough about our eating habits…
Now to the steak, I have to admit that my friend Max and I got this served after about 6 hours of PS3 gaming, 6 big beers each and an hour of jacuzzi at least which overall made us super hungry for almost anything.
However, I really liked what I got there. The meat was very tender and the pepper cognac mix on top added a very spicy almost hot flavor. Overall I would say a 8. Since I really love to eat spicy food, this was exactly what I needed after a long day of gaming 🙂
Until next time readers…
Cheers, Toblerone
Normal Steak Au Poivre: Calories 1,325 Fat 86.3 grams
Revised by Rocco: Calories 294 Fat 7.8 grams
What you will need:
4 Tablespoons and 1 teaspoon very coarsely ground black pepper
Four 4-ounce lean filet mignon (about 1 inch thick)
Salt
Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tablespoons Brandy or Cognac
1 1/2 Cups Evaporated skim milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1. Heat a skillet over high heat
2. On a plate, place 4 Tablespoons pepper and season steak with salt and cover completely only one side of the steak. You may need to press the steak down so the pepper sticks on there good. I didn’t have any problems with it.
3. When the pan is hot enough, spray in cooking spray – a generous amount. Add in steaks, pepper side down first. Cook both sides until desired and transfer to another plate.
4. Add in brandy or cognac and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper. While the brandy reduces, whisk evaporated skim milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. I couldn’t find evaporated skim milk so I used regular skim milk.
5. When brandy reduces to about half, whisk in milk mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. Note: Since I used only milk & Cornstarch, I added in a beef flavored bouillon cube for extra taste.
The Diary of Sugar and Spice 