Finishing Up the Home Management Guide

If you’ve been following my Inside the Guide series, we’re almost done!

The last really important section of the HMG is the “Contacts” section. In this section, I keep a list of our family members, including addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses, a list of telephone numbers that we call frequently (library, preschool, pediatrician), and a list of emergency numbers (poison control, police, fire etc.)

Here’s my “Contacts” section cover:

When you’ve completed your “Contacts” section, you can personalize your binder with additional sections. For example, I have “Gardening” and “Home Improvement” sections, because we grow fruits and vegetables, and do nearly all home improvement projects ourselves. You can even create sections for hobbies, if you want to. Remember, this is your personal binder, and you can design it however you want!

When you’ve completed these sections, you’re done! Aren’t you happy? You’ve created a terrific reference for yourself, which will make your life as a Home Manager much easier!

I’m sorry to say that life around my house isn’t very easy right now. Though I did complete the tax return and file it (finally–it took 3 months), I have yet to get the house back in shape after Easter. For the last two days, I’ve been unable to accomplish anything because I’ve been doubled over with terrible menstrual cramps (my apologies to the handful of men who read this blog).

In an earlier post, I mentioned that both of my children were conceived via in vitro fertilization. In fact, Baby C. was frozen as an embryo for 4 years, before being implanted. IVF was necessary for us because I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease, which basically means that while my ovaries produce eggs, they’re reluctant to let go of them. This seems to be related to a shortage of progesterone, which prevents me from having regular, monthly periods. When we finally sought help from fertility doctors, I hadn’t had a period in over a year.

Then, when Baby C. started weaning, my body went bonkers, and for about two months I had a near-constant period. I also suffered from severe fatigue, hair loss, and other very unpleasant symptoms. Last month, I saw a doctor, and was put on medication for low thyroid function, as well as birth control pills to regulate my hormones. This is my first period since starting on the pills, and it’s very, very bad.

I realize that this whole subject is personal and private, and also probably too much information, but I have a good reason for bringing it up. I’m hoping that somebody knows how to ease the pain of these terrible cramps! I’ve tried ibuprofen and tylenol, caffeine, and also a heating pad. While these things take the edge off, the cramps are still so bad that I feel like throwing up.

If you have any ideas, please let me know! I’m desperate to feel better so that I can get something done. At this rate, my family will have to eat canned soup for supper, and will probably run out of clean underwear.

Tagged as: Daily Life, Inside the Guide