The Okavango

If you've spent any time at all watching nature shows, chances are you've heard of Botswana's Okavango Delta. This part of the earth is subject to a seasonal flood. Much of the year it's dry as a desert, but for a few months, it becomes a lush swamp. Large numbers of animals (elephants, rhinos, hippos, lions...basically the whole roster of African wildlife) come here to drink. It's like Africa's luxury spa. The mud baths are the best!

Now...and be sure to read this section in the voice of David Attenborough...so it goes with my vagina. Since begining Lupron, it's been hella arid up in there. Nary a drop of fluid to be found on my panties for weeks on end. But...at long last, the floods have come! And even though it will be six weeks (SIX WEEKS!) before any...uh...hippos...will be...er...wallowing in my...um...wetlands, it's still great to see some signs of life returning. I like to imagine my husband as a dust covered elephant (you know, might as well be kind to his ego...) slowly treking his way towards my region. Let's hope he doesn't die of thirst before he arrives.

I also wanted to say a few words about why fibroids are not necessarily a problem for the baby makin' machine. Like some of you, it's hard for me to look at those suckers in their bucket and not think I'll be cured. But there's a ton of research suggesting that the situation is more complicated. There are a couple of ways fibroids can interfere with conception. Fibroids in the uterine cavity prevent implantation, and it's well established that those are stone cold baby killers. Fibroids outside the cavity, like mine, can still be problematic if they prevent egg pickup, or if they reduce blood flow to the uterus, or fuck with its shape or contractility. It's clear one of mine was fucking with egg pickup on the left, but it's not clear that the situation will be improved. And it's not clear whether blood flow, shape, or contractility were impacted by the others. Seriously, there are women with fibroids the size of FOOTBALLS (vomits a little) that conceive perfectly well and carry to term. I guess I'm saying this in case there are any readers with fibroids who are thinking AAAAHHHH! And contemplating getting them out. Mine were removed because of the egg pickup biznazz, and because they were unusually large for such a wee tiny girl, and because my RE was not about to let them fuck up his IVF success rate.

Anyways, like I said before, I am hopeful. Just super cautious.