Saturday, December 1, 2007

how organized are you?

After realizing that I've never, ever kept track of the many doctor's appointments, blood draws, results, cycle monitoring, test dates and their results, questions for the doctor, etc., I came to the conclusion that it might be wise to start. You know, for FUTURE REFERENCE WHEN I MEET WITH MY NEW RE SO I WON'T LOOK LIKE A TOTAL DUMBASS AT OUR VERY IMPORTANT IVF CONSULT APPOINTMENT; BECAUSE HE MIGHT MAKE US A BABY AND THAT IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL.
I am so not a type A. And this whole process is very type A. It doesn't suit me in the least. Like planning our wedding. I just didn't care about any of the details. I literally spent about 10 minutes choosing the food selections. It all tasted good and it was a very reputable catering company, so I figured just go with it. I let the venue where our reception was held choose the linens, glassware, and centerpieces. They kept asking "Now Tipsymarie, are you sure it's ok for us to make such important decisions regarding your WEDDING DAY?" I was expecting one of them to explode, but it never happened. Oh man. So high strung and so serious.about.weddings. I tried on a total of 8 dresses over a couple of trips to various small stores and decided on one almost immediately. I ordered my veil and bridesmaid dresses sight unseen from the interweb, and I am not kidding when I tell you I ordered my invitations from Party City. I know, some of you just recoiled in horror. It's ok because those damn things just went in the trash as soon as they were opened. I'm pretty sure the only person who will frame it is me. It currently sits in our living room. The only thing I really tried to plan was the music selection, because I didn't want to hear any annoying Top 40 shit. I wanted people to dance and have fun, so I did make sure we had a plan in place for an open bar that had everyone's favorites.

It was only natural and expected I take a laissez faire approach to things others find to need more planning. I bought my prom dress the night before and decided on an engagement ring design I liked in one afternoon. In perhaps the most the most shocking display of Type B ineptitude, I lost the secret notebook girls keep between each other. The one we spent hours decorating with stickers and puff paint and glitter. Oh, I had several friends stop speaking to me because of that loss. BFF, not so much.

When I was in school, I was not the girl with the pink and green kittened out Trapper Keeper divided neatly among the five subjects. Notes and school work were always stuffed into a desk or locker or under the bed or in the car. My teachers were always beyond frustrated with my lack of organization, or more likely, my lack of motivation to become organized.

On Friday, I spent some time making some really pretty, graphically pleasing calendars in Publisher for our Big Giant IVF Binder. If it wouldn't be so weird, I would send a copy to my new RE so he knows I am taking this more seriously that I have anything else in my life. Nothing says serious like a Big Giant Binder Stuffed with Calendars and Test Results.
I can't wait to make the labels and dividers.

8 comments:

Geohde said...

Heck, I got married in a registry office with just witnesses so's I didn't have to faff around organising all that wedding stuff.

As for the IVF thing, you'll get told dates and times so many times on so many forms that they burn into your brain, whether you like it or not. Besides, it's all more approachable if you just think only as far as the next step, if that makes sense.

J

Carrie said...

Haha, that's so funny.
I wasn't fussed about all the wedding prep either, although that's very unlike me. I was only 21 at the time and filling my days with much more fun stuff (I know, what was I thinking getting married so young, it just seemed like a hoot!)

Now with the binder you've hit a nerve. More times than I care to remember medical personnel have commented, or at least raised an eyebrow, at my very thorough, hot pink, perfectly organised, infertility folder. If only they knew, this is the FINAL draft folder. I have two anothers for organizing in! Yet still no baby, who'd have thought it.

Seriously though, as someone with slight control issues, the lack of control is what is driving me mad. You can only plan so much and then everything else goes from blood to blood or next scan etc. Also a lot of just plain luck too. You can't organize this, no matter how many dividers you include. Still, I find the paperwork comforting. Hope you do too x

Anonymous said...

I am impressed.

I have all the follie counts and E2 levels from my first cycle on post-it notes in my end table drawer in my living room. I know what cycle day they were because I numbered them. Not very organized. And not exactly a safe spot. I figure if I ever really need the info, I can go back to my blog!

Anonymous said...

Honestly, the RE probably likes the type B, go with the flow patient, better then me. I come in with my excel spreadsheet and say thing like "but, you told me I would trigger on the 4th, it is here on my spreadsheet, so no we can not trigger on the 5th!"

christina(apronstrings) said...

i am the opposite. i am insanely type A. i think i am actually borderline OCD. if you want to be freked out, when you're over this weekend, take a peak at my closet that i spent TWO hours cleaning out. it may scare you. ever seen 9 1/2 weeks?
type A is a bad personality trait. unless you are unemployed and can hire help. because nothing is ever good enough. and if i can't get an "a" on organization, it remains unorganized. such a time waster.
but enough about me. i can't believe you are gearing up for a big cycle. eeeeeeccccckkkkkk.
hey, wait me too!
i look forward to sharing my cycle with you and maybe i'll your lead and calm down a bit.

Serenity said...

If only getting that BFP had to do with how organized and Type-A we are.

I'm a total type-A (though not as OCD as theoneliner/apronstrings)... and it took me a long time to let go and just trust that my clinic knows what it was doing.

I think it's the hardest part of IF - letting go of the idea that YOU control when and if it happens.

Can't believe you're cycling so soon!!!

JJ said...

Cant wait for your Blog You Very Much post--thanks so much for participating--just let me know when you have it and Ill link it=)

BEST of luck with your upcoming cycle!

Ms. Planner said...

The grass is always (sometimes) greener. I wish I could be less type A on a daily basis. You will have to post of picture of the super binder when it is done.