2011

Archive for the year 2011

Ching’s First Biopsy Experience

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Ching under Health.

I had my first (and hopefully last) biopsy experience yesterday. Brian lied to me and told me that I would get stuck with a needle only once. Dr. Zayour actually stuck me a total of five times to get enough samples. Brian said he used the same hole, though. As if that’s supposed to make me feel better. =P

I think Brian lied to me on purpose so as not to freak me out because I have this irrational fear of needles. I can’t watch whenever I get blood drawn. Even my annual flu shot freaks me out.

The doctor used a sonogram machine to see where he was going, but he dug around there quite a bit. Getting stuck with the needles wasn’t too bad, but the pressure I felt from him rooting around my thyroid was quite uncomfortable. It’s a good thing that I couldn’t turn my head to watch the sonogram screen. Brian said he felt uncomfortable watching the needle moving around inside my thyroid and couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like. I told him it wasn’t painful, but it was really uncomfortable. I felt like something kept pushing on my neck. Up until then, I’d never really felt any pain or discomfort from my super enlarged thyroid.

I didn’t know how many times I would get stuck with a needle so after the third time I was like, “How many more times are you going to stick me?” The doctor said he needed to take a couple more samples. Brian said he was going to joke by telling me, “The good news is we’re done with all those needles… The bad news is we’re moving to bigger ones.” However, no sooner than he thought that, the doctor really did ask the nurse for a larger gauge needle. Oops!

I was so relieved when it was all over. Going through a thyroid biopsy wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t fun. I’m glad that I have a good doctor with a great sense of humor. I don’t know how I could have managed otherwise.

This is what my neck looked like after. The doctor sent me off with an ice pack to keep my neck from swelling. I’m glad that I wore a scarf that day because it actually came in handy. Not only did it hide the band aid, but it also kept the ice pack in place. This way I didn’t have to hold it next to my neck for the next half hour.

I left the ice pack on longer than the doctor recommended. I pretty much kept it in place until it was no longer cold. My neck was little sore, but not bruised.

Overall I thought that the biopsy procedure went well. The doctor said he will contact me with the results on Wednesday. I will keep you guys posted.

No Comments

Negotiating for Win-Win

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Ching under Events, Shopping.

Last year a bunch of us wore ugly holiday sweaters to our department holiday party. This year we’re planning to do the same thing. I told Brian that we were getting him an ugly holiday sweater to wear because he wasn’t getting out of it this year like he did last year. Brian wanted to wear something nice to show off his new, svelte body so he adamantly refuses to don anything ugly.

Because I’m brilliant, I came up with a win-win proposal for both of us. I told him he could wear an ugly holiday sweater vest in lieu of a sweater. We could find one that buttons down the front, so he can easily take it off after photos. We can both arrive at my work function in appropriately festive (albeit ugly) attire, get our photos taken and then he can take his sweater vest off (because he is a kill joy) for the rest of the evening. He’s happy, and I’m happy.

So after the rate hearing (yes, I’m crazy and actually like attending these things) on Wednesday, I convinced Brian to swing by Walmart on the way home to go ugly holiday sweater shopping. There weren’t a lot of options. I actually don’t think they sell any festive holiday sweaters for guys. We did find a Christmas sweater rack in the ladies’ section. Brian found one that he was willing to wear (see below). He wanted to coordinate it with a nice gray dress shirt.

The only downside to the sweater vest is that he had to get it in a size small since he is so skinny now. I was like, “Can you find me an extra small? I refuse to wear the same size sweater as you.”

We searched and searched and couldn’t find any of the Christmas sweaters or vests in extra small. “What am I supposed to wear? Why don’t they have any extra smalls?!” I asked in frustration.

Brian replied, “I’m pretty sure they don’t expect anyone sexy to buy one of these.”

We both busted up laughing. That’s Brian for you! After we regained our composure, I came up with another brilliant idea. I bought one of the holiday sweaters in a size small but, since it’s a little baggy (okay, so a lot baggy), I’m going to see if I can wear it as either a dress or a tunic. I’m pretty conservative so if it’s going to be too short as a dress, I’m just going to wear it as a tunic with either skinny jeans or jeggings.

I found a red bow belt at Express that I can wear with it so I can look like a present. LOL. I think Brian and I will look sufficiently festive on Friday. What do you guys think?

P.S. That’s a size small that he’s holding in the photo by the way. I can normally wear a size small, but their size small is ridiculously generous. This is more like a large. Who came up with this sizing anyway? Fernando Botero?

No Comments

I Love, Love, Love the Nike Outlet

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Ching under Shopping.

The Nike Outlet by itself is worth the trip to Legends. For about $50, I got myself a couple of cute workout shorts (one rang up at $2 and change, while the other rang up around $6) and two of these Nike Pacer dri-fit running skirts (one black and one purple). The running skirts are normally $45 each, so I got four items for the price of one skirt. At that price, I was thinking I should have picked up the pink one too. LOL.

I’m just thankful that the Nike Outlet wasn’t as crowded this year as it was last year. I didn’t even get a chance to buy anything last year because we looked at the line that wrapped around the perimeter of the store at least a couple of times over and decided that nothing in the store was worth standing in line for over an hour. This year, the line was shorter and moved pretty quickly. The line went along the fitting rooms, but didn’t quite reach the back wall. They had to keep reminding people to stand away from the fitting room doors and not lean on them because, I guess, people were trying on stuff. Actually, this one girl hit Brian’s back with the door as she emerged from one of the fitting rooms. Who does that on Black Friday? This isn’t a leisurely shopping trip! You need to know what you want, pick it up and get out of there. Seriously.

I took a chance on picking up extra smalls. Brian always says: buy the size that you will be, not the size that you are. He was worried that if I got smalls, they’d end up being too big for me in a couple of months. The extra smalls weren’t too bad, though. They are tighter than I like, but Brian likes the way they look on me.

I am so glad my stuff fit, specially since I didn’t bother trying them on at all. Normally, I would. Just not on Black Friday, the craziest shopping day of the year. =P

No Comments

Our Black Friday Shopping Posse

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Ching under Shopping.

We had a great time with the Dills and Farrars this weekend. They met us at Legends for Moonlight Magic. We took a break in the middle of shopping to eat at IHOP (one of the few places that were open at 4 AM) since the guys were starving.

On Friday night we all had dinner at Dave & Buster’s. We were going to eat at the Yard House, but they had an hour-long wait. Dave & Buster’s worked out great because several people in our group had never been there. We played some games after dinner and ended up spending a few hours there.

Check out our other blog for the food pictures.

2 Comments

Mmmm… Boots

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Ching under Shopping.

I found these Dr. Martens Becca Engineer boots
at Off Broadway Shoes at Legends and was immediately drawn to them because they are similar in style to the Frye Vera slouch boots that I’ve been wanting, at a fraction of the cost. Although, I think the Docs might actually look better on me because they have a shorter shaft. The Fryes are knee-high boots and sometimes knee-high boots make me look even shorter than I already am. Anyway, I showed these to Brian and he was like, “You need a new pair of boots like you need another belly button.” LOL. He’s right, though. I have so many boots that I don’t even know exactly how many I have. I know I have less than 20 pairs, but I think I’m getting pretty close.

Brian might have been a little cranky because he hadn’t had his coffee yet and he didn’t end up getting a nap in before we took off for Kansas City. Thankfully, there’s a Scooter’s at Legends. We’ve hit it several times this weekend.