The Problems with New Microwaves

I've been doing this big house renovation and have decided that I really do need to do the kitchen as well. I don't want to spend even more money, but my kitchen, while functional, is fine for the one person I was, but is not going to be as usable for the family of 4 I am now.

As with all kitchens, there are some basics that must be accomplished, such as picking out the style of the cabinets, type of backsplash, and granite. All of that has gone pretty smoothly. Surprisingly. Or not - my architect husband smartly defers to me unless I've picked out something that he does not like. He can overrule me if he really wants to (shhhh, don't tell him), but he rarely does.

The most complicated part so far had been finding cabinets that meet our stringent requirements. I only have a certain amount of space in the kitchen. The window is already where it is. It is a smallish galley kitchen with a breakfast area. There's not a lot of room for creativity. The biggest change from the old kitchen layout-wise is that the refrigerator and oven have switched sides, and I've increased my workspace area and improved the flow. While it pains me to pay the premium, we had no choice, we had to use custom cabinets for our not-so-standard cabinet sizes.

But even that was relatively simple. Picking out a new refrigerator also took very little time. 1) Go on internet to find listed best units 2) Go on amazon to find real people reviews 3) find frig with best value/price ratio. Simple. I'm going with a GE frig with bottom freezer.

I am fine with my current oven and dishwasher, both fairly new and workable. However, to maximize my counter space, I want to take the microwave off the counter. A hood/microwave would have served the purpose nicely, but then the 7 year old would not be able to use it. So I've opted for a built-in.

And this is where all of my problems started. The procedure I used for the frig failed me at step #2. Every time I found a highly rated microwave, I read the reviews. For every brand (and I looked up all of them) the reviews were peppered with similar comments ("broken right out of box" "stopped working just after warranty expired" "sparked" "went on fire" "only lasted 2 years" "only lasted four months" "disrupted my wifi and phone signals"). These went on and on.

I went to "high end" microwaves and found that for $1200 (!!!) the quality still sucks. In fact, it seems that the smaller and lower end the microwave is, the longer it lasts and the fewer safety-related issues are found.

Personally, I've had a panasonic for over ten years and been very happy with it. So I thought I'd go with that. But there were so many safety issues with it, as well as quality issues, I was afraid to take the risk.

What really kills me is the more money I spend, the worse the quality seems to be. I can't go with something small. I need a large size and something that can be built-in using a trim kit if it is not already a built-in. The drawers would not work because they don't seem to heat evenly without a carousel.

So I subdivided the category: 1) Expensive Microwaves that have safety and quality issues 2) Expensive Microwaves that have quality issues.

Clearly, I'd prefer #2 in this disgusting but unfortunately very real situation. The plan being to buy the microwave at home depot or best buy and get the super-extended warranty due to all the quality issues. Even though amazon prices are the best for most of these items, I need the protections that Home Depot can offer.

I've also analyzed the nature of all the complaints with the safety and quality issues, and I have a theory. I think that the issue is related to the higher voltage microwaves. The one I've had forever is 1100W and that seems to be the magic number. Go above that and they start shorting out, blowing fuses, sparking, and causing the parts to fail quickly. There was a suggestion to have your microwave on a separate circuit, just like you'd do for a high wattage item like a regular oven. I have a feeling that doing this will fix a lot of the problems, but of course requires an electrician and some kitchen planning.

For me, based on my analysis, I'm going with the GE Model number PEB2060SMSS for a combination of looks, keypad, size, ability to do a pretty trim package, and the fact that while there are quality issues, there don't seem to be safety issues. I'll buy a 3 year extended warranty. And pray.

Diary of my Pregnancy - 40 year old first timer

7 weeks 4 days:


Well, today I had my first OB visit. And they have quite a well-oiled machine at this office. Clean waiting area with ample comfortable seating, art books to flip through, and receptionist ready and waiting to give you instructions.

Of  course, I screwed up from the first minute. I never printed out the info from the website, so I did not pre-fill out my paperwork. Something that could have saved me a lot of time. Then, I was handed a urine cup. I know darn well that you should NEVER pee before going to the doctor because we always want a sample. But at home, I HAD to go.

Since my bladder has been working more frequently lately, I figured a few cups of water while I fill out the paperwork and I'll be ready. And it worked. The mere act of drinking made me pee. (Sorry TMI?).

Then, I was directed to a wall of bathrooms to choose from. I did my business into the supplied cup (onto it too - totally gross - I washed it thoroughly before handing it in). Then put the cup into the bag and brought it back into the waiting room. "Where do I put this?" I innocently asked. It goes in the window of the bathroom. The "window" is a two way metal biohazard door. Pretty cool.

When I was called, they weighed me, blood pressured me, wrote a few notes, and then asked, "Are you the one who didn't label her cup?" Ummm, yes. Label? I assumed they put that there...I was already not having a good day.

Soon I was placed into the patient room to wait for the doctor. I've never met her before so I was curious what she was like. Even though she was recommended by my friend/OB (in another city). Of course my stuff was piled high on a corner of the counter because there is NO PLACE to put your stuff. Big pet peeve of mine. My husband is a healthcare architect and he agreed. He puts places for patients to put their stuff built into his designed rooms. All patient care rooms should have somewhere to put their personal items. I hate having to move patient items so I can find a place to sit down with my patients. I hate it as a patient too.

My OB is really nice. Smart. And stated her case for getting blood screening for various disorders. I was against it at first, but conceded that identifying heart issues early on can be extremely beneficial. All was going well, and I asked if we could have an ultrasound. She had not had me scheduled for one, but made an on-the-fly appointment with their in-house tech.

This was a tough spot for the husband. This is where he got all the bad news for his wife. I was pretty confident all was well because I had strong pregnancy symptoms, breasts swollen like balloons, the frequent peeing thing, etc...But again, I've been realistic because I'm 40. I kept an open mind. But when I saw the tech do her thing (very quickly) I was able to spot immediate issues. The dates were wrong. I couldn't find the heart beat. And the doppler did not show anything. She did not point this out - but I've done a bunch of these myself - enough to know the basics were not promising.

When she got my doctor, my suspicions were confirmed. I'm one week off, and even if that were true, I should still have some kind of heart beat. They had me at 6wks 2 days. So while the sac looked good, and I feel pregnant, the inevitable is coming. My first pregnancy. My first miscarriage. Getting pregnant at 40 so easily seemed to be a miracle. I hope it is not once in a lifetime.

Diary of my Pregnancy - 40 year old first timer

6 weeks 5 days:


Wow, so far still doing well. My breasts REALLY hurt and have grown out of many of my clothes that fit just weeks ago. And I'll probably need some new bras soon. I've had occasional bits of nausea and keep the zofran close just in case. I've taken it twice so far.

BTW just a note about Zofran ODT (orally dissolving tablets). Zofran is a great, safe medicine for nausea in pregnancy. The ODT version is fantastic because it dissolves under the tongue and works nearly instantly and can't be vomited up.

HOWEVER, to make it taste okay, the makers have put in aspartame for a sweetener. Aspartame is Nutrasweet. Personally, I have physical issues with nutrasweet, so I completely avoid it. Best thing I ever did, eliminating that from my diet. I was dismayed that as an MD I had no idea of aspartame being in the medicine. It is NOT on the bottle. However, if you get the peel-aways, it does list aspartame as an ingredient. This is true of another orally dissolving tablet - Prevacid solutabs BTW.

Many pregnant women avoid sweeteners. I am. So if you are trying to avoid aspartame, but need a nausea medicine that is safe in pregnancy and has low side effects, get Zofran tablets. Make sure it is NOT the ODT version.

I'm also proud of myself...you know medical professionals of any kind make the worst patients. And I'm not great about taking medicines of any kind. But I have not missed a dose of my prenatal vitamins. My bowels can tell the difference. The iron, is, well, constipating. I'm going to have to start eating more prunes. 'Nuf said, I know, TMI.

Also, regarding my previous post about the baby forums for July, besides being shocked by all the non-pregnant people on the monthly due date forums, I'm also shocked by the misinformation being bandied about on the site. I know this is a forum for pregnant women to share information, but really, something as important as pregnancy should have MD moderators. OBs in particular.

As an MD I hesitate to ever give advice over the internet, but when I see such blatant dangerous advice...I feel it is my duty to pipe in. In particular, a woman asked if it was possible to be pregnant after a tubal ligation, saying she had "debilitating pain" much worse than a period. The answer is, yes, you can, but it is rarely normal - it is usually an ectopic (commonly referred to as a tubal) pregnancy.

This woman was wondering if she should go to the doctor because she was late, in severe pain, and her pregnancy test was normal, having had a tubal ligation many years ago. The answers given to her by others were, "I had 2 babies post tubal ligation" and "Just wait a week before going to the Doctor." Huh? The answer should have been (and what I posted) is, "While it is theoretically possible to have a normal pregnancy post tubal ligation, it is more likely to be an ectopic pregnancy...which if left untreated can kill you. Go the the ER. Now." Especially, when there is a history of "debilitating pain." I hope that woman is okay.

Diary of my Pregnancy - 40 year old first timer

Five weeks four days:


So far so good. Still no AF after my BFP and am 28 DPO. Confused? I was too.

These are all terms bandied about on the Baby Central forums where I was advised to join and lurk. What you do is give your estimated date of delivery (in my case determined by my first day of last menstrual period) and it puts you in a group of women who will deliver that week. Or so I thought...

What I found were a lot of women talking about daily temperatures, OPKs, and all sorts of terminology I knew of as fertility issues, not pregnancy issues. Lots of people would have headlines like, "Now on to August :(" or "I got my AF, on to August." Or worse, talk about their BFNs.

This also confused me. Not just the abbreviations which I will get to in a moment, but because there were non-pregnant women on a pregnancy forum.

I'm well aware of the difficulties of getting pregnant. I've lived through it with friends and with my sibling who has tried everything, unsuccessfully, to make me an aunt. I know the heart-wrenching experience women have when they get implanted and hope it will stick. All the meds they have to take for optimum fertility. It is unimaginably difficult.

That is why I chose to go the fate route and avoid all fertility issues completely. I never got fertility testing (at age 40!). I never took a hormone in my entire life. I also made sure that I never focused too hard on the idea of having a baby. Yes, I've wanted a baby of my own, but I have two amazing kids through marriage (full-time since my husband is a widower) and could go on just fine with only them.

And yes, I had a feeling I was probably fertile (from a making eggs perspective) as I have a regular 27/28 day cycle. Are there abnormalities in the eggs? Who knows. I try to avoid the X-ray tech as much as possible, but I work in a hospital. I travel in airplanes. I'm exposed more frequently than most ordinary people. I could have some damage there.

I'm also a realist. I know I'm 40. I know I had a small likelihood of getting pregnant naturally, and that I have a large likelihood of miscarriage (especially from genetic issues). Our eggs are vulnerable to damage throughout our lives, so I know that by 40, my odds are low. Then again, I found the man of my dreams (literally...a long wonderful story) at age 38, so I know that fate works and can work in my favor.

BTW, here's why eggs are so vulnerable: At birth you are born with all the eggs you'll ever have. Actually, the baby I'm carrying now will soon create all the eggs (if a girl) she will every have in her life. Those eggs are not fully developed. They are stuck in First Prophase until ovulation which then triggers the rest of Meiosis I to complete.

Which basically means (for those who don't remember high school biology) that in the process of creating eggs through Meiosis, the eggs are stuck about halfway through the process. Fertilization triggers the finalization of the process to proceed and complete Meiosis II. So environmental reasons can mess with the proper division of genes/chromosomes/etc...

Men, on the other hand, produce new sperm constantly. Each is fully Meiosis-ized (term made up by me). So the sperm don't sit around getting pummeled by radiation or toxins of any kind for a length of time. They are born, they die, new ones are born and die. If they are malformed, they are too weak to survive the journey to the egg and die.

They don't get stuck halfway through creation for 30ish years like eggs. Men make gazillions of sperm through their lifetime. Women make 400 eggs (estimated) over her fertile lifetime. Doesn't seem fair, but at least they have to suffer through their prostate in their older years--which women thankfully don't have.

So back to the forum, it makes me sad to see all these women are so desperate to have a child that they join the forum for where they hope they will be pregnant, long before they are actually pregnant. The disappointment, IMO, seems to be compounded by the fact that they are doing this month after month.

The abbreviations? Well, AF stands for period. Huh? I wondered that too. AF is slang for "Aunt Flo" for whatever reason. I keep picturing this big heavy woman "Aunt Flo" bleeding. Not a pleasant bit of imagery. Seems like P for period would make much more sense. But alas, AF is what they use on the boards. Learn to love it. Or not.

And it is ubiquitous on the baby boards. BFP stands for "Big Fat Positive or I've seen "Big F---ing Positive" for the pregnancy tests (likewise BFN is Big Fat Negative). DPO is days post ovulation (that one makes sense). And OPK is ovulation predictor kit. Here's a list of all the terms commonly found.

Next article, I should be caught up with my blogging in real time baby time. And I will talk about all the apps I'm using to track my baby's progress.

Diary of my Pregnancy - 40 year old first timer

4 weeks 2 days

So now I'm pregnant. I know, there should be an exclamation point. On baby central they use the term BFP (Big F---ing Positive). Clearly it is a big deal. But it is hard to be excited when I know the realities.

Everyone I know miscarried the first time. I'm only 4wks pregnant. Just a blob at that point. I'm 40. So much can still go wrong. I am more likely to miscarry than not. So it is hard to get overjoyed. I'm usually an optimist, and those of you reading this would think I am a complete buzz kill. However, I don't want to start naming the baby before I have even gotten past the point where I can see my baby on ultrasound.

I did make an appointment for that. Nearly 3 weeks from now. A long time to wait. Every day I go to the bathroom and half expect to see my period. So far so good.

My husband is like me, and has had similar feelings. He's been to 18weeks and then miscarried, so he knows what it is like to get really into it and have it all go wrong. That being said, we wonder aloud what our child will look like (will have a VERY thick head of hair), what they will act like (probably like his daughter who is remarkably similar to me...only moreso), what the name could be (already picked out for a girl, no clue what it would be for a boy)...

How am I feeling? Honestly, early stages of pregnancy are remarkably like PMS. Sore breasts, a little weepy, and a little crampy. I think the dull aches are from the implantation process of the baby into the uterus. The parasite (i.e. miracle child) is boring a hole into my uterus. Makes sense that would hurt a little.

While we are mostly keeping this under wraps, there are a few select people who know. Mostly because I need an outlet to talk about it or I will go insane.

(Note the posting is not completely contemporaneous with my actual dates at this point because I started the blog a week after all of this is taking place...so there will be a few posts this week as I catch up and will eventually have a weekly posting to reflect the actual time frame.)

Diary of my Pregnancy - 40 year old first timer

So I'm creating a pregnancy diary. It has been recommended I do this on multiple baby websites, so why not do it on a blog? Exactly. Which brings me to...

In brief, I got married last year, to a widower with two children. He went through all the fertility issues with his first wife, without much success, and a lot of heartbreak. His first child is adopted, and his second is via a surrogate. I did not want to put him through that again. However, as it stated in the title, I'm 40 years old now. I knew my odds were not good. Actually, the natural way, my odds were 5%/month likelihood of getting pregnant naturally.

Another way of stating this is a 1 in 20 month shot of trying versus succeeding. Since we only started trying 5 months ago, we are actually way ahead of the curve in that sense.

How did I find out? I was not obsessive about the process. I did buy a pack of three pregnancy tests last May when we started trying.

I found out because my iperiod iPhone app, where I diligently enter in my first day of menstrual cycle, tracks my fertility periods and when my expected periods are.

As an MD, you'd think I'd be able to remember when my LMP was each month, but no. I never can get that straight. My patients always seem to know, which is a marvel to me. They don't know what medicines they take, or what medical problems they have, whether they got vaccines, or even what the previous doctor said to them. But they always know their last menstrual period.

So I use an app, because apple says, "There's an app for that." And there is. Free too.

I was headed to work and checked my phone and my iperiod app announced "Your period is 1 day late!" And I have never in my life been late. I've been early--always ranging between 25-28 day/month cycles. Lately I'm nearly 27-28 day/month cycles. Something about getting married has made me more regular (and more fertile perhaps?).

I called my husband and let him know (we discuss everything) and he said "Hmmm" and I said "Hmmm" and we were like, we'll see what happens during my shift. Perhaps something will show up during my shift.

Something did show up--a dizzy spell. Very brief, and related to sympathetic pain of a severe bone injury. I sat down, drank some juice, and was fine afterwards. I used to get episodes like this frequently in med school and residency as the shock of something painful would cause a brief drop in my already low blood pressure (a known phenomenon called orthostatic hypotension from a vasovagal event). [It is such a soap opera cliche that no matter how old, the female who passes out is diagnosed as being pregnant]

Since I hadn't had something like this in a decade, and I know that blood pressure drops in pregnancy, I went "Hmmm" to myself.

And then I went home after my shift, opened up the second of three pregnancy tests and immediately got a deep pink line. Just one. So, no pregnancy, right? Oh wait, you are supposed check after 3 full minutes, not 30 seconds [bad doctor!]. So I watched a little longer and a faint line appeared to the right. And it got darker and darker. So I am pregnant! For real.

To be continued...

Keep it simple...

I was reading a humorous article on slate.com which was all about a 10 year expat's appreciation for US appliances (or dis-appreciation for European ones). The overly complicated euro-glyphs were everywhere, and unlike the kind of driving signs like we have in the US which make sense no matter what language you speak...

...okay so they don't ALL make sense...(see this link for larger image of above)

Anyway, back to my original topic, the description of the insanity of the difficult and overly complicated instructions (not to mention poorly performing devices), reminded me of another Ritz Carlton experience - this one at the Ritz Carlton Berlin. (see my previous article about the Ritz Carlton).

I've stayed in many hotels around Europe in a variety of countries. While you might have issues with their lack of air-conditioning, the controls were pretty simple to use. Except in Germany. And not just any hotel...this was the Ritz Carlton.

When I arrived, I was instructed that a certain elevator was restricted due to secret service agents for some important VIP who was going to arrive. This was one of the high end Ritz Carltons, with soaking tubs where they'll draw you a bath, and a pillow menu. Did you know you can choose more than just foam versus feathers? Here you can. And that's for no additional charge (see previous article as to why it is nice not to be nickel-and-dimed at high-end hotels).

Again with the tangents...I'm sorry...so when I'm there, the temperature is a little cooler than i would like, so I approached the thermostat. It was completely unrecognizable.

I'm not a technophobe. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm an "early adopter." I love technology that makes my life better and easier. I read manuals. I know what every single function on my camera does. I know NOT to have the flash on when taking photos in a stadium (big pet peeve of mine when a thousand flashes go off needlessly at a ball game). I have two advanced post-college degrees. And yet, I could not figure out how to make the heat go on.

I wish I had taken a photo like the author of the slate.com article I referenced above did. But OMG, there was no blue or red areas,  no NUMBERS (I know Celsius so I'd be fine if they gave me that...). But that did not stop me.

There were two buttons, I assumed (incorrectly) that one was hot and one was cold. All I had to do was guess which one. So I experimented, and could not get heat to go on. In fact, I was convinced that my room was colder no matter what button I pushed, as if there was a cold and colder button for air-conditioning, but no button for heat.

So I assumed the thing was broken and called for assistance. Due to the language barrier, they sent someone to my room to help. I was a little embarrassed (stupid american!) so I watched from a distance. I don't know what they did, but in a moment, the heat was on.

That should have been the end, but realize, I'm a stubborn person. I wanted to understand. Were you supposed to push both buttons at the same time? Perhaps in time to a specific rhythm? I don't know. But someone with a lot less education got it to work, surely I could.

A short time later, it was clear that the heat, while on, was not warm enough. I tried again to manipulate the thermostat without luck. I did not want to further embarrass myself by calling to have the heat increased yet again. So I slept with extra of the plush blankets they provided, and enjoyed six different pillows for a lovely night's sleep.

This was my european Kafka moment. Have you had one? Do tell.