u/Grouchy-Beginning993

Important note before I begin: I have a black thumb. The only things I can keep alive are mothers of a thousand and I currently have a billion.

I bought a very charming 1960s condo 10 years ago and the HOA (Booooo!) has done an incredibly bad job of maintaining the extensive amount of random green beds on the property. It's been about 6 years since we've had working irrigation on the property as well. Right now, I have a bed right outside my front windows that has some kind of non-creeping variety of ivy in it. It looks ok for the most part, but I feel like it needs some love. Any suggestions for simple ways that (I can't eff up) to improve the health of the ivy bed and encourage better growth in some areas?

Also, there are some very pathetic bald beds on the property too that have soil in it that must be absolutely depleted of any nutrients. Is there anything I can plant or seed into desolate spaces that will have a fighting chance in direct easterly TX sun? Just trying to get some suggestions on what I can do that that's non-invasive, relatively simple, and won't require a ton of maintenance to help beautify mine and my neighbors' home.

How the heck did some of you get your Extra already? Mines been in “label printed” status forever. For those of you that got yours already, what shipping service delivered?

I just left the doctor's office and am feeling quite unhappy with the visit. I just really started getting into my perimenopausal stage within the last year. I'm 44, going on 45 for reference. I first saw the dr a year ago she put me on birth control and said that it should regulate my hormones and help with mood and acne issues I'd been having. Fast forward to today and at my 1 year follow up she tells me my increase in cystic bacne and absolutely horrible anger and crying spells for no reason aren't hormonal because the pills should keep the hormones in check to avoid the aforementioned. When we got on the topic of bacne she said, "Well maybe you back is just sweatier from hot flashes" which I informed her that so far, I have had no hot flashes and am in fact one of those people who is chronically cold. Also, since the Addyi she prescribed for my entirely absent libido was denied by my insurance, she suggested sex therapy. Yes, sex therapy. What? She didn't even consider possibly switching the birth control I am on or anything. Nothing. Just suggested these are unrelated issues and now I'm annoyed and trying to figure out what to do next.

Has anyone tried any OTC remedies to help with this stuff? Or received better advice/treatment from a different dr?

EDIT: I really appreciate everyone's insight. Especially since this is all new to me. I did some research and found a Dr in my area who appears to be in network and specializes in Menopause. Wish me luck.