K’s Story: HOPE

Another inspiring, wholehearted family-building story about how hope can carry us despite the odds, the statistics, the dismal prognosis…and a great follow up to H’s story since hope mattered much more than low AMH in this case!

Hope

I never gave up hope.  Not even after receiving the heartbreaking diagnosis that I had a 2% chance of conceiving, even if I went the expensive route of in vitro fertilization.  My anti-müllerian hormone level was almost non-existent at .1 ng/ml.  My follicle-stimulating hormone was 17 iu/l, a level indicating perimenopause.  In other words, my eggs were duds, acting like they belonged to the body of an old “past-her-prime” woman, not a woman who was 30-years-old and ready to start her family.  I had Diminished Ovarian Reserve.

I was destroyed, but somehow through reading success stories and hearing about miracle babies I managed to keep a glimmer of hope alive.  I sought some natural therapies—Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through Acupuncture Denver and yoga.  I found support groups.  I talked.  I blogged.  I changed my diet.  I researched.  I tried to make sense of the pain that I experienced every time an announcement was made that another friend or family member was pregnant.  I tried intrauterine insemination with injectable hormones, but my body didn’t respond well enough and the cycle failed.  So, I kept up with yoga and TCM because it did seem to make a difference in my cycles and at least helped my mindset.

It was hope that kept me going.  I wanted a family.  After two years of trying, my husband and I decided to start down the adoption track.  I started to funnel my energy into researching types of adoption, agencies, the incredible cost.  It was a whole other daunting research project.  But, I still kept some hope in my heart that my body might jump start and shoot out a good egg while I was researching adoption.

And it did.

I still remember the beautiful morning, almost like it was yesterday, when at 5am I had gotten up early to shower for work.  My period was due the day before, but hadn’t shown up yet.  After two years of trying to conceive, I really didn’t test much anymore because it was heartbreaking every time only one line showed up.   But, I still kept a stash of tests in the closet.  When I awoke to no period, I thought, “Hmmm… maybe I should test.”  After three minutes, I looked at the stick and thought my eyes were deceiving me.  I rubbed them, looked again and staring back at me were two lines.  TWO lines.  One was still faint, but it was there.  It was really there.  I have never been more overcome with emotion than I was at that moment.  Was it possible that I was really pregnant?  Was it possible that I overcame my measly 2% chance of success?

I was a maniac.  I screamed and laughed and cried at the top of my lungs.  I bolted into our bedroom to tell my husband, and he thought I had hurt myself or that the house was on fire. I couldn’t even talk.  All I could do was turn on the light and shove the pregnancy test in front of his eyes.  We were finally going to be parents!

When our daughter was 6-months-old, we found out we were expecting unexpectedly again.  Impossible, right?  We couldn’t believe it, but we were thrilled that we might be lucky enough to have not one, but two babies biologically.  We waited the obligatory time to share our news with the world.  But when I went in for my 16-week appointment, our baby boy’s heartbeat was not detected.  He had died at about 15 weeks 4 days.  We were devastated and again facing the infertility diagnosis of Diminished Ovarian Reserve.

The grief and sorrow of losing that baby was intense.  I cried every day.  I forced myself to go through the motions.  But, I decided after a couple months that I wasn’t ready to give up hope.  If my body had gotten pregnant twice without interventions, it could do it again.  And although we weren’t really trying, we also weren’t really NOT trying.  Miraculously, in August of 09, I must have had one more good egg because we found out in early September that we were having another baby.  We were cautious for most of the pregnancy, but after we passed the 20-week mark, we let our guard down.  We were actually going to have another baby.  And even now, I’m still in awe that we managed to get pregnant again.

Now we have two magnificent daughters who grace us daily with laughter, love and a little rivalry to keep things interesting.  There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for the gifts we’ve been given, for the beauty that we have in our family.

Hope is amazing.  To be given a 2% chance of success, but to get pregnant three times naturally means we beat the odds.  And hope…hope is responsible.

Roasted Beet Salad

Roasting beets brings out their natural sweetness and provides a delicious way to enjoy these folate-rich vegetables. Below is a recipe from epicurious.com- enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch beets (3/4 pound without greens or 1 1/4 pound with), trimmed
• 1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large Asian pear
• 3 cups mâche or baby arugula (3 ounces)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Wrap beets in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets and cool.

While beets are roasting, cook almonds in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden. Cool almonds in oil (nuts will get darker as they cool). Transfer almonds with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and season with salt.

Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and oil from almonds in a large bowl.

Slip skins from beets and halve large beets. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices and add to dressing, tossing to coat.

Quarter and core pear and cut into julienne strips.

Arrange beets on a platter and drizzle with any dressing remaining in bowl. Top with mâche, then pear. Sprinkle with almonds.

Cooks’ note: Beets may be roasted and tossed with dressing 1 day ahead, then chilled and covered. (Keep toasted almonds, covered, at room temperature. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.)

See the original recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beet-Salad-1022189#

Salmon “Bulgogi” with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

Winter casseroles weighing you down? Lighten up and get your recommended daily allowance of omega-3 fatty acids by preparing this delicious, highly-rated recipe from Bon Appetit. Mushrooms and bok choy are an ideal compliment to the Asian marinade, and you can add brown rice or quinoa to make it heartier.  Be sure to buy high quality fish from a reputable market or fishmonger.

Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
• 1 3/4-inch cube peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce*
• 4 6-ounce center-cut skinless salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 7 cups)
• 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced

* Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets

Preparation

Blend 1 garlic clove and next 7 ingredients in mini processor. Arrange salmon in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon marinade over. Let marinate 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Arrange fish, with some marinade still clinging, on rimmed baking sheet. Transfer any marinade in dish to small saucepan. Roast fish until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes. Bring marinade in saucepan to boil; set aside and reserve for glaze.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add bok choy and mushrooms; using garlic press, press in 1 garlic clove. Stir-fry until mushrooms are tender and bok choy is wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide vegetables among plates. Top with salmon. Brush fish with glaze.

See the original recipe and a photo here: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/bestof/toprecipes/bestsalmonrecipes/recipes/food/views/Salmon-Bulgogi-with-Bok-Choy-and-Mushrooms-242481

Acupuncture Denver Gives Back 2011

Acpuncture Denver is starting 2011 right by pledging to raise $5000 to fund a water project through charity:water. Our target goal for raising the funds is March 31, 2011 so that construction can start next quarter. Please visit my page via link below to learn more and make a donation!

http://mycharitywater.org/acupuncturedenver

A Shift in the Season, A Shift in our Mood

As the days become shorter and we move into the darkness of the autumn season, it is very common to feel our mood shift as well.  We begin to slow down and reflect on the abundance of activity, socializing, and joy the summer brought to our heart spirit.  We feel the darkness and chill of the days slowly extinguishing our fire.  In Chinese Medicine, the autumn is associated with the emotion of grief and sadness.  When darkness is all around us, it is easy to feel the same within.  In Western Medicine, many people are diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a depressive mood disorder associated with the change in the seasons, mainly winter, but can begin as early as the autumn season.

Chinese Medicine has been shown to be an effective healing modality in the treatment of depression.  The National Institutes for Health (NIH) have established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which funds research studies in various holistic treatments. In one study done by Dr. John Allen and other researchers at the University of Arizona, acupuncture was used to treat a sample of women with depression. The results showed that  70% of participants experienced at least a 50% reduction of symptoms. This research marked the first U.S. randomized, controlled, double-blind study of acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating depression. The NIH funded study concludes, “Acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in a good way.”

In Chinese Medicine, we treat the mind, body, and spirit as a whole.  Our emotions are considered a cause of disease and each of the 12 organ systems/channels pertains to a certain emotion, thought and belief.  We can effectively treat depression by understanding how depression feels to us, and how it manifests in our thoughts and beliefs.  These symptoms will then guide us to which organ system needs the most support to create a more sense of well being and peace.

Generally, results with acupuncture and herbs are cumulative, improving week by week. Treatment begins with one or two sessions per week and tapers off as the condition improves.

Acupuncture and herbs are not only safe, but can also effectively be used together with anti-depressant medications.

Trust that in darkness, you will find light!

Allen, J., Schnyer, R., Hitt, S. The Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of
Major Depressive Disorder in Women. Psychol. Sci. 1998:9:397-401

Acupuncture to Conceive

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been supporting fertility for thousands of years through Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations. Whether you are trying to conceive on your own or with the assistance of modern technology, Traditional Chinese medicine can help.

Medical studies have indicated that acupuncture and certain herbs can increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, stimulate ovulation in women and can help increase sperm motility in men.

Have you tried acupuncture to conceive? Share your story!