Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Take time to feel, be, and LAUGH!!

The start of the school year is always interesting. For the first time in eight years, I did not have my own classroom or new students to greet. My new job at my new school is to coach, mentor, and support teachers in anyway possible. And so far, I love it!

I really think this is the perfect position for me -- and my fertility! I don't have the daily stress of teaching and lesson planning, nor do I have the crazy stressful responsibilities of an administrator. It is certainly a refreshing change of pace and a new beginning I am happy to start. I certainly miss all of the student interaction but will still get to coach them with our new Girls on Track program and impact hundreds of them by helping their teachers be as effective as possible. 

Yesterday it also hit me just how far I've come in only a year's time. I went from having one of the lowest points of my life last fall in a job I felt overwhelmed by in a completely backwards school to being in a much more kind, peaceful, and happy place all-around now. In the process, my husband and I have a stronger marriage than ever. I really believe we can now endure anything together. It truly is a blessing.

I had my Beta drawn again today, and it's down to a 32.4, which is wonderful. It needs to be at or less than a 5 for my doctor to know my pregnancy is completely out of my system. As I've learned throughout my fertility journey, it's crucial to be proactive and take charge of your own health and treatment options. A former colleague had three miscarriages in a row before a reproductive endocrinologist found out that her thyroid levels were off. He put her on medication, and she now has two beautiful, healthy children. The stories abound.

Naturally, I am concerned with my own thyroid levels, even though the initial testing came back normal for the thyroid stimulating hormone. My nurse and doctor are on board, so they are going to to a comprehensive thyroid panel, Counsyl genetic screening panel, blood karyotypes (to check for chromosome alignment), and a thrombophilia panel (also called a "recurrent miscarriage" panel) to see if there are any other findings that would explain our losses. Knowledge is power, right?!!

This afternoon, I had a long talk with a colleague also struggling with fertility and leave you with two fun tips on how to sustain a pregnancy:

1. Eat at least 50 grams of protein a day (I NEED to do that!).
2. Laugh/watch something funny immediately after "doing the deed" (This helps with a positive mind-body connection).

Will Ferrell, Family Guy, or Modern Family it is! ;)

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