Tuesday, July 16, 2013

I'm in love...

with my new acu! Today's appointment with my new practitioner went above and beyond what I ever expected, and I am SO happy I made the switch.

Talk about an initial consult! My session ended up lasting 2 hrs. 45 minutes in total, and it included a treatment for the last 45 min I think? I lost track of time while on the table, because I was in such a relaxed state I fell asleep. Ahhhh, I love that feeling of leaving so relaxed that you don't even want to turn the radio on during the ride home, because your whole body and soul are just so at peace you don't want to interrupt the feeling.

I know I was whining about compiling my paperwork yesterday and all the feelings brought to the surface. My apologies for the off color day, but I am happily back on my positivity horse now. So glad I brought all the paperwork too. Clearly it didn't get stuffed into a file somewhere, and it was obvious that my new acu, Sarai (pronounced Sarah) had actually taken the time to read through it.

What impressed me most was that she actually knew about reproductive immunology and knew exactly what ANA, MTHFR, Anti-Cardiolipin Antibodies, and Protein S deficiency are. In fact, I mentioned nothing of any concerns over a possible "immunological issue," but she is the one who looked at my test results and says, "It seems you may have a bit of an immunological issue going on here." Well hallelujah! It was a breath of fresh air that she knew enough about endocrinology and immunology to make the connection and bring this point up in the first place. Remember, my RE still doesn't agree that I might have any immunological response significantly related to the blood clotting issues, so it's just nice to have someone else notice the same signs I'm seeing right off the bat and bring it up as a plausible factor in our infertility....or more specifically implantation failure.

Sarai let me know that my treatments will be aimed at addressing immunological concerns as well. It is important to point out though, that while she and I both agree there is something amiss with regards to a possible immunological cause in my case, neither of us is convinced that the ever changing and "experimental" protocols being used by many RI's  out there are necessarily fool proof either. There are plenty of women who open the big fat expensive can of worms that is reproductive immunology and continue to miscarry or have failed IVF's, just as there are also women who swear by it. It's just still somewhat "iffy" at the end of the day in many people's opinions, which is why it's so controversial.  I have no doubt that this field will be growing by leaps and bounds in the coming years, and I really look forward to all that will come to light with more double blind peer reviewed research.

Anyhoo, Praise Jesus for an acu who is educated on the topic and realizes it could be playing a role. We'll work a lot on balancing my kidney energy, since that is where the immune system is rooted, and I am severely kidney yang deficient anyways. I've known I'm yang deficient for some time, but again, it was nice to receive validation that at least I have been working in the right direction with my previous acu treatments. We will continue using that as part of the foundation of our treatments together, as well as working to improve blood deficiency, spleen and liver Qi...and whatever else pops up along the way that needs addressing.

The most surprising part of the session was how much time she spent talking about the emotional aspects of this journey, and how important it is to keep my heart and mind in the right place.
We talked about how I am really working on staying in a place of peace and contentment and how I've recently felt like I was finally receiving that peace that was lost for so long. No, it's not perfect 24/7 (yesterday I wasn't feeling 100% content), but overall it's an improvement. I'm OK with where we're at, even if it's not exactly where we'd like to be.

In the coming days, I'm going to be working even more on redirecting fear and worry by rephrasing any negative comments I'm tempted to make. So, for example:

Instead of saying, "I am just worried my lining won't be thick enough for an embryo to implant."
I'll say, "It will be so awesome if my lining grows to the perfect thickness this cycle."



Instead of saying, "What if this cycle doesn't work? Then what?"
I'll say, "It will be such a blessing when we finally have success and can bring home a healthy happy baby."


Don't poo poo on it folks. I do wholeheartedly agree that small changes like that to our vocabulary can make a huge difference, not only in mood, but also in the type of energy you attract back into your life. So, for now I'm going to work on catching myself when I begin making statements driven by fear or worry and simply rephrase them into positive statements. It's a habit like anything else really.

What a great reminder!

I pretty much have everything else down as far as my acu's recommendations: anti-inflammatory diet and clean eating, daily exercise and restful sleep, high quality supplements, balancing energy with acu, and listening to my intuition. I am instructed, however, to replace my regular Prenatal DHA with a more potent fish oil of at least 2000 mg/day. This will help to reduce inflammation even further. Getting back to my daily quiet time is also a must. I need to work a little more on the emotional and spiritual aspects during this process, and that is what I intend to do.

Best part about the new acu? It is literally a 1 minute drive from my RE. That means that day of transfer it will be easy breezy to swing by for a pre-transfer session. So, now let me go ahead and practice some of my positivity statements...

I am hopeful that I will regain balance and that my body will be better able to focus energy where it's needed most. I will have a more robust lining, improved blood flow, and a more peaceful state of mind. I know that no matter the outcome of this natural cycle, I will be content. I'm confident I am doing all that I can to give us the best chance of conception possible. If we do need to do an FET following this cycle, I know my mind, body, and spirit will be in the very best place possible as we embark on our next steps. Ultimately, God is in control and our time will come.

31 comments:

  1. I love that positive tweak to thinking!! My mom calls it the "BUT" statement. If I say something negative like, Im scared my lining will be thin, I have to end it with BUT, it might be really thick and God's in control! Easier said than done but I think it helps keep our attitude and spirit in the right place! I like it!

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    1. The jedi mind tricks we must use on ourselves. Ha! Anything we can do to replace the negatives with a positive!

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  2. Yay!! I love this post. You sound amazing!! I had a great acu session today too. I've been seeing mine for over a year and he's specifically reproductive acupuncture only. He knows so much about all things infertility so it's been amazing having him as a sounding board. I'm so glad you found the right person!! Things are lining up for you, I tell ya!!! :)

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    1. My last acu specialized in infertility too, but this woman was even more knowledgeable and thorough. She just took it to a whole other level. I'd been contemplating switching for a while, but hesitated because the new acu is pricier....but can already tell it'll be worth it!

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  3. I just walked in the door from my acu appt :) SO glad you found someone you really like!!! Love hearing about the changes of speaking life over yourself too!! The Lord has definitely been teaching me that lately, only speak truth and positive words! So cool!! Have you read the infertility cure? It's all Eastern medicine stuff.. anyway a good book that goes along with the acu stuff!!!

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    1. The Infertility Cure is a great read! It's what convinced me to start going about a year and a half ago, and I've used acu ever since with a few small breaks here and there. That book makes a lot of sense and gives a lot of hope. In the beginning, I'd really hoped to have an "acu baby" au natural using only Eastern medicine. At this point, I do think it will take Western medicine and a miracle from God to get us pregnant, but there is nothing wrong with taking the best from both worlds (Western AND Eastern) and combining them to our advantage. Glad you also enjoyed that book and are implementing it!

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  4. Yay! Your post was the antithesis of mine. I'm so glad you're in a good place. Grat reminders to get back to a more peaceful place.

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    1. Well to be fair, you've been in a really good place saving the world on mission trips and such when I've been really down and out before. We can't all have good days every day, but I'm doing better at the whole peace thing lately, so just trying to keep it going as long as I can. You will get back to that place too Jessah. I'll be praying for you to get there! You are beautiful when you are crying but even more so when your smiling. :)

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  5. SO glad you loved the acu!! I agree, that it's so relaxing and peaceful :) xoxo

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    1. I wish someone could just come to my house everyday and give me acu. How nice that would be! Oh well, I'm going to go weekly on Monday's from now on to start each week off on the right foot.

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  6. Love, Love, Love your positivity. It is true that what you say or think impacts your mood in so many ways. "The Secret" talks all about that. Glad you love your new acu, they do say you get what you pay for. I am still contemplating on starting acupuncture. Reading your post has pushed me to the DO IT! side. Best of luck Em, still hoping you dont need a FET cycle.

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    1. LOVE the movie The Secret. I never read the book but have watched the movie several times. I can actually use a re-watch right about now. As TeamHarries mentioned above, the book The Infertility Cure is also good if you are on the fence about acu. It explains everything about how it can help infertility and overall health. Thanks Jo Jo! I'm hoping we won't need the FET as well. It'll take a miracle, but there is always hope!

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  7. I am so happy for your new acu!! She sounds incredible and exactly the right one for you!! Her location is perfect and I'm glad she really knows her stuff from the physical to the emotional since they are so tied in together. I love that you are approaching your upcoming FET cycle with such positivity and hope and I know I have it for you!! Lots of prayers and sticky baby dust your way! *hugs*

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    1. Thanks so much Amber! New acu kind of blows my old one out of the park already and it's only been one meeting. I'm excited for the fresh start with a new person.

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  8. "I'm OK with where we're at even if it's not exactly where we would like to be"..... I love this. For you and for me. It's so fitting of the time, even though we are in two different places. We are both fighting to find peace and be content. Thanks for the awesome idea of redirecting and rephrasing thoughts. I need to start doing that too.

    I'm stoked for you and your new Acu! Sounds like a perfect match :)

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    1. Thanks Darcy! Seems simple to just replace those negative phrases, but I'm hoping it can become a permanent habit and change my tendency to worry and say "what if" so much. I've developed some pretty bad habits doing that, and I am ready to break them and replace them with something better. I don't want to live my whole life worrying all the time. You are doing an amazing job working on contentment too my dear!

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    2. Thank you friend. If anything good has come from infertility, it's learning strength, contentment, and how to handle one's feelings.

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  9. Blessings to you! It is so hard not to let fearful thoughts enter, but your perspective is encouraging and powerful. Thank you for sharing this. I'm so happy you found a great specialist. I'm a little slow ... Does acu mean acupuncture? I looove acupuncture. I pray it helps my egg quality for my next cycle, but, in the meantime, my anxiety has plummeted, thank Jesus.

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    1. Yep, acu is just referring to acupuncture and/or acupuncturist. It's just a long word and I am lazy. ;) So glad you are enjoying your sessions as well!

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  10. Yes yes yes! I love this post Emily! It's like you just reached inside my mind and wrote down everything I was thinking. (In regards to the positive mindframe). I am so happy to hear you are doing well. We can't let this journey change who we are as people. I've always been a positive person and I don't want that to change because of infertility.

    You have 100% convinced me to try accupuncture. It sounds like you have an amazing accupuncturist though. You couldn't have asked for a better person to work with! I will be so interested to see how your lining changes as a result of your treatments, as this is my issue as well. Plus, being in such a relaxed, positive state of mind will be helpful too.

    SO happy for you :)

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    1. I think you would really enjoy it. I also have had treatments focused on insomnia and anxiety in the past and it's a huge help all around. It will def be interesting to see how the ole lining responds this time around. Here's hoping for the best!

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  11. So glad you love your new acu! I stopped going to mine months ago, and have recently thought about starting up again. I might need to look into finding someone new who has more expertise in dealing with acupuncture for fertility :)

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    1. I've stopped and started back up a couple times. It's a pretty significant cost, but I do think it helps. In the past during natural cycles it seems it was the only thing that helped move ovulation sooner in the cycle, and with herbs I've also had muuuuch better CM. At this point with IVF though, we have so much invested that it just makes sense to keep at it...esp. since it is supposed to help with the lining. I would really love to have 9mm+ for this coming FET.

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  12. I just LOVE those reframes. I feel like I want to write them on index cards and post them around my house. So glad that the newest member of your team is bright, educated, in touch and just overall fabulous.

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    1. Thanks Em! Hanging note cards sure wouldn't hurt!

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  13. LOVE! You are definitely putting the Secret into practice perfectly. The Universe will reward you! The book on CD too if very affirming.

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    1. Hmmmmm, might have to get the book on CD too. Great idea!

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  14. So glad to hear that you have a rockstar for an accu! I'm sure that feels refreshing as you get ready to embark on your FET. I hope she is just what you need emotionally and physically! You are always in my thoughts and prayers, Emily!

    Hugs,
    Kara

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    1. It does feel good to make a change in that area, and I do love how close she'll be on transfer day. Last thing I want to do is drive around in traffic day of transfer. Thanks Kara!

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  15. I love this post!!!! How awesome to have found such a great acu. I'm KMFX for you always. I love the positivity that you have found with the new acu- I'm going to have to borrow some of that. :)

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    1. I am happy to share some of my positivity Sarah! You have every reason in the world to stay positive right now. I'm very grateful to have such great acu options where I live and to even have the choice of quite a few who specialize in women's health...for that I am so thankful!

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