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My Story

Hi there, welcome to my blog. Yes I am a drama queen and yes I have been deemed “infertile” by a few of the medical experts in the great State of Colorado but that hasn’t made me give up my quest to have children quite yet. My husband and I have been on the emotional roller coaster of infertility since March of 2009 when I stopped taking birth control after being on it for ten straight years. I have been keeping a journal since the start of this process and thought I would share it with all of the other incredible women out there who may be going through the same thing or similar thing that I am. At age 28, I have been diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). With no history of fertility problems on either side of my family and normal periods before going on the pill, I was left to accept that I have this condition and that there is no medical explanation for it. Since receiving this diagnosis from a fertility specialist in May 2009, I decided I simply wasn’t going to accept that I wasn’t going to have children with my own eggs. I jumped into the world of Eastern Medicine, worked with an Endocrinologist and even went on a fertility diet trying to get my ovaries to start functioning normally. The conclusion I have come to is this…..having Celiac Disease (Gluten/Flour intolerance) and continuing to eat flour throughout most of my childhood and part of adulthood caused my body to produce anti-bodies that have now started attacking the organs/glands in my body. After a visit to an endocrinologist in December 2009, it was determined that I have ovarian antibodies which are essentially antibodies produced by my body that only attack the endocrine system. No doctor has actually confirmed my self diagnosis that the Gluten Intolerance caused this but Celiac Disease is an auto immune disorder and any auto immune disorder can cause your body to attack itself. I am currently waiting to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist to see what the next steps for me will be. I have read that doctors can try and stimulate the Pituitary Gland to get your Endocrine System running again or that you can be given steroids to help restore ovary function. I am hoping to receive one of these treatments in the near future but only time will tell. In the past 10 months, I have watched many of my close friends become pregnant while I remain a sad statistic. This blog contains my thoughts as I struggle through the process of figuring out what in the world is going on with my body and how I continue to try to stay upbeat and positive about my fertility and enjoy my life. I hope that my blog can help others would love to hear from other women going through the same thing, inspiring stories or anyone who just needs encouragement. I know and understand how difficult every day can be once you have received the POF or infertile diagnosis and want you all to know that I am here for you. Please note that some of you may feel I am sharing to much information (TMI) and for that I am sorry. If you want to read my blog…you get all the details. You never know what will be helpful to someone else right? God bless everyone and I wish you luck on your fertility adventures:0) Remember mind over matter!

My intent is to raise awareness of the issues. Please do not rely on this or any other article when making decisions that will affect you and your health. These are things I have decided to try after much research.
I am sorry I have to even ask, but this research stuff is starting to get expensive. I am just asking for $1.00 donation for posts you feel have helped you. I will use all donations to help fund my research and doctors appointments and of course report back to you. Baby dust to all of you and dont worry we will all find a way to have children.

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Today on Economically Organic:
Save the carrot shaving from your juicer and make carrot cake or carrot muffins yummy! You can also save them to put in a salad.




Infertile – a horrible word used to make women who are already feeling bad about themselves want to jump into a pool of chocolate fudge and eat their sorrows away only to realize that not only can they not get pregnant but now they don’t fit in their clothes. A word so easily tossed around by doctors that they don’t even realize they are saying it and a word that you never under any circumstances should google unless you want your brain to explode.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Whole New World.....Complete with Green Juice

I have decided that I am no longer going to be sad about my current situation. I don’t have the energy and I am wasting my life away feeling sorry for myself. I need to cut it out and enjoy what I have left of my twenties (1 year) and all of the blessings in my life. Right now I am changing my intentions, from this moment forward I am working to restore my natural body processes and am not at this time working towards a pregnancy, I am working towards getting myself healthy. After I have restored my health and gotten my body back in balance, I will work on the pregnancy. This new direction stems from the last breakdown I am going to have on this whole ordeal. I woke up last Friday hating the world and woke up the next day with puffy eyes and a new focus. I am done being sad and I am pissed at myself for even trying to play the victim card. I am better then that! I have never in my life been someone who gives up. I have always worked hard and eventually gotten to the goal I was trying to achieve. This is not going to be any different, so no more pity parties for me. This girl is going to focus on healing my body. With that in mind, I have a few things I have been researching that I have been told will help my body to achieve our current goal. One is going on a metal cleanse. Most prescription drugs contain heavy metals including birth control pills which I faithfully swallowed each and everyday for over 10 years. During my recent cleanse, Mrs. W suggested I do a metal cleanse the day before my next colon cleanse. She said it was very important for me to do since I was on birth control for so long and could be the culprit of some of the things I am currently seeing (aka my fertility issue). This suggestion from Mrs. W encouraged me to do a search on Google to see side effects of the metals in the pill and also see what other products I use on a daily basis also contain heavy metals. According to alternative-doctor.com birth control pills have copper in them. Side effects of copper toxicity include “acne, adrenal insufficiency, allergies, alopecia, anemia, anorexia, anxiety, arthritis (osteo & rheumatoid), autism, cancer, chills, cystic fibrosis, depression, diabetes, digestive disorders, dry mouth, dysinsulinism, estrogen dominance, fatigue, fears, fractures, fungus, heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Hodgkin's disease, hyperactivity, hypertension, hyperthyroid, low hydrochloric acid, hypoglycemia, infections, inflammation, insomnia, iron loss, jaundice, kidney disorders, libido decreased, lymphoma, mental illness, migraines, mood swings, multiple sclerosis, myocardial infarction, nausea, nervousness, osteoporosis, pancreatic dysfunction, panic attacks, paranoia, phobias, PMS, schizophrenia, senility, sexual dysfunction, spacey feeling, stuttering, stroke, tooth decay, toxemia of pregnancy, urinary tract infections, yeast infections.” Other products listed under copper are industrial emissions and insecticides…why would they put the same ingredient from bug killer in my pills? Come to think of it, why don’t I just go put my mouth over my car’s exhaust pipe? Mercury is another metal that is present in everyday women’s products such as skin lightening cream and most cosmetics. Side effects of Mercury include but are not limited to“adrenal dysfunction, allergy, alopecia, anorexia, anxiety, birth defects, blushing, brain damage, cataracts, cerebral palsy, poor coordination / jerky movements, deafness, depression, dermatitis, discouragement, dizziness, drowsiness, eczema, emotional disturbances, excess saliva, fatigue, gum bleeding and soreness, headaches (band type), hearing loss, hyperactivity, hypothyroidism, forgetfulness, immune dysfunction, insomnia, irritability, joint pain, kidney damage, loss of self-control, memory loss, mental retardation, metallic taste, migraines, nervousness, nerve fiber degeneration, numbness, pain in limbs, rashes, retinitis, schizophrenia, shyness, speech disorders, suicidal tendencies, tingling, tremors (eyelids, lips, tongue, fingers, extremities), vision loss, weakness. Mercury is also present in batteries, air conditioner filters, fabric softeners and floor wax….again why am I applying something on my face that contains an ingredient used to make batteries? This research confirmed that I will be doing a metal cleanse this Sunday. Mrs. W said that the worse you feel during and after a metal cleanse, the more toxicity you have in your body. I am excited to get the metals from the pill out of my system and see what happens after I do the metal cleanse. My husband mentioned a few months ago that my skin color has changed since we first met. I am wondering if the levels of metal in my body could be causing this? I guess Sunday will help me figure it out. Mrs. W gave me the instructions which I have yet to glance over but it didn’t seem to be that bad. I am also going to start taking shots of Wheatgrass every morning at the Jamba Juice by my work. Wheatgrass is mentioned in “inconceivable” as a way to lower FSH (and it worked for the author) and it is also mentioned in “Crazy, Sexy, Cancer”. If you search for health benefits of Wheatgrass you will be amazed at the list it is unlimited. Here is a list of only a few health benefits from taking wheatgrass supplements or drinking the juice.


http://ezinearticles.com/?Wheat-Grass-Shots---Benefiting-Fatigue-to-Fertility&id=776100

Helps prevent tooth decay
Neutralizes carcinogens
Cleanses blood by removing toxins and harmful chemicals
Detoxes liver, cells, tissue and blood
Lowers high blood pressure
Increases oxygen levels in the blood stream
Improved digestion
Creates balanced pH environment to prevent cancer
Increases energy
Provides healthier hair and reduces dandruff
Improved ability of the body to heal wounds
Chlorophyll found in wheatgrass can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Has anti-aging abilities and can keep the hair from greying.
Successfully treat inflammation of the uterine

Helps fight:
Arthritis
Diabetes
Allergies (can make some completely disappear)
Premature aging
Increases fertility- The high magnesium content in the chlorophyll of the wheat grass juice actually builds enzymes that increase fertility hormones.

For me, the fact that drinking 4 oz a day is a proven way to lower my FSH and increase my fertility is a no brainer but now I am finding out it is going to keep me younger looking, give me better hair, reduce my risk for cancer and could help with me Celiacs! Wow, why doesn’t everyone have a bit of Wheatgrass every day? I bet there would be a less Cancer patients in the world if we did. Along the same subject of getting my body back in balance. Here is a list of things mentioned in “The Infertility Cure” to help restore the natural balance of a woman’s body. http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcprep/0,,qzx3-p,00.html#ixzz0nctIG9Ge

1. Eat alkaline rather than acidic foods. Many contemporary sources advocate eating alkaline foods like noncitrus fruits, vegetables, sprouts, cereal grasses (wheatgrass, barley grass), and herbs like black cohosh and valerian root to help provide the entire reproductive system with the right pH for conception and implantation. Acidic foods (like meat, dairy products, and most grains) produce acidic environments. Acidic cervical mucus may become hostile to sperm, which requires an alkaline environment to survive. Since saliva can have an alkalizing effect, it is also recommended that you chew your food thoroughly and refrain from drinking liquids with your meal. Let your own salivary enzymes digest the food, rather than washing it down with fluids. I don't advocate strict vegan diets, but you should make sure the bulk of your diet comes from organic plant sources. Bioflavonoids, found in many fruits and vegetables, also help in the formation of healthy blood vessels, helping the uterus prepare for implantation and prevent miscarriage. – Wheatgrass just about covers this one for me!

2. Get plenty of essential fatty acids, preferably from unprocessed plant sources and deep-sea fish. The essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are essential to every living cell in the body. They are also key in ovulation, specifically in the process of follicular rupture (releasing the egg) and collapse (allowing the development of the corpus luteum). Good sources of essential fatty acids are fish, fish oil, nonhydrogenated cold-pressed oils such as flaxseed and pumpkin-seed oils, eggs, soy products, raw nuts and seeds, and dark-green and winter vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, beets, carrots, kale, collards, cabbage, turnips, rutabaga, and Brussels sprouts. – I sprinkle flaxseed oil on my lunch and dinner every day, eat pumpkin seeds for a daily snack and eat broccoli, carrots and kale at least once a day via juicing.
3. Eat organic foods and hormone-free meats whenever possible. In natural-food circles, organic foods are touted as necessary for optimum hormonal functioning because many of the pesticides, chemicals, and hormones used to treat produce and animal products contain synthetic estrogenlike substances, which occupy estrogen receptor sites and have negative effects on our organ and endocrine systems. However, Chinese medicine provides an additional reason for choosing organic food: food loses its Essence and Qi as it moves away from its source. We all have experienced the truth of this: we know fruit off a tree tastes much fresher than fruit from a grocery bag, and vine-ripened tomatoes taste much better than those ripened on the counter. The processing most food undergoes eliminates much of the natural nutrition present in the original fruits, grains, and vegetables. When we eat refined pasta and white bread, we are consuming mostly processed leftovers; little of the original substance of the wheat is left. Processed fruit juices consist of mostly sugar, and sugar damages the Spleen, which controls digestion. Frozen meals are packed with sodium, which depletes the Kidneys. Most of the canned, prepared foods that form the basis of the typical American diet contain preservatives and minuscule original food value.
Overall improvements to dietary health can be made by consuming more of a macrobiotic diet, including mostly fresh, organic produce supplemented with small amounts of hormone-free meat and animal products. The typical Asian diet is macrobiotic -- meals consist mostly of fresh, lightly sautéed vegetables, rice, and small amounts of meat for flavoring.You also might want to consider how you prepare your foods. Traditional Chinese cuisine advocates chopping vegetables and meat to allow for the release of more energy when they are eaten, and lightly cooking vegetables rather than eating them raw to make them more easily digestible. It's also a good idea to stay away from the microwave. Microwaving food affects its structure and, according to some, decreases the Qi energy available in the food. Cooking on top of the stove or in the oven is preferable. – I am currently all organic (even my water). For dinner every night, I lightly cook vegetables in olive oil and then sprinkle my flax oil and add a little brown rice.
4. Add more cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower to your diet. Cruciferous vegetables contain di-indolylmethane (DIM), a compound that stimulates more efficient use of estrogen by increasing the metabolism of estradiol (one form of estrogen produced by the body). Excess estradiol is associated with breast pain, weight gain, breast and uterine cancer, moodiness, and low libido. Adding DIM sources to your diet allows the estradiol to break down into the beneficial 2-hydroxy estrogens, which don't have estradiol's negative effects. – I need to work on this one.
5. Supplement your diet with a natural, high-potency multivitamin and mineral complex with iron, folic acid, and B vitamins. The vitamins and minerals important for reproductive health (vitamins A, C, E, B complex, zinc, and selenium) enhance fertility yet are lacking in the usual Western, highly processed diet. If these nutrients were adequately supplied through the diet, many fertility problems could be avoided. Other supplements you might wish to try include the following:

Bee pollen and/or royal jelly is regenerative and tonifying. Bogdan Tekavcic, M.D., a Yugoslavian gynecologist, conducted a study in which the majority of women who were given bee pollen with royal jelly showed improvement or disappearance of their menstrual problems, while there was no change in the placebo group. Another study showed bee pollen significantly improved sperm production in men. Bee pollen, which is worker bee food, is rich in vitamins, minerals, nucleic acids, and steroid hormones, and improves health, endurance, and immunity. Royal jelly is modified pollen fed only to the reproducing queen bee, whose job it is to produce more infant bees. This nutritive tonic might be considered the bee equivalent of fertility drugs. Rich in amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes, royal jelly helps the queen lay millions of eggs and live longer than the worker bee.

Blue-green algae is the origin of life-giving nourishment on this planet. Microalgae contains chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and steroid building blocks. Chlorella is freshwater green algae; spirulina is saltwater blue-green algae. Chlorella and spirulina nourish the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems; tonify Qi, Blood, and Essence; regulate metabolism; and repair tissue.

Wheatgrass is tonifying and curative. It nourishes Qi, Blood, and Essence, enhances immunity, and restores hormonal functioning. Other cereal grasses like barley grass function the same way.

Vitamin B6 helps the body metabolize excess estrogen, produce adequate progesterone, and lower elevated prolactin levels. A Harvard study treated women with galactorrhea (lactation not associated with childbirth or nursing)/amenorrhea syndrome with 200 to 600 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily. Within three months all the women in the study had normal menstrual cycles and had stopped lactating.

Coenzyme Q-10 assists mitochondrial function, the powerhouse of each cell.

Folic acid is extremely important in cellular division. I am a proponent of supplementing your diet with folic acid for months before you conceive and throughout pregnancy. You should be aware that the adult daily minimum requirement for folic acid advocated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is well below the amount we actually should take. If you have a history of abnormal cell division, such as cervical dysplasia, you should eat foods with high folic acid content, like dark-green leafy vegetables and natural orange foods -- oranges, cantaloupe, yams, and sweet potatoes -- in addition to your folic acid supplement.

6. Eliminate caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants should be avoided, especially if you have Yin, Blood, or Heart deficiency with heat symptoms. The American Journal of Epidemiology reports nicotine is ten times more concentrated in the uterine fluid than it is in plasma. Nicotine ages the ovaries and makes the eggs resistant to fertilization. Alcohol is particularly damaging if you fall into the damp, heat, or Liver Qi categories of disharmony. One study reported that any alcohol consumed during an IVF cycle reduced its chance of success by 50 percent. Tea, especially green tea, is not as problematic as coffee. It contains about 20 percent less caffeine, and fewer volatile oils. Coffee constricts vessels while tea opens them. Green tea (and, to a lesser extent, black tea) has an antioxidant benefit coffee does not share. If you require assistance "revving up" in the morning, use green tea.

7. If at all possible, avoid unnecessary medications and drugs, including over-the-counter preparations. Even non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen can block the synthesis of prostaglandins and therefore inhibit ovulation. If you have scanty cervical mucus, you should avoid decongestants, antihistamines, and excess supplemental vitamin C. You may, however, use guaifenesin, an expectorant that thins all mucus secretions, including cervical fluid that is too thick. (While guaifenesin can be found in over-the-counter cough medicines like Robitussin, I prefer using natural sources such as beech wood, which you can buy at the health-food store and which contain no additives.) Avoid vaginal lubricants other than egg whites. – I need to look into taking this guaifenesin stuff.

8. Avoid junk food, excessive stress, too little sleep, too much exercise, or anything taxing to the immune system. In general, you should give your body every chance to be at its strongest and healthiest so that it can nourish your child. Late hours, bad food, or excessive stress of any kind means your body has to dedicate its precious resources to keeping you healthy instead of making a baby. Live healthfully until you conceive and carry your child to term. -  (this means you can't have any fun!....just kidding just relax and cut down on the dancing and drinks)

Ok I know you are probably on information overload. I have some info on yams but will save that for a later date. PS - my skin is starting to look amazing....not to brag on myself. I have had a few comments about it this week. Also, I tried quinoa for the first time and it was really good. It is also mentioned in "Crazy Sexy Cancer" as a great thing to eat for good health and it gluten free!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for posting all this! I am looking at ways to boost my fertility for my next IUI and I didn't need to go very far with this great recap of things I should do to help my body. By the way, I have a friend who's FSH was at 90 and her doc said "call me when you're ready for donor eggs", the next time she called him it was to schedule an ultra sound! So hang in there! (She did acupuncture & changed her diet)

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Reading Materials/Other Items That Have Helped Me

  • Inconceivable
  • Making Babies by Sami S. David, MD & Jill Blakeway, LAc
  • pre-seed Fertility-friendly Intimate Moisturizer
  • restoring fertility - yoga for optimal fertility dvd - you can feel it working!
  • Taking Charge for Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
  • The Infertility Cure by Randin Lewis, Ph. D.