You Are So Brave

When I started this blog I wasn't sure where my voice would go. Either to be lost in the vastness of cyberspace or by some miracle perhaps someone might hear it. Regardless, this blog has given me  several opportunities I never expected like the opportunity to talk to several hundred teens and young adults through local events and when I was blessed to have my story published on LifeTeen.com. So I know people are hearing my story, but what I am just over the moon about is the number of women who have since contacted me with questions, comments, etc. So this post is dedicated to them.

I want to tell you each how brave I think you are. Each of you is struggling with things that would be so much easier if you just popped the pill, but either for health reasons, moral reasons, or a combination of the two you have decided to starting asking questions and researching your options. That takes a leap of faith that I know is incredibly difficult and can be so scary.

I want to encourage you and try and shout above the waves of people or your own self doubt that you are doing the right thing. Even if you haven't already signed up for a NFP class or started converting your friends, just looking at options is an awesome first step. It's the only first step really. I was my own worst enemy and if one person backed up my own self doubt then my resolve crumbled. It took weeks and weeks of discussions with friends to get me to finally climb the wall I had made out of my birth control pill packs to take that first step in following God's plan for me as well as a healthier lifestyle. 

So I just want to say again, ladies, you are so brave. So BRAVE! I've seen your faces, or at least ones like them, in the rows of women at pre-cana classes. I can see that inner struggle. I so know that inner struggle. But I'll tell you what I tell them. NFP is not the same as taking a pill everyday. It's a lifestyle change and that takes determination, knowledge, and support. There are difficult aspects of NFP that you don't have when you simply take a pill and forget about the rest. But I wouldn't trade those difficult aspects for the control I feel knowing my body and peace I feel when I know I'm aligned with my faith and understand why. So start researching, keep asking me and other resources questions, determine your reasons for staying on birth control and the reasons why you are even considering NFP. I found that the reasons I was considering NFP were reasons worth fighting for to make NFP work. And once I made that switch, I suddenly have even more reasons to stick with it.

And I know support isn't out there in droves for your decision to switch to NFP for family planning or even to just understand your cycle, so please never feel like a burden or a bother to email me with questions. I WANT to be that support!

Again, I am so impressed with all of you amazing women!

What About Miserable Cycles?

I recently received a comment to my page, "My Story: A Recovering Birth Control Addict" that said, “What about girls who have miserable cycles...? Not everyone's problem's can be solved with  'vitamins, diet, and exercise'.... what advice do you have for young Catholic women in that situation? I agree that birth control is not a 'miracle pill' but what other options are there for ovarian cysts, 10-day periods, and severe PMS/PMDD?."

What an excellent series of questions. Though each portion of your question could be an entire paper, I'll attempt to address them as best I can from my training as an NFP instructor and personal experience. 

I hear you on the miserable cycles. My cycles were miserable - like longer than 10-day periods (a LOT longer), horrible pain (to the point of vomiting and never leaving my room), and cycles of all lengths (do I hear 65 days anyone?)! So I know from my experience that diet (cut out things that have hormones added to them! You are messing with your body’s natural hormones!), exercise (I’m not a marathon runner. I'm a 30-40 minute walker.), and vitamins (fish oil, Omega-3s, fatty acids) do in fact help get your cycles under control. I’m proof!

But I do completely understand that for women with severe conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, the pill can seem like the only option. In fact most doctors will tell you something to that effect, but that's unfair that a doctor would make you feel like that. The pill DOES NOT CURE the problem! It masks they symptoms. 

For example, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, such as anxiety, water retention, weight gain, bloating, fatigue, headaches, and even depression, most often occur during the post-ovulatory phase of a woman's cycle also known as the luteal phase, which is the timeframe right before a woman begins her period (usually 11-15 days). The cause for this is thought to be an imbalance of the proper amounts of hormones (estrogen, progesterone, etc.) and often manifests itself in a woman's cycle as a short luteal phase. However, if you are on the pill, you'd never know that because the pill tricks your body into a perfect 28-day cycle. You never fix the problem; you just mask it. If, however, a woman was charting she could see that her cycle had a poor temperature rise (an indication that ovulation has occurred) and fewer than necessary (for fertility reasons) days between ovulation and the beginning of her period. This is an indication that her progesterone levels are too low and estrogen is too high, something that can be fixed with nutrition and vitamins. How so? Take more B vitamins. A lack in B vitamins means your liver cannot "effectively inactivate estrogen, and estrogen rises." Also by eating dietary fiber, which comes from plants, estrogen is also blocked and helps hormone levels return to normal. Hello possible cure to PMS! 

So you can see that when I say diet and vitamins, I don't mean just anything. You have to learn the root causes and the dietary supplements that help correct those causes. And it's not hard. I received all that information from Marilyn M. Shannon's book, "Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition." It is my go-to resource! She has whole chapters dedicated to PMS, endometriosis, and so much more. A whole section of her book is dedicated solely to good nutrition, specifically nutrition related to a woman's reproductive cycle. And that's what we need ladies!

Obviously some problems go further than this. So what are your options. I’d say find a doctor willing to work with you. So many of us go to the same doctor and just listen to one point of view. I’ve been there, and especially as a 13-year-old girl, I had no idea I could ask to see a different doctor. But under most health care plans you have several options of doctors. Unfortunately, you don’t always have a NFP-only or NFP-open-minded doctor. I haven’t found one in my local area, but I did find a woman who was willing to hear my point of view and work with me. Find someone who at least is willing to do that or better. And if you need to go even further, there are options such as the Pope Paul VI institute and NaPro technology. Look into them if you've exhausted all other options. These are both dedicated to fixing a problem and not just masking it.

Finally, you have to commit and become knowledgable about your body. Popping the pill everyday is super easy, but it's not worth the costs. A woman shouldn't have to choose between the nasty side effects of a crazy cycle and the nasty side effects of the pill, not to mention the serious abortifacient properties. I pray that someday our medical community will put more effort into finding ways to help women overcome these serious issues without jeopardizing other parts of their health, but until then we do have other options. It's more than "diet, exercise, and vitamins;" it's about knowledge and the power that comes with to change your health for the better.

A Christian Physician’s Perspective: Why I prescribe Natural Family Planning (NFP) instead of Artificial Hormonal Contraception.

My first guest post!

This is from a good friend, Billy, of mine who is truly inspiring. He's a single, young adult man who also happens to be a physician with the Navy. He believes in informed consent and treating the problem, not masking it with a pill. I've been strengthened in my drive to educate people about NFP many times because of his passion for it as a healthy and moral alternative for his patients. Take a few minutes and read this!

I was once asked by another physician, “What’s the real difference, since both are 98% effective, and one requires occasional abstinence while the other does not?” Below is a summary of my opinion as a grounded Christian and as a physician passionate about science.

1. I believe in the dignity of human life. I believe God is the author of life, that He created us in His image – unique yet complementary as male and female. Taking the pill is a conscious decision we can make as humans, to actively create an environment hostile to the beginning of life. This hostile environment is created before and after fertilization, the latter mechanism is more simply abortion.  Remember that the very word “contraception” in this case means to “go against the beginning of life.”  Contraception is the very opposite of openness to the beginning of life, by obstructing the natural development of a process that is pro-creative in God’s beautiful design.  On the other hand, natural family planning does not create an environment hostile to the beginning of life.  Instead, intercourse remains open to life as God intended. Though natural family planning and hormonal contraception have the same “efficacy” in preventing/postponing a child, the two could not be more different. (A future post will follow regarding the abortive potential of hormonal contraception).
2. I believe women should be respected, in their entirety. Their entirety includes their fertility and fascinating reproductive system. I will not use a drug to suppress this beautiful design God has created. Since the widespread use of the pill, sexual moral standards have generally declined.  Not much life experience is needed to realize that men often need incentives to adhere to a moral code.  It is evil to ease the transgression of moral code. Some physicians have done so already, allowing some men to grow accustomed to the use of contraception. In doing so, men may forget the sincere reverence due to a woman, reducing her to an instrument of pleasure, and disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium.  He may see no immediate consequences to their actions, yet several have been observed in society since the pill: general lowering of standards for women, a rise in infidelity and prostitution. If you are not aware of these results, take a step away from the Church for a day.  
3. I am pro-life, and most hormonal contraceptives act against the dignity of life as abortive agents.  Just reference the common Physician’s Desk Reference or UpToDate. Or, consider the history: In 1965, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a bulletin to redefine "conception" to mean "implantation."As a prestigious society, ACOG redefined life for money. The pill would soon bring in millions, as their new definition removed abortion from most informed-consent discussions with patients. However, the mechanism of contraceptives has not changed with their new definition of life. For nearly all progestin-only contraceptives, ovulation is not consistently suppressed, and “endometrial thinning” is one of the key mechanisms. This then promotes early abortion because the endometrial lining is not suitable to early life. All hormonal contraceptives have the potential to promote an abortion, some more than others. Note that the new emergency contraceptive Ella hits the same progesterone receptors as most current contraceptives, and the package insert states “not indicated in pregnancy due to hazard to fetus.” One may state in reply, “But God has caused many spontaneous abortions as part of a natural process.” I will ask, “What role do you have as the cause of abortion?” Or, consider Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine: “I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life…”
4. I only prescribe medication for disease or injury. To prescribe medication to alter our natural fertility is to prescribe a poison. A drug can only be considered a medication when treating an actual disease. Fertility is not a disease, but rather quite beautiful. Rather than suppressing fertility, we should work with God’s beautiful design. NFP does just this, not altering or suppressing our body. Instead, NFP asks a woman to work with her body and to know her body better. NFP strives to find any underlying medical problems, and does not consider fertility as one of them.
5. I believe low-risk life style changes should always be introduced before prescribing any medication, and that the side effects of every medication should be considered. Hormonal contraception increases risk of heart attack and stroke by 50-80% (NEJM). I have witnessed or interviewed three patients with blood clots related to contraception in the last six months.  The physicians that performed a hypercoagulability (blood clot) workup suggested the patient stop taking contraception, as they felt it was likely related in each case.
6. I believe in informed consent. Many patients are on the pill, not knowing the risks or alternatives. Copied below is a conversation I had with one patient.

“Were you counseled on any alternatives to artificial hormonal contraception, besides any of these pills you’ve been taking?” I asked my patient, after she had tried 3 different options with a variety of side effects. 
“Yes, Implanon – the implant that goes in your arm with a small surgery.”  (Implanon is a progestin – hormonal)
“What about any alternatives to medication, abstinence or natural family planning?”
“No. I was just given the pill.”

Whatever happened to informed consent?!  How can these conversations exist with my patients? 

NFP in its greatest practice is not just about a proven scientific method. It’s part of a greater respect for life and God’s role in creation. I’ve had contracepting couples switch to NFP solely based on the medical risks and benefits of contraception, in comparison to NFP. Did this change their philosophy regarding life’s dignity and God’s role in creation? Unfortunately, I somewhat doubt it. However, medically it certainly is safer than hormonal contraception. 

The beauty in NFP should include this appreciation of life and its dignity. One can keep true to this philosophy in practicing NFP, but not by contraception.  Unfortunately, it is possible to practice NFP and not hold dear the dignity of life.  If you do practice NFP to delay a pregnancy, prayerfully consider God’s role in planning His next child with you.  If you practice NFP in a contraceptive mentality, you have forgotten God’s role.  For everyone, I encourage learning a little basic science on this subject.  Ask questions.  Don’t accept a pill as the only option when the physician fails to fully inform. Ask about risks and alternatives.  More importantly, keep God and His plans close to your heart.  Respect all life. Do not thwart the transmission of life as God so beautifully designed.

Why NFP? It's Organic!

Why NFP? It's Organic!

So about a year ago my mom started learning a lot about eating organic foods and using all natural products. Her interest eventually seeped into conversations with me on the other line, and I started to get on the bandwagon.

I’m personally rather attached to my boxed foods with expiration dates that seem likely to never arrive, but she had some good points. Some of the statistics she was throwing my way and the side effects of these chemicals made my stomach turn (or maybe that was the spray cheese from a can).

I had a lot of comebacks though (Oh Snap!). “But isn’t it really expensive to eat organic?” “Haven’t people been eating this stuff for years, and they seem fine?”

All of her responses left me without clever retorts. “Eating organic might be more expensive right now, but it could save you on medical bills down the road.” She also linked certain chemicals in popular use in everyday foods and a corresponding rise in several illnesses. Needless to say, I starting picking up foods (and not all of them boxed J) that said organic or at least all natural with the USDA stamp.

It was around that same time that I started to learn about the Catholic Church’s teaching on birth control. (I’ll save that post for another time.) The reasoning for the Church’s stand on birth control was beautiful to say the least, but I wanted to know if there were any secular reasons to not use birth control. Boy was I shocked to find that I would have been looking for NFP even if I weren’t remotely religious. Let me take you through some of what I found. We’ll start small.

Some of the side effects of the pill:

•          Menstrual difficulties (breakthrough bleeding, menstrual irregularities, abnormal uterine bleeding)
• ·      Weight gain
• ·      Depression/mood changes
• ·      Decreased sex drive (this could be very serious to some ;))
• ·      Headache/migraine
• ·      Breast pain/tenderness
• ·      Fatigue
• ·      Irritability
• ·      Nausea/vomiting

These side effects vary from person to person and are triggered or worsened by various other activities like smoking. I can personally, after 10 years on the pill, attest to several of these side effects that I eventually just thought were normal me. In fact I was worried about discontinuing the pill mostly because I was afraid of who I would be without the hormones each day. I was positive my hormones would be all out of wack and my mood swings would have my new husband second guessing “I do.” Come to find out I was harder to live with on the pill than off!! My moods have never been so steady and normal! The list goes on, but perhaps best for another post.

More serious side effects of the pill:

• ·      Bone density loss
• ·      Heart disease
• ·      Delayed return of fertility
• ·      Increased risk of breast cancer and other estrogen- or progestin-sensitive cancers
• ·       Adrenal insufficiency (doesn’t allow the adrenal glands to produce the chemicals necessary for certain organ function)
• ·       Arterial and venous thrombotic disease (fancy talk for blood clots)
• ·       Live tumors
• ·       Liver disease
• ·      Renal impairment (aka kidney failure)

These facts (both lists) were taken from “Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention” (1995) and Yaz’s (a brand of the pill) warning label. Both lists are very serious reasons to consider using an alternative form of family planning. If you purchase foods that don’t have certain chemicals in them to protect your body, why would you pop a pill that would negate those efforts? There are ways to avoid a pregnancy (that yes take some self control, but so does not eating spray cheese) that are good for your body today and in the future. I hope you’ll consider it if you haven’t already.

Special thanks to the women at IuseNFP for making the stickers included in this post. Like their Facebook page if you are interested. One is a medical student :)