5 Strands of Hope

Cancer Risk of Vegetables - Lesson #3

2017-02-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

My apologies for my "lessons" not really being in an order (other than the first two). I tend to research and learn about topics that are on my mind. As I wait patiently for my next doctor's appointment to learn more about the asymmetric mass in my breast, I am trying to find a way to feel in control. I definitely can control what I eat and drink.

There are so many books and research articles about the benefits of a vegan diet on your body - heart, colon and overall cancer, heart disease and stroke risk. But I thought I would summarize one small part of the vegan diet and that is vegetables. Mainly how your cancer risk changes with the consumption of vegetables.

The possibility that fruit and vegetables may help to reduce the risk of cancer has been studied for over 40 years. However, no protective effects have been firmly established between fruit and vegetable in take and reduced cancer risk. This study looked at different types of cancer and the effects of a diet high in vegetables had on cancer. It did find that there was "probably cause" between vegetable consumption and colon cancer, but no relationship between vegetables and breast cancer, my current focus.

Then I found this study on cruciferous vegetables and cancer risk. I thought that surely this study would find that the holy cruciferous vegetable had to have a positive effect on reducing cancer risk. Not only was there no relationship found; this study also looked at a lot of other studies. Again, no relationship was found between cruciferous vegetables and cancer risk.

The only known way to reduce cancer risk is to loose weight, stop smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.

The studies that I found did not support what I read in books about an anti-cancer diet, vegan cookbooks and just my overall assumptions about healthy food and its effects on your body. In my opinion, which is not supported by any masters or Phd degrees on health and medicine, food does have a profound effect on your body. I think I just found the wrong studies to read!

I am going to stick with my vegan diet and see how I feel over the next few weeks.

Easy Vegan Dinner - Spaghetti with Mushrooms

2017-02-02T14:13:00.000-05:00

So, I'm not necessarily adhering to a vegan diet, but I'm making baby steps and am trying not to waste any food that I've already bought.

Spaghetti with whole mushrooms

Tonight, I'm making an "easy" dinner. It's easy to make and easy because the kids all like it.

Ingredients
1. Box of sliced or whole mushrooms
2. Jar of spaghetti sauce (your choice)
3. Box of Pasta (your choice)
4. Olive Oil
5. Red pepper flakes

I saute the mushrooms in olive oil with red pepper flakes. I used to only put a few pepper flakes in the pan for fear that my kids wouldn't like it. However, now I'm much more generous with the pepper flakes and no one has complained!

As for the spaghetti sauce, I'm a mood buyer, If I feel poor, then I buy the cheapest sauce on the shelf. If I feel like I have extra money, then I might buy an organic jar of sauce. I dump the sauce and the mushrooms into the sauce and turn the heat on low. I like to the heat to be low and slowly cook the sauces, because I believe it helps the mushrooms blend into the sauce better. Plus, I don't have to worry about the sauce splattering around the range.

My pasta changes depending on my mood. I love the Barilla pasta with the extra protein. However, it's not necessarily my children's top choice. Anna loves bow tie pasta. The boys love angel hair - not whole wheat though! So, I mix up the pasta I buy to try to make the kids happy

Enjoy this simple vegan dinner and mix it up to please the loved ones in your life!

Lesson #2 Loving Yourself

2017-02-02T13:13:00.000-05:00

I know love was my first lesson. It's probably going to be my second, third and fourth lesson too! There is nothing better than love. Life would not be worth living, if it weren't for love.

On the notion that this post is being written out of love, please open your mind to what I am saying.

People often say that you cannot love someone else until you truly love yourself. I am not sure if this is true or not. I love my kids unconditionally. I do not believe that I need to love myself in order to unconditionally love my children. Wholeheartedly, I know that I am a better mother when I am loving myself and treating myself well (sleeping and eating right).

Lesson #2 is about loving yourself.

Take the time to get to know yourself. You are complex. You have genetic code in you that goes back to first humans on the planet. You are not just 1/2 me and 1/2 you dad. You are 1/4 PopPop, 1/4 Nana, 1/4 GG and 1/4 Granpa, but wait...PopPop is 1/4 his grandparents and Nana is 1/4 her grandparents, etc....I could go all the way back to when humans first walked this earth.

Figure out what truly makes you happy. It took me a long time to figure out what really makes me happy and that is loving you. In my 20s, I thought I needed to makes lots of money on Wall Street. When I first gave birth to Gavin, I realized that I didn't need much at all. I was happy buying clothes at Target instead of the Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. I might have chosen a different career path, if I had really known what I wanted in life.

You might read this and think it sounds silly or even simply that I am asking you to get to know yourself, but a lot of people go through life and never know the simplest things about themselves. It will make your career so much more worthwhile, if you do what you love and love what you do. Please do not chase money. Money will come if you love what you do.

Your father and I both dated a few other people before we met each other. I cannot speak for him. For me, I feel as though I was lost before I met your father. I was trying to make other men into the mold of what I wanted. Those relationships never worked out. When your father and I met. I thought he was scary. Scary, because I didn't need to make him into anything. He was what I wanted. A man who wanted to get married and wanted children. Your father loved the idea of being a father. He reminded me of my dad, PoPop.

In my 20s, I was trying to build my career and went to business school. I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. I wasn't aways happy and was often stressed out. It was not a good time to fall in-love, because I wasn't really in-love with where I was in life. It was a great time to meet someone who was happy and wanted a family too. When I met your father, I was on the path to figuring out what I really wanted in life, children. I was doing well in my career and I was overall happy.

All four of you are great people. You are still very young, so it's hard to say what you want to do in life or what makes you really happy. You still have a lot to experience and see. I hope you will keep your mind open to different experiences and people.

Love always and forever,

Mom

5 Great Vegan Cookbooks

2017-02-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

I ate vegan from 1999 to 2009 and dabble in the overall vegan life-style. However, I started to add meat back to my diet when I was pregnant with my first child, Brian. When he was in my belly, he refused to let me eat fruits and vegetables! My husband, concerned for the health of our unborn child, convinced me to eat some meat. It wasn't really that hard, because Brian was screaming for a cheeseburger when he was in my belly!

However, now as I sit here, too scared to call my doctor about the additional tests I need for the asymmetrical mass in my breast, I realized that I would feel better about myself and my health, if I returned to a vegan diet.

Thankfully, I still have all of my vegan cookbooks. Some are decades or two decades old and some I've bought recently. Even as a meat-eater, I bought vegan cookbooks, because I believe, it is where you can find the most creative, heathy and yummy vegetable dishes.

Here is a list of my favorite cook books and why:

Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen, by Kathy Patalsky
Vegan 101, by Engel & Bell
More Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson
But I Could Never Go Vegan!, by Kristy Turner
Candle 79, by Pierson, Ramos, & Pineda

Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen is my favorite, or at least the book I turn to most often to make dinner for our family. The recipes are incredibly yummy, which is probably a given since it is my number one choice. However, I also really like the guides that are included to help you make your kitchen vegan-friendly. There are types for staples that you should have in your kitchen as well as way to turn meat-based meals into vegan meals. Make sure you try out the Ultra Creamy Cashew Veggie Pot Pie!

Vegan 101 is my number two book. It has basic recipes that make going vegan very easy. This is another cookbook that I turn to regularly to make easy and delicious vegan meals. However, call me lazy, but I'm not about to make Quick and Easy Red Bean Veggie Burgers when I can buy something similar at the store. However, its German Chocolate Hand Pies is something that my kids beg me to make all the time!

More Quick-Fix Vegan: Simple, Delicious Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less You need to try Bahn-Mi Noodles. Yummy! I made the noodles during the week when I'm often tight on time. Not only was it easy to make, but my four children loved it as well. I really liked that I had most of the ingredients in the house already, which is true of most of the meals in the book. Robin Robertson has a bunch of cookbooks, so if you love this one be sure to check the other ones out too!

But I Could Never Go Vegan! For me, this book highlights all the wonderful things you can do with nuts. My two favorite recipes in this book are the Bacon Mac n Cheese with Pecan Parmesan and the Carrot Cashew Pate. I found them to be rather unique recipes that I did not find elsewhere. Again, this is more of an everyday type of cookbook, but then again, the two recipes I mentioned above will surely impress meat-eaters and vegans alike!

Candle 79 I used to live in New York City. In fact, I lived there for 11 years and was vegan for all by the last year I lived there. I miss the city, but at least I can replicate some of the delicious food I ordered at Candle 79. These cookbook brings back so many wonderful memories...ah... The recipes in this book are elegant and time consuming to make. However, I do bust it out often to look at the pictures and dream about making all the recipes. My favorite special dishes to make are the Ginger-Seitan Dumplins and he Chocolate Mousse Toweres.

There are hundreds and hundreds of vegan cookbooks. You really can't go wrong with any of them. My favorites might not be your favorites. I'd love to hear about your favorite cookbooks and why you love them so much!

Veganism: Day 1

2017-02-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

Good morning!
It's Wednesday, February 1st. It's going to be a good day...at least I'm going to do everything I can to make it a good day. How? I'm going to stay positive and do what I can do to be healthy.

So, what lesson to I want to teach my children today? That when things might seen a bit crazy, slightly depressing, that you can choose to be in control. You can choose to smile. And, of course, the obvious one, you can choose to love.

Today, I will eat vegan. Whether it is determined that I have cancer or not, eating vegan is the healthiest way to eat. I will be doing something positive for my body, the environment and the cows!

For breakfast, I'm going to have oatmeal. For lunch, I am going to eat a salad. Dinner seems so far away; however, I plan on making spaghetti with mushrooms and carrots in a tomato sauce. My husband and kids will like the dinner and that will make me happy!

Anna, Liam, Owen and Gavin, you might be upset that I am going vegan. You might not know (yet) why I am going vegan. However, at the heart of the matter is that I love being your mother. You four are the best gift your father and I ever got. Not a day goes by when I do not feel so grateful that you four love me as much as I love you.

Here's to our new journey!
Love,
Mom

Breast Cancer and Vegan

2017-01-31T19:04:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't been fully honest and since my kids don't know this blog exists yet...here goes.

I have an asymmetrical mass in my right breast. I do not know if if is cancer yet. I'm still holding out hope that it's benign, but sometimes waves of grief roll over me and I get really sad. Sad for what might be and sad for what I might miss. It will be the second time in three years that I've been seriously ill. Is that all my kids are going to remember from their childhood?

Should I adopt a vegan diet? I'm not sure. I was actually vegan for 10 years from 25 to 35 years old. That was when I was single and lived alone. I didn't have to make food for anyone else. I did not have kids to consider or a husband, or grandparents who might think I'm starving my kids.

Ok, it's actually an easy decision. I know all the benefits of a vegan diet. It's good for your heart, colon, great for fighting cancer. It's also really good for the environment...not to mention the animals.

Tomorrow, whether I have cancer or not, I'm going to go back to being Vegan. Tonight, I'm having potatoes au gratin and a salad...almost vegan! My husband is not feeling well. I've learned that is not the time to start a conversation that he might not be so willing to have!

When I was vegan before, these were my favorite vegan books (some are updated versions):
1. Veganomicon
2. Vegan 101
3. Gaia's Kitchen

I'm very excited to try out the Vegan Casseroles cookbook. I love baking casseroles, because I can prepare all the dishes while the kids are at school.

I'll let you know tomorrow what I eat and make for the kids.

First Things First....LOVE

2017-01-31T15:05:00.000-05:00

First things First

LOVE

I have always told my kids and have always believed that love is the most important thing in the world. It was one of the first words my children learned.

First Words:
Gavin - hot, because we were at my parents' house a lot and they had their gas fireplace on. We needed to teach Gavin not to touch the fire place

Anna - cookie. Well, like most kids, Anna likes cookies...still does!

Owen - car. Unfortunately for my face, Owen love Matchbox cars...he really liked throwing them at my face!

Liam - Ma. I'd like to think he was really saying Mom!

It's hard not to get caught up in money. We need money for everything...even going to the beach, at least in New Jersey! I'd love to have an updated kitchen, a bigger bathroom for the kids, and at least a month a year (a week at a time) where I do nothing but sit on a beach in 80F weather. All of these things cost money...oh wait, the kids want to play tennis, soccer, baseball, dance, go to birthday parties and have their own birthday parties. All of which cannot be done without money.

But when it comes down to it...why do I have my embroidery business...get up at 6am to work on my orders, because, because of love. I love my kids (& my husband). I want them to be happy. Making them happy, makes me happy. What would all this be, if it weren't for love?

We talk every night at dinner with our children. We don't repeat the same stories every night, but we do often talk of love. The love that brought Brian and I together. The love we have and had for a family. The love that will live on past our existence on earth.

There is a saying that there is no love like the love of a mother. As a mother, I believe this to be true. However, admittedly and obviously, I have never been a father, so how am I to know how a father feels. I do tell my kids that no one will ever love them the way I love them and I believe that everyone on this planet can say that, because we are all different.

Regardless of whether I love you more than your father, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, partner, and children, regardless of whether I am near or far or dust in the ocean, I love you, Brian, Gavin, Anna, Owen and Liam. I hope that you always remember that I taught you how important love is and that you aren't scared of it and run from it. Your hearts are pure...let the love flow freely to and from your heart.

Your loving mother,
Laura

I am Dying

2017-01-31T14:28:00.000-05:00

There I said it!

No, I don't have a disease or something tragic going on...It's just that I am passed the birth and growth stages and am now in the decaying to death stage. You might guess that I am "old" or maybe you think I'm "young." Both are relative terms, so it depends on where you are in life... I am 46 years old; probably passed my half-way point.

I don't think of myself as morbid or depressed. I rather believe that I am logical yet also emotional. My grandparents never made it to 50 years old. Growing up, I had two very good friends' mothers and neighbors die at 42 years old (one of cancer and the other from a car accident). Whose to say I'm better than my grandparents. Fifty percent of who I am came from them.

However, as I had 5 Strands of Hope when I was pregnant with my triplets. I have hope now, but I am going to prepare, just in case I don't live long enough to see my daughter get her period, first boyfriend, go to college, med school, get married and have her own kids....or other firsts for my boys.

I know my husband, mother and sister would think I'm crazy for doing this and maybe I am. Though I've always like the saying, "Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best!" This blog just might be something my daughter and I laugh about when she is older. But for now, I'am going to prepare for the worst.

2017-01-31T14:02:00.001-05:00

It's crazy to think that I haven't posted in 4 years...even crazier to think that I had the time to post when the triplets were 3 and Gavin was not yet 5. Oh how I miss those days!

The internet is wonderful and scary...

Scary that I forgot that I set up this blog.... wonder whose has been to it.

Wonderful that I can go back four years and see what I was thinking about.

So it's now 2017...I'm not going to rehash the last four years. It would be way too time consuming and funny...somehow we all arrived in 2017, alive and happy - for the most part.

The focus of my blog has changed...it's no longer about infertility, fertility, pregnancy and birth and all the crazy stuff surrounding that....but one of the musings of a dying woman....

From Book to Shirts

2013-03-03T21:25:00.001-05:00

Hi all!
Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Between the death of my beloved Opu, Super Storm Sandy destroying my parents' house and my father-in-law becoming ill right before Christmas, things have been crazy-busy around here.

The death of Opu, my first baby and a black labrador retriever in September, didn't only greatly sadden me, but also my children. Funny, but it was my three year old son, Owen, who wanted me to bring him home from Kevin's house (clearly didn't understand that I was saying that Opu was in "Heaven" and instead that he was at Kevin's house in the clouds).

This was the genesis of my idea of putting "Opu" on a shirt for my children. It was much harder and easier than I thought it would be. I hadn't sewn since Home Economics class in Junior High and let's just say that anyone who knows me knows that I cannot draw. However, I strongly believe in the age-old saying that if there is a will there is a way and well...I found a way to make the shirts for my kids. I have gotten so much joy out of creating the shirts and positive feedback from people that I decided to open an Etsy shop. We'll see what comes of it, but I've definitely have had fun making, not only the Opu shirt, but also the pirate ship, hammerhead shark and butterfly for my kids.

Here is a link to my shop KooCoo Say, if you would like to look at or purchase a shirt.

The name comes from my kids' favorite saying, "Koo Coo Sock." Brian and I don't know where they got it from, but basically if you are being silly, they will call you a "Koo Coo Sock!"

My kids are giving me multiple requests each day, so by the end of the week I'll should also have a tiger, flower, whale and octopus up on Etsy.

I wish you all the best,
Laura

New Hope for Infertile Couples

2013-01-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

An Embryoscope is a new device that is helping doctors deal with especially challenging issues of infertility. It allows doctors to monitor an embryo's growth, almost minute by minute. And in doing so, help them select the best candidates for successful invitro fertilization. It is similar to a high tech incubator and time lapse camera that captures the beginning of life.

Dr. Nina Desai, of the Cleveland Clinic explains, "Imagine you're able to see every minute of the embryo's development even before it's transferred to the uterus, before it implants on the uterine wall you're able to see this embryo. It’s never been possible before."

Traditionally, Doctor Desai takes an embryo out of the incubator once a day to look at it under a microscope. but a lot can happen that she'd miss. The Embryoscope keeps the embryos in a safe and stable environment and tracks every second. That gives doctors an even better chance to catch even the most subtle changes.

Dr. Desai continues, “It's a wealth of information we're learning so much that we hadn't realized happens to an embryo as it grows so we are just blown away by this, it's an amazing, amazing technology. When pointed out, the ones that were growing well were definitely different from ones that were sort of stuck."

Here is a link to the full article.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

Are Infertility Doctors Predatory Bankers?

2012-12-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

A neighbor, a friend, a couple down the street will discover this week that they are infertile and that if they want biological children of their own, they are going to need in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to treatment protocol, the woman will need to take powerful medicines to ramp up her production of fertilizable eggs. One monthly cycle of this treatment will run around $12,000. But most couples require more than one cycle to achieve their goal of carrying a child to term. In other words, this couple could easily be looking at a bill exceeding $30,000 or $40,000.

And did I mention that this money could all come out of their own pockets? Because not all insurance companies pay for in vitro fertilization.

No worry though. Their infertility physician informs them about a company he has worked with that specializes in infertility loans. He even offers to have his office staff help the couple fill out the necessary paperwork. Thanks to this assistance, the couple secures the loan and, with luck, will soon be rewarded with a healthy baby.

Infertility Doctors

Free market medicine at its finest, yes? A couple with “skin in the game” learns about their health costs in advance. They are given accurate data about the likelihood that any given cycle of treatment will work. They even work with a loan agency specifically geared to meet their financial needs.

Would it bother you if you learned that the infertility doctor received a referral fee from the loan agency? Would you be upset to learn that this couple was charged an annual interest rate of 22%?

Here's a link to the full article.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

50 Million Couples Experience Infertility

2012-12-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

On the Friday before Christmas an article appeared in HealthDay News regarding infertility rates. It makes me sad to think that almost 50 million couples experience infertility. However, I don't find it surprising, because I have so many friends who struggled to have their children.

In 2010, nearly 50 million couples worldwide were unable to conceive a child after five years of trying, according to the study published online Dec. 18 in the journal PLoS Medicine. For the study, researchers examined 277 national surveys in order to estimate the infertility levels in 190 countries between 1990 and 2010.

50 Million Couples Experience Infertility

The analysis revealed that in 2010, 1.9 percent of women aged 20 who wanted to have children were unable to have their first live birth (primary infertility), and 10.5 percent of women who had previously given birth were unable to have another baby (secondary infertility).

That works out to a total of 48.5 million couples worldwide, study leader Gretchen Stevens, of the World Health Organization, and colleagues explained in a journal news release.

Here's the link to the full article.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

Infertility Linked to 'Huddle' Gene

2012-11-29T08:27:00.000-05:00

This is a very interesting article, which (down the road) could give hope to a lot of infertile couples - specially if you believe in gene-therapy.

Scientists have identified a gene which could help solve the problem of infertility in humans. A team at the University of Edinburgh conducted a study with fruit flies, where they discovered that when the gene SRPK is missing, chromosomes do not 'huddle' together.

Oocyte (Human Egg)

They huddling process, they believe, is necessary to ensure the egg's healthy development and fertilisation. Chromosomes are thread-like structures which contain a person's DNA, and when they divide it can lead to sterility and low fertility, according to the study.

Previous research in mice has shown that the huddling process is essential in order for eggs to remain fertile, the scientists said.

Here's a link to the full article.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

Male Infertility: Enzymes to Blame

2012-10-16T17:16:00.003-04:00

There is an article on News-Medican by Sally Robertson, which discusses morphology issues in male sperm, among other things. It is rather technical. However, here is a quote and you can find the link to the full article below.

"An enzyme complex present in sperm plasma membranes plays an important role in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in sperm with abnormal morphology, researchers have shown."

Sperm-Egg

Infertility Treatments and Multiple Sclerosis

2012-10-04T13:20:00.000-04:00

There is an article on WebMD, which discuss two studies that show that infertility treatments increase relapse rates for MS patients. This makes me incredibly sad. Infertility is hard enough and so is MS, but to have both and to know that infertility treatments may make your MS worse is just too much. I wish the best for women who are suffering from infertility and MS.

Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy

Obesity Damages a Woman's Eggs

2012-09-24T18:06:00.000-04:00

Obesity has long been associated with infertility as well as lower success rates with in vitro fertilization, and now researchers think they understand why: Obese women are more likely to have abnormalities in their eggs that make them impossible to fertilize.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital infertility researchers examined nearly 300 eggs that failed to fertilize during IVF in both severely obese women and those with a normal body weight. They found that severely obese women were far more likely to have abnormally arranged chromosomes within their eggs compared with women who weren’t overweight, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers still don’t completely understand why obesity might lead to structural problems in eggs, but it could have something to do with higher levels of hormones like leptin, which make chromosomes more fragile.

Previous research has linked similar abnormalities to aging eggs, which could at least partly explain why women over 40 have a much harder time getting pregnant than those in their 20s.

While women can’t do anything to turn back the clock, they may be able to improve their egg quality by achieving a healthier weight, said Dr. Catherine Racowsky, study co-author and head of the Brigham’s IVF lab. “Many obese infertility patients in our program wind up achieving successful IVF after they lose weight,” she added.

The women in the study were severely obese with a body mass index of at least 35 -- or 210 pounds for a 5-foot, 5-inch person -- and it’s likely that moderately overweight women who carry just 20 or 30 extra pounds don’t have the same increase in egg abnormalities.

But those at the extreme end of the weight spectrum who are attempting infertility treatments should make an effort to nudge their weight closer to a healthier BMI. Obese women who lose just 5 or 10 percent or their body weight may see enough improvement, according to Racowsky, to help them achieve a successful pregnancy with IVF or natural methods. By the same token, underweight women, who have a BMI under 18.5 -- or 111 pounds for a 5-foot, 5-inch person -- are also at risk of infertility and might increase their pregnancy odds by gaining a few pounds.

Here is the link to the full article.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

Wrong Sperm Inseminates

2012-09-18T14:33:00.001-04:00

I feel so poorly for the women who had fertility problems and trusted their doctor. In Ottawa Canada, a renowned fertility specialist Dr. Norman Barwin allegedly artificially inseminated three women with the wrong sperm. Barwin currently volunteered to surrender his license which is now restricted.

In 1985, a woman went to Barwin to beinseminated with her husbands sperm, which had been frozen prior to starting cancer treatments. Later giving birth to a baby boy, later to discover the child was not her husbands.

Another lawsuit pending against Barwin, in 2007 Ottawa resident Jacqueline Slinn said she seeked Barwin’s help in 2003, selecting a donor from Toronto sperm bank. Slinn did conceive after a series of inseminations, giving birth to her daughter in 2005. Later Slinn joined a registry to make contact with other mothers who had been inseminated with the same donor. Three of the children were DNA tested, and discovered that none of the children had the same biological children.

The full article is here.

My book, Five Strands of Hope, is available here on Amazon. It is a memoir about my journey through secondary infertility through a horrendous triplet pregnancy.

US Women Like IUDs for Birth Control

2012-09-15T07:45:00.000-04:00

When I saw this article I wasn't surprised. I spent a good chunk of my early twenties taking the birth control pill. I loved it. I knew exactly when my period was coming and for how many days. It didn't care that I really had no need for the pill, except that without it I rarely menstruated and my doctor thought that it was a good idea.

Now, however, if I needed birth control, I would definitely choose an IUD. I have a couple friends who have one and they don't get their period at all. That sounds marvelous. No tampons; no cramps; no oopsies I forgot and sprinting to the bathroom.

For the full article click here.

FIVE STRANDS OF HOPE ebook at Amazon

5 Stands of Hope Free on Amazon for the Holiday

2012-09-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!
Happy Labor Day weekend. I hope everyone has a nice and relaxing weekend. School starts for my kids on Wednesday. I'm happy and sad as every parents has probably felt when their child started kindergarten.

Labor Day 5 Years Ago

I can't believe it's been less than a year since I started to write my book and then published it and only 4 months since I started my blog. I guess I've accomplished more in the past year than I thought. Scary to think that the picture was from June. I feel like I took it yesterday!

Last Day of School in June

Five Strands of Hope is free on Amazon for the holiday weekend. I hope you get a chance to read it and that you enjoy it.

Five Strands of Hope (FREE eBook)

Happy Holiday!
Laura

Sperm Grown from Skin: Infertility Hope for Men

2012-08-29T07:45:00.000-04:00

Wow! That's all that I can say after reading an article from the Daily Mail (UK) about doctors/scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Scientists succeeded in using slivers human skin tissue to grow early-state sperm. Thousands of infertile men may be able to fulfill their dream of fatherhood with their own biological children.

Male Sperm

The scientists use chemicals to turn back the biological clock in skin cells, which gives the cells chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells. Then nutrients transform the cells into round ones and appear to be genetically normal.

Click here for the full article.

Five Strands of Hope on Amazon

Expanded Infertility Care for Veterans

2012-08-27T07:42:00.000-04:00

I saw an article in the Seattle Times regarding expanded health coverage for veterans. This bill, which is being considered in the Senate, includes infertility care for Veterans and their spouses. Currently, IVF and surrogates are not covered.

I am so excited for the Veterans and their families. Of course, I'll be happier when the bill actually passes. However, I was upset by comments readers left on Seattle Times' website. It is horrible enough that men and women who protect our country and human rights of people everywhere are hurt and killed in the line of duty. It never occurred to me that thousands of men and women also lose the ability to have biological children. Since it is within our abilities to perform infertility treatments (IVF and surrogacy) that will greatly increase the chances of Veterans to have children, then we should not think twice about covering the cost.

Here is the link to the full article.

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Mothering with Pain

2012-08-15T09:04:00.003-04:00

Good morning!
I'd like to say Happy Wednesday, but I'm a little blue. Ahh....Happy Wednesday! I'm trying desperately to hold onto my good spirits even though a knee injury that I suffered 5 weeks ago while playing tennis. It is interrupting my sleep and drastically curtailing my activities.

Knee

I have mothered in pain before. However, this time is different because I'm in pain and not very mobile. I find myself getting short with the kids when one at a time they want something to drink, help going potty and forget to close the back door. All of which necessitate me getting up off and walking around.

The summer started out wonderful. We taught Gavin how to ride a bike and now he can bike to the ice cream shop. I started to teach all the kids my favorite sport, tennis. Admittedly, the triplets think their tennis racquet is a golf club and just whack at the tennis balls on the ground, but Gavin has gotten quite good at hitting the ball over the net. Our weekly trip to the ice rink, so Owen could make snow angles and the others could ice skate, was put on hiatus. Family soccer when Dad got home from work was another activity that brought the family joy.

Biking at the Manasquan Resevoir

Now I'm a bit of a lump. I feel badly that I'm not doing all these activities with the kids. Thankfully, they seem quite happy. We have gone to Nana & PopPop's pool more frequently than before my injury and they've spent a lot more time with their favorite babysitters. The happiest glowing from their faces and the slits their eyes turn into at night indicate that they are very active and enjoying their summer. This gimp heart is relieved that a fluke knee injury while playing tennis with my father didn't ruin their summer, which ultimately means that my summer wasn't ruined either.

Here's to an injury-free school year!
Laura

Robinson Triplets - Slideshow

2012-08-15T08:36:00.000-04:00

There is an article on the NWF Daily News website about a family's journey with their triplets. As a mom to triplets, I'm always interested in the life's of similar families. The Robinson family had/has a particular tough ride with its triplets.

Robinson Triplets

Here is an excerpt:

The sun is finally coming up for a local family who has spent most of the last year battling nearly insurmountable odds.

It began with the unexpected news that Rita and Greg Robinson were expecting triplets and became more complicated as health issues for Rita and the premature babies stacked up.

Zamen had acid reflux and a cyst on his brain that made him incapable of ever feeling full. Zamyah had underdeveloped lungs and a hole in her heart. Niren had two holes in his heart, an extremely narrow tube leading to his heart and far too low oxygen levels in his blood.

Here's the link to the full article.

My Book at Amazon: Five Strands of Hope ($0.99)

Childhood Obesity and Infertility

2012-08-06T08:55:00.001-04:00

Sorry, I've been radio silent for the past week or so. We had our floors done and what I thought would be an easy home-improvement proved to be much more challenging. Without going into boring detail, I'll just say I don't know what the floor guy was thinking when he told me we could stay in the house while the floors were being done, because he wedged our leather couch between the refrigerator and the island!

I found this interesting article in The Jerusalem Post about childhood obesity and infertility. “The issue of so many humans being obese is very recent in evolutionary terms, and since nutritional status is important to reproduction, metabolic syndromes caused by obesity may profoundly affect reproductive capacity,” said Patrick Chappell.

Obesity can Lead to Infertility

But in general, puberty appears to be starting earlier in girls. It is being accelerated.

This may have several effects, scientists have found. One theory is an impact on kisspeptin, a recently characterized neurohormone necessary for reproduction. Normal secretions of this hormone may be disrupted by endocrine signals from fat that serve to communicate to the brain.

Another possible affect on pubertal timing, and reproduction in general, is disruption of circadian clocks, which reflect the natural rhythms of night and day. Disrupted sleep-wake cycles can affect the secretion of hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, and insulin, researchers have found.

Here is the link to the full article.

My Book at Amazon: Five Strands of Hope ($0.99)