When Life Throws You a Curveball pt 2

Sure enough, there was a heartbeat showing on the screen. It was hard to see the baby because the fibroids were surrounding the baby. I immediately became concerned because the doctor gave me that Depo shot. The tech called the doctor while we were in the room. The doctor was surprised as well. This should have been a joyous moment but it was shadowed by the fact the baby was surrounded by the fibroids. We didn't know if they could survive. We left that appointment with mixed feelings. 

Fast forward a few weeks and a sonogram revealed that I had complete placenta previa. I was going to have my first C-section. I was put on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy which didn't last long. Azariah was born early and we dealt with our first C-section and preemie. I can look back at this and see how God orchestrated everything! His plan always works out even if it feels as if everything is falling apart.

After the birth I dealt with health issues that eventually led to me having a hysterectomy. During all of this I followed the Trim Healthy Mama plan and it worked. After my hysterectomy it seemed as if my body was foreign. Everything that worked before quit working. I spent five years struggling and the weight piled on. I would eat according to the plan, walk, strength train, intermittent fasting and nothing worked. I was so discouraged. I'd look back at my earlier success and wonder why it wasn't working now. On top of that I learned I had lipedema which brings its own set of difficulties. Eventually I went to a doctor  who has helped me tremendously over the past year and a half. I also started taking the Kiora hormones at the same time. Within a month I started to see a difference. The scale was finally moving down! 

My progress has been slow. There have been months I gained a bit then lost it. The past few months I have struggled with not making my next goal but I'm learning to keep going. I'm thankful every day that I have finally found the combination that will help me return to a healthier size and be happy with myself. 

You're caught up, even though I have given you the cliff notes 😁

I'm still following THM and I purchase their products. The optimized protein and collagen are my absolute favorites! The hydrates help me to keep my water intake up. Thirteen years ago I found THM and it changed my life. The plan works and sometimes you have to tweak it when your body doesn't respond.

When Life Throws You a Curveball.

  Wow! Where has the time gone? It's hard to believe how much has happened since my last blog post in 2015!

We've added four more children to our family, moved, bought a farm, started a homeschool co-op, and began pastoring a little country church. We've also graduated four of our children from homeschooling, watched our oldest son get married, and had plenty of adventures along the way!

So much has happened in the last eleven years, and I wouldn't even know where to begin telling it all!

 During this hiatus from blogging, my weight loss and health took a nosedive. During my pregnancy with baby number six, I did really well following the THM lifestyle. I felt amazing and experienced the best pregnancy of all my children. If I had known what would have happened after the birth of baby number six, I'd probably have given up. 

The birth itself was traumatic and chaotic. Our son was born in February of 2015, and six weeks later I packed up our house and moved to be near my in-laws. During the next six months I experienced unstable menstrual cycles and so much pain. I honestly figured it was stress from moving, setting up the house, running a co-op, and looking for houses to purchase. 

Around November, things had progressed so much that I was having cycles non stop. I finally went to the doctors. The doctor said it was fibroids and sent me to have an ultrasound done after administering the Depo shot to stop the bleeding. I wasn't keen on having the shot but she insisted that it would help. She told us to be prepared that I would most likely have a hysterectomy. 

My husband and I arrived at the ultrasound room with heavy hearts. This wasn't what we wanted. We wanted more children and the thought of being unable to carry anymore babies was heartbreaking. It felt as if the choice was being taken away from me. 

While lying on the exam table waiting to see how bad the situation was, the tech told us we were pregnant. I immediately became angry because there was no way we were pregnant! Keep in mind, during the visit with the doctor I had a urine and blood test that came back negative for pregnancy. The tech showed us the screen and sure enough, there was a baby on the screen surrounded by fibroids. I was already in my second trimester!