A year ago, I focused on how my glass was half full. I was – and am – thankful to be a mom and an educator. Nonetheless, as 2014 drew to a close, there were still a lot of loose ends in my life: Was my breast cyst benign or malignant? Could I physically handle […]
I tasked my students in my Body in American Culture course with examining their thoughts about the body, beauty ideals and body image. The basic guidelines for this Body Genogram are as follows: Connect your early life experiences with your current understanding of your body and beauty in general. How do they or do they […]
Back in October, I called my internist to ask if he thought I could safely carry to term. (He's cared for me for more than 13 years, and I value his expert opinion.) Dr. P. guessed that my health would improve during pregnancy, but dip after I gave birth. The only question was just what […]
I never imagined myself being pregnant, let alone being medically able to carry a baby to term. I never saw myself with a newborn. And, yet, here I am, preparing to give birth to Baby Girl on Friday! I’m grateful that a far greater power was at work here, and I know that this was […]
“Oh My God! Your belly is so big!” Lately, I've heard that comment from several friends. I typically respond with silence and an eye roll. Do people think that they have to say something about my belly and my weight because I’m pregnant? (It’s the cancer equivalent of telling a patient, “You look great!” when that’s […]
October 25– 31, 2012 I had a plan in place for my first trimester. I visualized each step within the plan as its own individual hurdle. I was only eight weeks pregnant. At my age, I had a 30% chance of miscarriage. I needed to get through the next five weeks so that the first […]
October 23-24, 2012 I awoke the morning of the 23rd and began reframing my thoughts around being pregnant. If my doctors were comfortable with me trying to carry, what steps could be taken to make this work? I needed more information to be fully prepared for my consultation with the high-risk obstetrician. After an hour […]
October 19-22, 2012 I headed off to North Carolina to relax with several girlfriends at lake house. I didn’t think much about being pregnant while I was away since I assumed that the odds of the doctors letting me try to carry to term were so miniscule. When I returned to DC from the lake, I couldn’t […]
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 – Thursday, October 18, 2012 I woke up the morning after finding out that I was pregnant to call my gynecologist. When the receptionist answered, I introduced myself and asked if she could relay a message to my doctor. “What’s the message?” the receptionist inquired. “Would you mind telling her that […]
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 I left my friend at Starbucks with one thing on my mind: Chicken Wings from TGI Friday’s. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate chicken wings or went to Friday's. As I walked to 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, I realized that I had been craving a lot of different foods over […]