About 2 years ago, A friend of mine started the journey of trying to conceive. She went to the gynecologist trying to find some answers… or should I say, trying to find out what was WRONG with her. She did blood-work and got a Pap smear. Pap was positive, but that’s not what she was trying to find out. The week after she went for a biopsy, and it was negative. <Phew>
What is a positive pap smear? It is a collection of cells from the cervix. A positive test shows some misshapen cells. Most people who have “relations” on a regular basis typically have a positive Pap smear mainly due to the constant wear and tear of the mucous membranes of the cervix and not giving the cells enough time to recover.
She did not get any definitive answers on why she hasn’t ovulated in over three years; so… she went to a fertility specialist to find out what was WRONG with her?
Further studies showed a little extra free testosterone and she had many follicles/cysts surrounding both her ovaries. She has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Let’s not stop there, she then went for a histiosalpingogram. Findings showed she has more than what she thought WRONG with her. This finding indicated a potential bicornuate uterus or a septate uterus. A bicornuate uterus is a heart shaped uterus which usually is benign. Women usually don’t know if they have this shape unless they are having fertility issues and get a histiosalpingogram. The Septate uterus is more hazardous as it is dead tissue literally bisecting the uterus. IF an embryo implants on this tissue, she would miscarry.
Frustrated and discouraged, the next step in finding what was WRONG was a Saline Infused Ultrasound before they can start manipulating her hormones to see if she could even ovulate. The procedure involves filling the uterus up with a saline solution, and then take a look at the shape to determine which one it is. It makes the woman very crampy, painful and uncomfortable.
She decided to get a second opinion to find out she just had PCOS and a weight issue… and she OWNED it. “I am PCOS and I am overweight”. The diagnosis became who she was and put limits on what her body can do.
That’s where having a diagnosis can hurt the person as opposed to helping. I had worked on a child who told me she was happy to have ADHD, because it explained the reason she would act out in class. She also mentioned that added bonus of extra time for testing. This is just another example of how labeling any person, child or adult, with a diagnosis may hurt the person more than it helps.
I love craniosacral, because craniosacral is a modality where the practitioner tells you what is RIGHT with YOU. This empowers your body to do what it inherently is capable of doing.
After being treated, with just craniosacral, a pelvic ultrasound 6 months later showed a follicle that was ONE huge millimeter bigger next to the others. This is when she realized the POWER of Craniosacral.
Sadly, it has become part of who we are… to find out what is WRONG with us. We even try to diagnose ourselves. If we can’t find a diagnosis for it, we make it up… OR, we find someone who will agree with our self-diagnosis.
For example, I had shown my friend a picture of a posterior tongue tie and lip tie and I said, “but I don’t have any symptoms”. She responded with “How do you know you don’t have any symptoms?”.
I was thinking to myself, “what did you mean? So you want me to study myself and figure out what’s wrong with me just to find out if I am being affected by a lip or tongue tie”. This is not to say that people who get the surgery it does not help. Sometimes lip ties and tongue tie surgeries are medically necessary and may even help enhance a baby’s and an adult’s quality of life.
I empower babies and children when they come into my office. At birth, babies are diagnosed with plagiocephaly and torticollis, lip and tongue ties …and even astigmatism these days. The baby is then programmed to think “There is something wrong with me”. When a baby comes into my office, I tell him/her how PERFECT he/she is. I also tell them how “cute, strong, special, smart, handsome, beautiful, healthy, etc” they are. I tell them, “You can do anything”.
I know when you moms share Facebook pictures of your baby everyone in the group is head over heels over how amazing your baby is. You aren’t the one that needs that reassurance, your baby is!!! So make sure your babies know what everyone on Facebook is saying about them!
In 2019, look for what’s RIGHT with you instead of all of the things that are WRONG with you and watch what happens to your body… I will leave you on that note.
Written by Dr. Mary Nochimson; Published 1/6/19