Today had the potential to be a bad day. Elliana has been complaining about heart palpitations the past week.
My optimistic conscious rational mind said she was probably just getting dehydrated from so much dancing without enough water while Tucson is on a 110 degree plus heat wave.
The post traumatic demon voice that sometimes reminds me of my past history in the top 5% of the infertile population who have to do more than one IVF kept buzzing at me that it was something more ominous.
The gnat ain’t buzzing anymore.
The news we got from Elliana’s pediatrician was absolutely not bad.
It was incredible.
First of all, Elliana’s heart is completely normal. Her breathing is normal.
In fact, the doctor was absolutely amazed at the transformation in her since last year.
Once again, the effect of another of Lisa’s personal missions to transform herself has had a positive ripple on our family.
The proof was in the BMI index they did on Elliana.
Just a year ago, before all the clean eating started, Elliana was in the 95th percentile for weight.
The numbers were tracking higher rapidly
Her BMI was up around 36%, and rising.
The news we got today was beyond good. It was freaking miraculous.
Her BMI is about 16% IN ONE YEAR IT DROPPED IN HALF.
She is on track to the optimal percentile of 50th in ONE YEAR. Down from the 95th percentile.
She was on track to being at risk for weight problems as she headed towards teenagerdom. Not anymore.
He asked us what had changed. We talked about the exercise, the extra dance.
When we told him about the paleo, or “clean eating” as we like to call it now, he shook his head approvingly.
He went on to tell us how small the percentage is of parents who make a family commitment to an eating lifestyle change.
Notice I didn’t say diet.
Lifestyle change.
I NEVER expected that we would get this news today.
But there’s more
We mentioned about how much resistance we got at first from family and friends who made us feel like we were somehow taking away a part of Elliana’s childhood by being on such a clean eating regimen, that didn’t include the ‘kid’ staples of pizza, and mac and cheese, and ice cream, and on and on.
Then he said it:
“You only grow your body once. You can’t come to me at 21 and say, hey, I want to undo this. It’s too late by then.”
It has been a slow, difficult journey to get to this day. Along the way, bad things have happened as we’ve made the lifestyle change to clean eating. Elliana often talks about how alone she feels during the journey.
He handed us a copy of her BMI graph, showing the incredible drop.
“Show that to your friends the next time they ask why you eat the way you do.”
This all reminded me of the bad to good, slow to sudden pattern that is part of infertility.
Some times it seems like the bad times are slow and arduous.
You are going through cycle after cycle of infertility treatments, and not seeing the payoff.
But the good ALWAYS comes suddenly.
The same formerly frozen embryo who brought good news into our lives today, brought good news into our lives 10 1/2 years ago.
Thousands of days, slowly ticked off until that fateful February 1st morning.
One phone call about an incredibly high beta changed everything.
If you’re in the slow to bad period, hang in there.
That sudden to good moment could be just a few hours away.
You should be very proud of your daughter and yourselves. I have been applauding your family journey this past year, an inspiration to so many. Now lets go plant a garden and continue to grown the community in a healthy manner.