Super Fertility! The Most Useless of Super Powers.

In researching miscarriage (yeah, just in general, because what else am I gonna do?), I came across some research that hypothesizes women who suffer from recurrent miscarriage have uteri (uteruses?) that are too accepting!

The hypothesis: "For years, researchers have searched for the reason why some women experience recurrent miscarriages. Now, a new study suggests some women's uteruses are just more conducive for implanting embryos, both healthy and unhealthy ones. The results may explain why these so-called "super-receptive" women often have multiple miscarriages."

The study, with women who had 'normal' fertility and also women with recurrent miscarriage: "In the lab, the researchers placed high- and low-quality embryos on channels in between strips of uterus cells of the two groups of women. Cells from the women with normal fertility rejected the low-quality embryos and began to grow toward the high-quality ones. Cells from the women with recurrent miscarriages reached out and grew toward both the high- and low-quality embryos."

Embryonic development by dream designs; freedigitalphotos.net

Only 1 in 100 women suffer from recurrent miscarriage. As another article explains it: "...the wombs of some women are too good at letting embryos implant, even those of poor quality which should be rejected."

Unfortunately, like everything else health-related, this is just a hypothesis with a fairly small study behind it. It's just an idea, with no solution or treatment plan presented alongside it. But, every little bit of new info helps, right? Onward with my acupuncture plan...

To Live Happily, Live Hidden

This blog post has nothing to do with the current state of my health, directly, but I'd like to make the argument that reading does much to benefit one's health generally. So, I submit to you, a review of a book that just...surprised me: Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of the Great American Fortune.

I thought I would skim this book and send it on back to the library, but instead I found I physically couldn't put it down. I started reading from part of the intro out loud because I couldn't help myself. My husband interrupted: "Is this real?"

Yes, yes it is. Dear Hollywood, please option this story.

This is the story of Huguette Clark. More than that, it's the story of her father, how he came to be filthy rich, what happened to his money after he died, and what became of Huguette. She was his youngest child out of 9 (though two died young). She was from his second marriage and, it appears, wasn't very connected to her half-sisters and half-brothers from her father's first marriage. When Huguette's father died, he split his wealth evenly among his children, but this doesn't stop Huguette's cousins (generations removed) from falling all over themselves to claim their 'inheritance' when Huguette dies. Huguette eventually became a recluse--only speaking to others through phone calls (but never giving our her own phone number) and indirectly through others. She owned hilariously extravagant properties and collector's items (you know, just a Monet, Renoir or Stradivarius...). She was a closet philanthropist, handing out large sums of money easily to those close to her.

Her story is a twisted fairy tale, or, as the authors put it: "...the story of the Clarks is like a classic folk tale--except old in reverse, with the bags full of gold arriving at the beginning, the handsome prince fleeing, and the king's daughter locking herself away in the tower."

I particularly respected Huguette for, as it appears, choosing to live outside the spotlight. When her Renoir (valued at 10 million) was stolen and miraculously reappeared in someone else's home, she declined to sue to get it back just to protect her privacy. Her favorite French fable (which she could recite in THREE languages):

The Cricket

A poor little cricket

Hidden in the flowery grass,

Observes a butterfly 

Fluttering in the meadow.

The winged insect shines with the liveliest colors:

Azure, purple, and gold glitter on his wings; 

Young, handsome, foppish, he hastens from flower to flower,

Taking from the best ones.

Ah! says the cricket, how his lot and mine

Are dissimilar! Lady Nature

For him did everything, and for me nothing.

I have no talent, even less beauty;

No one takes notice of me, they know me not here below;

Might as well not exist. 

As he was speaking, in the meadow

Arrives a troop of children.

Immediately they are running

After this butterfly, for which they all have a longing.

Hats, handkerchiefs, caps serve to catch him.

The insect in vain tries to escape. 

He becomes soon their conquest. 

One seizes him by the wing, another by the body; 

A third arrives, and takes him by the head.

It should not be so much effort

To tear to pieces the poor creature. 

Oh! Oh! says the cricket, I am no more sorry; 

It costs too dear to shine in this world.

How much I am going to love my deep retreat!

To live happily, live hidden. 

Pour vivre heureux, vivons cache. 

When this book was published, Huguette's (greedy!) relatives were still contesting her will. She hadn't left a penny to them, but to those who kept her company and maintained her health on a day-to-day basis (who, frankly, also seem like greedy bastards). I'll be curious to see how this story ends. Are there really any winners after drawn-out, expensive legal battles? It pains me, though, to see Huguette get turned into a butterfly in the end, instead of remaining the cricket she clearly preferred.

Food for Thought

Grilled Chicken by markuso; freedigitalphotos.net

Along with most of America, my husband fell in love with Cross Fit. He found a gym he liked and soon enough he was trying a Paleo Challenge.

I didn't get it. Mind you, I do understand eating weird things and abstaining from eating weird things.

Dear Husband: "So I'm going on the Paleo Challenge. It's kind of a contest."

Me: "What's Paleo again?"

DH: "It's supposed to be based on what your ancestors were able to hunt and gather and eat...so you only eat what they did, mostly meat, veggies, some fruit."

Me: "Some fruit?"

DH: "Yeah, and no legumes--no peanuts, no beans at all..."

Me: "Wait a minute. Beans are good for you!"

DH: "Yeah..."

Me: "And also...wouldn't what your ancestors ate depend on their environment? I mean, if beans grew in a certain geographic area, then it would have been part of what was gathered and eaten, so....?"

DH: "Some of it I don't really see the sense in, but I'm going to try it for the month and just see."

So, turns out that Paleo was awesome for my husband, but mostly because a) he's a diabetic and b) Paleo eating forced him to cut out processed bread and sugar. I hope I don't have to spell out why that's good for a diabetic...

The basis behind it just doesn't make much sense to me and reminds me of the scarily stupid Atkins Diet (which, as my husband will tell you, forces your body into ketoacidosis, something a diabetic strives to avoid). 

Huff Post had a great article about this topic a million years ago:

"Although in theory this may seem like a sensible diet, particularly when removing sugar and salt, it has eliminated several food groups like dairy and grains, which provide essential nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus in dairy and B vitamins, fiber and antioxidants in grains," says Joy Dubost, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Legumes also provide a great protein source with little fat and lower in calories while providing essential nutrients and fiber."

And on NPR they've found that ancient hunters and gatherers actually had horrible dental health. And: "There's not one kind of paleo diet," Humphrey says. "I think wherever people lived, they had to make best of the wild food resources available to them."

Chris Kesser has a whole article devoted to how beans can fit into a paleo diet.

Sigh. Anyway. As with anything, there's some good and some bad. Further, I've talked to different Paleo folks and they all 'do' Paleo a little differently. For the DH and I, we think that only good can come from cutting out most processed, refined foods (easier said than done), but I'm not sure if that's Paleo or just common sense.

Cartoon Caveman and Wife by Grant Cochrane; freedigitalphotos.net

Pokey Needles & Me

Silver Needle Acupuncture In Medicine Cup by Praisaeng

I've been getting acupuncture again because...why not? I've had it done only once before--with Cool Acupuncture Guy. One appointment equaled half of my monthly grocery budget, so...only the one time. (That and he got a little miffed with me when I moved and then ruined all his handiwork.)

After our last miscarriage, I thought, "Yes, acupuncture, why the hell not?!" My husband has a co-worker (so, you know, a medical-kind of person) who is a strong believer in acupuncture.

Turns out that if I go to an acupuncturist that my insurance approves of each appointment is only about $6!

The acupuncturist I found is lovely--she's my age, has a kid my kid's age, and is a delight. What struck me, the first time around, is that acupuncture is really incredibly long and boring. This time, I have absolutely no problem laying on my back with only a heat lamp and Enya music for company. Something about having four miscarriages really makes it easy to allow myself to rest.

The only surprise is ear acupuncture--that's a new one for me. I remember reading in a Chinese medicine book that our bodily systems are reflected/repeated all over--the bottoms of our feet, our palms, and apparently our ears. Still, having tiny needles jammed into my ear cartilage was a surprise the first time.

It's been lovely. I look forward to seeing Cute Acupuncture Lady every week and found out she was trained by Cool Acupuncture Guy. I win!