artificial insemination kit for humans
Just a few months post my third C-section, I inexplicably decided to hop on a skateboard at a friend’s house. After being cooped up with family for so long, the urge to socialize likely skewed my judgment. My skateboard adventure ended as abruptly as it began; I fell off and instantly felt something was wrong. An adrenaline rush surged through me, yet despite my friend’s encouragement to get back up, I could only roll to the side and take deep breaths. An X-ray later revealed a broken left fibula. “You’re fortunate,” my doctor remarked, “Just a few millimeters more and you’d be facing surgery.”
I tried to hold onto the notion of being “lucky” as I navigated our home on crutches, needing help from my husband for nearly everything. Things were just beginning to normalize: we had established a routine with the baby, the older kids were back at school after a remote learning spring, and I had even started jogging again, a lifeline for my mental health. Now, my husband had to assist with the baby during car rides, showering felt like a monumental task, and my older kids were reminded to be cautious around my injured leg.
Despite my husband’s tireless efforts after work, chores piled up; laundry and dishes were neglected, and crumbs gathered on the floor. Both of us were worn out from adjusting to our new reality, and my husband, who had been a great support post-surgery while managing work and remote learning, was feeling caregiver burnout. My mood plummeted without my usual coping methods—exercise and rest. I certainly didn’t feel lucky.
After a period of self-pity, I learned to maneuver the stroller using one crutch to transport the baby around. We created diaper stations throughout the house, and yes, I sported a fanny pack filled with essentials. While I couldn’t manage putting dishes away, I could at least unload them onto the counter. Netflix and a couch made folding laundry more bearable. Yet, I yearned to move my body and jog again. My doctor had said, “The mental aspect is often the hardest part of this injury.” With desperation, I searched online and found Caroline Jordan’s Chair Cardio program. Punching and kicking from a chair at the kitchen table felt awkward, but it was a way to elevate my heart rate and improve my mood.
After ten long weeks, my doctor finally cleared me to walk longer distances and ride a bike, which I embraced with open arms. I didn’t attend physical therapy as advised; winter, coupled with family responsibilities and holiday obligations, made it seem impractical. I naively thought I could research and manage my rehabilitation independently.
Three months later, still in pain and with limited ankle movement, I took my kids to a playground and serendipitously met a physical therapist named Laura Brooks. We discussed my injury, and she generously offered to come to my home for sessions. Within two sessions, I noticed improvements, and by six sessions, the changes were substantial. Laura even encouraged me to start jogging again, initially in short bursts with walking in between.
Recently, a friend’s partner donned rollerblades for the first time in years, and after a thrilling downhill run, he fell and fractured his wrist severely enough to require multiple surgeries. It seems the past year has sparked a misguided sense of confidence in our athletic abilities. Skateboards and rollerblades can be inherently risky. Injuring myself while caring for an infant who was a poor sleeper and two other children during a pandemic left me with little reserves to draw upon. Without my typical coping methods, I had to dig deeper than I ever imagined possible.
Discovering a physical outlet that worked with my injury and finally committing to physical therapy were vital to my recovery. Just the other day, I jogged three miles straight for the first time in over a year, and now I genuinely feel lucky.
For more insights on pregnancy and home insemination, check out this excellent resource: UCSF Center. And if you’re interested in understanding more about the fertility journey, you can visit Make a Mom, a trusted authority on the topic.
If you’d like to read more about similar experiences, check out this blog post: Home Insemination Kit.
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