A Best Friend's Gift of Love

by Rae Sells, Guest blogger

Amy and Rae never dreamed where their
friendship would take them. (Picture from last fall)

The journey of our friendship began in 1999.  I was living with my best friend Leslie in the apartment complex where I would meet my soon-to-be husband.  I was in my long hippie skirt and quite the delinquent when I met Amy.  Jon and I had just started dating the first time I was introduced to his best friend Charlie's wife.  It is safe to say that we both judged each other immediately.  We were opposites in almost every way.  She was small, blonde, with perfect hair and makeup, and fashionably dressed.  I probably had on a tie-dyed t-shirt that hadn’t been washed in weeks and I smelled like incense.  She was a newlywed and I was, unequivocally, a hoodlum.  When we were introduced we said about three words to each other and then I retreated back to my apartment.  If you would have told us on that day where our friendship would be 15 years later we would have both laughed in your face and told you to take your meds.  Not going to happen.  Fast forward one year and she was fastening a string of pearls on my neck as I prepared to say “I do” to my husband. 

They've made lots of fun memories in the last 17 years!
This picture was taken about 3 weeks before Seth 's birth.

As I grew up and matured our friendship deepened and we really got to know each other.  We found out that we had more in common than we originally thought.  When it came time to start thinking about having kids our relationship grew even more.  We both desperately wanted to be mothers.  We talked about it constantly.  I was just about to graduate from college in 2005 when Amy told me that she was pregnant.  We were both ecstatic.  It consumed us in the most magical way possible.  Baby names and breastfeeding was the topic of conversation on most days.  We thought about decorating nurseries and talked about what we thought being a mom was going to be like.

 On the day before graduation, as we were having a party at the house, I got a call from Charlie.  He asked to speak to Jon, but I knew something was wrong.  I refused to give the phone to Jon until he told me what was wrong.  They were in the ER and Amy had lost the baby.  I remember sitting in our tiny bathroom and crying until I could get myself together and rejoin the party.  The next day though, there she was.  Sitting with my family and watching me walk across the stage to get my diploma.  I told her that she didn’t need to come, but she wouldn’t hear of it.  As much as she was hurting, she wanted to be there for me.  I thought that I knew her well, but on that day I learned much more about her heart than I ever could have learned in happier circumstances. 

Amy and Hannah in January, 2007.

About nine months later we learned that her daughter Hannah was on the way.  We were once again ecstatic and consumed with all things baby.  I started infertility treatments, and one week before Hannah made her appearance in November of 2006 I finally got those two lines on a pregnancy test.  Amy and I were both huge breastfeeding advocates and nursing our babies was extremely important to us.  When Ella was born my milk supply was horrible because of my PCOS and more than once she listened to me cry hysterically because Ella was losing weight and I couldn’t nurse her exclusively.

 In 2009 we decided to add to our family and we began infertility treatments again.  Things proved to be even more difficult this time around and it would be 2 ½ years before we would finally be pregnant again.  I cannot tell you how she was there for me during this time.  We cried together, prayed together, and she was just as excited as I was when we found our Charlotte Leigh was on her way.  I had joked that she needed to get pregnant again so we could be pregnant together and our youngest kids could be close in age.  In September 2012 I got a call from her and she said, “Well…..it looks like you’re going to get your wish.”  She was pregnant with her fourth and our babies would only be about five months apart.

A few weeks before Amy delivered Seth.

I will say that I already knew how strong and how amazing Amy was, but what would occur over the next several months would only deepen my love and respect for her.  At her gender ultrasound Amy found that she was carrying a boy, but that there were several complications.  The day after Christmas Amy and Charlie found out that their son had Trisomy 18, a condition that is considered “incompatible with life.” Amy made the decision that she would carry Seth as long as the Lord allowed.  The next few months were a blur.  We cried and we talked and we cried some more.  I watched this amazing woman handle the unimaginable with such grace and faith.  She was in pain, both emotionally and physically.  During this time I was trying my best to nurse Charleigh, but was having a lot of issues once again.  I was not making enough milk to nurse her exclusively and had to supplement.  I used formula and was fortunate enough to have a friend, Alyssa, who donated milk and would ship it to me all the way from Texas. 

On May 2, 2013, I was in the room with Amy and Charlie when sweet, tiny Seth was born sleeping.  I think there are days in our life that our so seared into our memory that we see it almost as pictures when we look back.  That day is one of those.  I was able to have some time with Amy that day while she labored, and we were able to even have a couple of moments where we laughed together.  As Truvy said in Steel Magnolias, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”  There are two moments, in particular, of that day that I will never forget.  The first is watching Charlie bounce and rock Seth in his arms as the doctor cleaned Amy up.  And the second is the sound that Amy made right after Seth was born when her mom came to embrace her.  If I never hear that sound again for the rest of my life that will be just fine.The whole day there was such a sense of calm and grace in that room…..I have never experienced anything like it.  If there was ever a case of “peace that surpasses all understanding” then this was it.  I have never lost a child so I could never fathom the pain that Amy and Charlie have gone through, but the greatest pain I have ever felt was watching someone that I love so fully go through this. 

Amy was gifted a rental of a hospital grade pump from A Nurturing Moment to help ease her discomfort of her milk coming in and to relieve engorgement.  When she started to pump she called me and, in true Amy fashion, showed me the depths of her friendship and love for me.  She wanted me to have Seth’s milk to help in supplementing Charleigh.  She knew how important it was to me that Charleigh have as much breastmilk as possible.  So in the time of her greatest pain she, once again, thought of me.  The night she gave me all the milk she had pumped we stood in her kitchen and cried. 

From left: Charleigh, Ella (Rae's children),
Hannah, Mason and Levi (Amy's children).

Breastfeeding and breastfeeding advocacy has brought so many amazing women into my life.  And my own struggles with breastfeeding have made me more sensitive and empathetic when other women experience similar problems.  The most important lesson that breastfeeding my girls taught me is that sometimes love means sacrifice.  Actually, I think MOST of the time love means sacrifice.  But when you love someone so much, that sacrifice is worth it.  I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate that the perky blonde I met nearly 17 years ago stuck with me long enough for me to grow up and be worthy of her amazing friendship.  Her love and selflessness have never gone unnoticed. 

Rae Sells is a breastfeeding advocate, homeschooling mama and busy wife. She runs a small embroidery and monogramming business in her spare time. It is especially fitting that this is published on International Women's Day because it is the perfect way to honor one of her favorite women!

A New Scam Has Hit Huntsville

Huntsville Utilities downtown office - if in doubt about a bill,
go straight to this office...not some other payment location!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC

I got scammed out of $400 yesterday. I'm embarrassed. I feel stupid. I cried with anger, frustration and hurt when I realized what I had done. Our culture at ANM is to serve and give, so it grieves my spirit deeply that I allowed this to happen to me. But I really want to make sure that YOU don't fall for this!

The Call

At about 11:10 yesterday I received a phone call purportedly from Huntsville Utilities saying they were in route to cut off my power. I told them I had just paid my bill, and it wasn't late. They said that they had sent 3 notices about my account being tagged because I was late on payments twice last year, so they were requiring a $500 deposit. I responded that I hadn't received anything at all from them about this; I was really upset by this point. So the caller said he was transferring me to his supervisor.

A few seconds later "Jason Williams" got on the line and said that he was indeed the supervisor in charge of my account. He had signed off on three letters to me, and because I hadn't responded, I was scheduled for cutoff at noon. I told him there was no way I could leave the store to pay in time, and asked if I couldn't just do it online. He replied that online payments take 24 hours to process, so I had to make an immediate cash payment. 

I was starting to panic at this point. I knew I had to go to the hospital for my Monday afternoon shift later in the day and didn't want the store to be without power. I didn't remember being late with payments, but since I pay online I thought maybe they had been credited late or something. It was awful! In response to my distress, Jason said that he would delay the cutoff until 12:30, but couldn't delay any longer. He also reduced the amount to $400, but insisted I had to go pay it so that I would have a reference number to give the cutoff crew when they showed up. (after I paid, he said he was calling them off)

These crooks want to take advantage of Huntsville!

He told me the nearest place to pay was the CVS on Whitesburg. He told me to go in and pick up the red phone then call him back so he could give me my meter number. I locked the store, put a sign on the window and ran to the bank to get the cash, then headed to CVS. I actually thought about just going straight to the Utility office, but was concerned that might take too long, and I had to get back to the store.

The Red Flags

Huntville Utilities will never ask for a Moneygram

If I hadn't been is such a state of panic, I would have seen the bright red flags at every turn. But that is part of their game...they get you into a panic. I have heard and seen reports of scams and wondered how in the world people could possibly fall for them...now I know...the caller plays on your emotions, and in this case, my concern for my business. In fact, I suspect that this scam may be directed at small business owners.

When I pulled up at CVS, I thought it was odd that there wasn't a sign saying this is a place to pay Huntsville Utilities. But I wasn't thinking clearly because I was just so relieved that I was getting my payment in before cut-off time. The red phone was a Moneygram phone. If I had been thinking right, I would have know right away that I was being scammed. But I was so confused about everything. When I called Jason back, the number answered just like Huntsville Utilities. They had pretty much copied the Huntsville Utilities phone message. 

The next red flag should have been when he said Rushcard. At first I just thought that meant the payment was being rushed. After I made the payment Jason told me it would be credited back to my account in 6 months after I had clear payment history. He further told me that he was now my contact at Huntsville Utilities, so any time I have a question, I should just call him. 

The Sickening Realization

If somebody asks you to go find the
red phone, STOP and call police!

It wasn't until about 3 hours later that I realized I had been scammed. I looked up the Huntsville Utilities number (sure enough, it wasn't the number "Jason" had given me) and called them only to find out that I had been taken for a ride. The kind representative at Huntsville Utilities told me to file a police report, so I headed to the police station where I sobbed my way through my report. I'm sure the officer who took my report probably thought I was a nutcase, but he was very understanding and responded that this was a new twist on an old scam. He even made me feel better by saying he understood how I fell for it.

I want to get the word out immediately to every media outlet in the Huntsville Utilities service area because I don't want anyone else to get scammed like I did! Please share this blog with every small business owner you know. These crooks have obviously purchased an 800 number that as of today is still functional and answering as Huntsville Utilities, 800-345-0597. So they are trying to take advantage of us here in Huntsville. HELP STOP THEM NOW!!!!

Breaking Down the Zika Virus for New and Expectant Parents

by Daniel Keith, guest blogger

There is a lot of talk in the news about the Zika virus, and everyone is chiming in including doctors, scientists, and even the Pope. There are different news articles that say it is a pandemic, and there are articles that say it’s no big deal.  I have put together some research to share with you about this virus, and what it means for you today in 2016 as new or expectant parents. If you want to skip the science and data part I completely understand, but go ahead and scroll down to the end of the article where you will find my recommendations in bold. 

Aedes aegypti mosquito

Zika Background

The Zika virus is from the Flaviviridae family and the Flavivirus genus. It is primarily carried and transmitted by the Aedes aegypti as known as the Yellow Fever Mosquito which lives in tropical and sub tropical climates around the world. This includes areas of the southeastern United States especially near the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic areas. The virus typically includes symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes according to the CDC. Zika is considered a short term virus that your body will create antibodies for and develop immunities to within days, but it may take up to a week or two in some cases. It is also mentioned that there is currently no vaccine for humans, although there have been reports of a vaccine that is still in developmental stages. 

Zika as an STD

 It has also been confirmed that the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted. In Interim Guidelines for Preventionof Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus — United States, 2016 on the CDC’s website the article sites three cases of the Zika virus being transmitted by a male having sex with a female. Currently it is not known if a female can pass it to a male. The disconcerting part of this article is the fact that it is unkown how long the Zika virus can survive in a male's sperm. The case they have looked at confirmed that a strand of Zika virus survived for at least 10 weeks in a male’s sperm. This means if a male has visited an area that is affected by the Zika virus, as a precaution, he should abstain from sexual contact or use a condom. It is recommended that these precautions be taken until further research is done on how long the virus is considered a risk to pass via sexual contact.

Zika Complications in Infants

 A significant issue with the Zika virus is microcephaly, and its link with women who have contracted the Zika virus during or right before pregnancy. Most of the information you will hear about this comes from this article published in 2015 PossibleAssociation Between Zika Virus Infection and Microcephaly — Brazil, 2015 which can also be found on the CDC’s website. There are several important points that you need to be aware of in this article. First is that it is an incredibly small sample size. There were only 35 infants included in the study. All of the mothers had either lived in or visited Zika virus affected areas during or right before their pregnancy. 74% of the mothers experienced a rash like disease during their pregnancy, and of these 35 infants 71% of them were diagnosed with severe micocephaly. It also mentions that 27 of the infants had  neuroimaging studies, and all 27 were abnormal.

Now we need to be very careful with this raw data. The sample size is very small, and correlation does not mean causation. There are numerous factors that could not be controlled for such as diets, pollution, and other externalities that could be considered factors. That being said, it is alarming that there is a high correlation between the two. The bottom line here is that more research has to be done, and in the meantime precautions should be taken if plans are made to go to a Zika virus affected area. There are other viruses for which we routinely vaccinate in the US that are also linked to microcephaly such as herpes simplex virus and rubella virus during pregnancy.

Current Map of Zika Virus Affected Areas

What if you have a baby that you are breastfeeding, and then you contract the Zika virus? According to the CDC, although evidence of the virus can been seen in breast milk, there is no documented case of passing the virus through breast milk to a nursing baby. The CDC recommends that it is better to continue breast feeding, because there is not a significant risk of passing the virus through breast milk. They state that the benefits of breast feeding far outweigh any “theoretical” risk of passing the virus to an infant or nursing baby.

           

If you don’t read anything else in this article make sure to read these points.

 The Zika Virus is an STD, and we do not know the amount of time that is considered “safe” for sexual contact after contraction.   

Recommendation: Abstain from sex or use a condom if you or your partner has been to an area affected by the Zika virus.  

There is a possible link between microcephaly in infants and pregnant mothers who were suspected of contracting the virus. This needs more research, but is alarming.   

Recommendation: If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant contact your healthcare provider if you or your partner has been to a Zika virus affected area.   

Although Zeka RNA has been isolated in breastmilk, there appears to be no danger whatsoever to breastfeeding infants.

Recommendation: If you are a nursing mother, and you contract the Zika virus you should continue nursing.

Daniel Keith is the creative mind and force behind Coconut designs and the Danny Coconut brand. 

Sources:

1.      Zika Virus General Information:

·         http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

2.      Guidelines for STD transmission of the Zika Virus:

·         http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm

3.      Microcephaly and the Zika Virus:

·         http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6503e2.htm

4.      Breast Feeding and the Zika Virus:

·         http://www.cdc.gov/zika/hc-providers/qa-pediatrician.html

Plentiful Produce Is Coming to ANM!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
About a year and a half ago I learned about an amazing local coop called Plentiful Produce. Every Saturday morning for about $23 ($20 + tax and CC fee) you can pick up a basket full of delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables.  A weekly offering might include a box of luscious strawberries, a head or two of Romaine lettuce, several onions, a bag of carrots, several oranges and apples, several sweet potatoes and a cantalope. Your share varies every week, and it's always a fun surprise! One week you might get Kale, the next Spinach. I have learned to cook Brussels Sprouts and found some amazing asparagus recipes. We eat a lot more guacamole than we did and especially love it when we have both limes and avocado the same week!

Recently the South Huntsville pick-up site closed, and we were blessed to be able to step in and become a Plentiful Produce pick up site! Every Saturday morning we will have a team of volunteers here at 11:00 sorting and grouping fruits and veggies for customers who have pre-ordered a basket. Then from 12 - 12:30 the baskets will be available for pick-up. If it's pretty outside, we will do pick up right on the sidewalk in front of the store. But if it's a yucky day, it will be inside. So don't be surprised if you come for Mommy Milk Meet-up or a Cloth Diapering 101 Class only to find a team of volunteers down the middle of the store busily working!

If you love the idea of feeding your family more fresh fruits and veggies, sign up by 10:00 am tomorrow morning here. There are two other pickup sites as well, one in Madison and one in Huntsville on University Drive just east of the Parkway. When you come on Saturday to pick up your produce, it's a good idea to have some reusable shopping bags to put everything in. We're excited that we are able to host Plentiful Produce right here at ANM because we know that our customers will love how convenient it is to get your fruits and veggies here, too!

This Simple Test May Have Saved My Life

by Heather Fair, Guest Blogger

Every day we, as parents, try to prevent our children from getting sick. We research, ask questions, and seek educated opinions because our children's health and well-being matters. Well, Mamas, we matter too; we need to be doing the same for ourselves. Anyone who has flown in a plane knows that to be of service to others you have to take care of yourself first. That is how I view genetic testing. It is a means of ensuring the best chance humanly possible that you will be on hand for every milestone in your child's life. I did my genetic testing for my children, my husband, and myself. I did this for my family, for all of us.

 As an adolescent, I watched helplessly as my mother went through a rather aggressive pre-menopausal breast cancer when she was just a little older than I am now. It was awful. It put her and our family through so much, and sadly my only available course of prevention for years was routine monitoring and praying that I would never have to repeat that scenario with my own family.

  I am getting a head start that so many more people deserve and have available to them but may not know about. I say let's get the word out.

Well, I "lucked" out. While nursing my third child, I developed mastitis (That's not the lucky bit. LOL) and was told by a breast doctor that I would need to have my mother genetically screened for hereditary gene mutation since she had already had cancer. In my particular situation, this was not a viable option. I could, however, have the screening myself. Nevertheless, insurance wouldn’t cover it, and the cost was in the range of $4000-5000 out of pocket. 

The "luck" came after some research when I read of an initiative set in motion by Hudson Alpha here in our very own Research Park to provide breast cancer gene screenings for $99, $199 or even free depending on age, gender and location. WOW!! I was able to register for my kit the very first day it became available. It was so straightforward. They mailed me a cheek swab kit with super simple instructions (Think crime show cheek swab easy.) which I followed and then mailed back. Couldn't have been easier. They later contacted me with my results. I quickly found that in cases like mine where a mutation is found, they even had some local resources to suggest. By this point, I was far beyond luck and undeniably into pure blessing! 

This simple kit can provide you with
important genetic information 

I've now known what mutation I have for a little over two weeks, and I am already well on my way to my personal path of prevention: One made for me, by me and specifically tailored to me with the help of so many wonderful professionals ON MY TERMS without the stress of a crisis situation. I am getting a head start that so many more people deserve and have available to them but may not know about. I say let's get the word out. This isn’t the only program of its kind; it was just the best one for me.

I would encourage anyone with a family history of cancer to look into this program or one similar to it for affordable testing. Advocate for yourself like you would your children. Be fierce and go for it. Knowledge is power, and for me, that statement has never been truer than now!