Sunday, March 2, 2008

Letter to My Body

As requested by Mel and as part of this campaign, I have written a letter to my body below.

Dear Body,

We've been together a long time now. For the most part you've been good to me. You gave me years of flexibility, strength and energy. I've returned your loyalty by treating you to exercise and food. I'll admit I haven't always made the best choices at times, but for the most part, you and I have gotten along well. Looking back, I'm quite amazed at your healing abilities. You healed from countless strains and sprains over the years. Fought off viruses, infections and everything else the world threw at you.

In the last 10 years, you have started to show your age a bit. Muscles and joints have become more stiff and less flexible. You are prone to injury more easily and I have to be more gentle with you. Your neck in particular has had a rough time with all the bumps and jolts from our earlier gymnastics and skiing adventures. I promise that once we are not focused on reproduction anymore, I will get some help for your neck and try to get to the root of the problem. But reproduction must come first because your time for that is limited.

Let's talk about your reproductive system. During the last two years, you have become a bit of a stranger to me. I feel like I no longer know you. I can't predict what you will or won't do anymore. Sometimes I feel like you are being passive aggressive by holding back your normal reproductive functioning, without revealing why. It is a big puzzle and you continue to trick me and all the doctors into thinking you are perfectly healthy. But there is obviously something wrong.

Ovaries: Thank you for so diligently doing your job all of these months. You have been very responsible and reliable and I really appreciate that. I think we got the pick of the litter when it comes to you. I know many other woman whose ovaries are not nearly as cooperative. Sometimes you do get a little over-excited though when I give you certain medications. I know it is asking a lot of you to produce so many follicles at one time. I am grateful for your cooperation and will try to be more careful if I ever need to stimulate you again. I wish I could tell if the eggs you are producing are capable of doing what they're meant to do.

Uterus: Are you still there? You've been awfully quiet lately and I think you might be mad at me. Was it something I said or did? Are you mad about those 13 years of birth control pills? Are you still healing from all of the drugs I've forced upon you over the last year? You don't seem to feel like working on growing a healthy lining lately. In fact, you've become quite lazy and I really need your help with that. Are you tired of the poking and prodding or do you actually like getting visits from the dildo cam a couple of times a week just so we can see if you got motivated to grow a lining recently? I assume you want to fulfill your purpose in life? If you want to prove yourself worthy, you'd better shape up soon and start growing a nice, cushy, triple stripe lining. Be a team player.

Cervix: You have endured many years of swabbing and I've come to rely on you for normal results. I love this about you. For awhile, doctors thought I had two of you, but turns out you are by yourself in there. But there is a fold of tissue nearby that is keeping you company. I'm sorry about all the trouble I've caused you in the past year and a half. I know you weren't expecting so many catheters to be forced past you. I wish that you were a bit more straight-laced and not so curvy to make this easier, but you are exactly how you were created and that isn't your fault. The doctor often has trouble getting a catheter to pass through you, so the best thing you can do in the future is to try and relax. I will give you Val.ium to help with that because it is easier said than done.

Body, if we could just get past this issue we are having with getting pregnant, I think we can live a long and happy life together.

Love,

Me

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this letter. Honest, and funny, and so sincere. I hope your body appreciates it.

Paula Keller said...

I LOVE this. It's a guts post. I might do one too, someday when I'm feelin' gutsy.

I hope your uterus cooperates soon. :)

annacyclopedia said...

What a beautiful letter - so loving and honest.

Rhonda said...

your letter brings me to tears, honest and sincere. i now have to close my office door. hugs to you

Optimistic said...

I love your letter!