Recent Reads

Been doing lots of reading myself lately. Two notable books:

Hope Heals, by Katherine and Jay Wolf
Beautiful true story of how Katherine and Jay and their family survived a stroke that should have left Katherine dead, rebuilt their life, and learned to trust God fully as an anchor for the soul even in times of suffering and desperation.

Sweetening the Pill: Or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control, by Holly Grigg-Spall
This book has been on my list for a while. I have lots of thoughts/opinions about birth control and this was an interesting read by a woman I likely have nothing in common with except our desire to not use the Pill (including the ring, patch, implant, Depo-Provera, and Mirena). My favorite quote: "Neither pregnancy nor fertility should be viewed as an illness that requires treatment with pharmaceuticals or surgery" (p. 74). The author made this point over and over again. Why do millions of healthy women take a Pill every day for 20+ years of their life, a Pill that impacts every part of your body (not just your reproductive system)? Hormones are not bad. Cycles are not bad. I don't think Ms Grigg-Spall shares my spiritual views, but as a Christian I know that my body is working just as God designed it. Fertility is not a disease and there are plenty of non-hormonal birth control options that most doctors do not offer as options to their patients, they just push the Pill because that is what you do. IUDs (copper and Mirena) cause a constant state of inflammation in the body. And the Pill can have some very serious side effects. I think women are often afraid to discuss these because they think "everyone takes it and I'm the only one who has this problem." The author also touched on the use of the Pill to treat all kinds of "female problems" like acne, heavy periods, irregular periods, etc, and how using the Pill only covers up the problem instead of actually treating it. A woman's cycle is a primary window into her whole body health. Tricking your body with fake periods and a fake hormone cycle can cover up health--and especially fertility--problems. Overall, there was plenty in this book I disagreed with, but plenty of food for thought mixed in.