Thursday, January 25, 2018

'SUN Day, Fun Day' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "SUN Day, Fun Day"
  • It's August 21st, and the Bates are gearing up for the solar eclipse. Knoxville is set to experience near-totality.
  • In preparation for their solar eclipse party, Kelly makes sure to inform the kids how dangerous it is to look at the eclipsed sun without eclipse glasses. “There’s just no way you can have a party without Mom giving a lesson on what you should not do,” says Addallee.
  • Then, Brandon gives a quick science lesson so the kids understand what they will be seeing. Everyone piles in the car to drive over to the home of one of Erin’s friends, who has a pool. She and her husband also have a snow cone machine and a cotton candy machine. “That was like the perfect recipe for party and mess,” says Kelly.
  • “I think it’s tough for anybody to just invite the whole mob over,” says Lawson. “That’s a very gracious thing to do, but once we show up and then the reality sets in, it goes from nice and calm to similar to a zoo with no fences or cages.”
  • The couple also has a giant inflatable slide, which even enjoys, even Gil and Kelly Jo. Zach has to work, but Whitney brings Bradley and Kaci Lynn over to take part in the fun.
  • When the eclipse beings, everyone grabs their glasses and looks up at the sun, amazed. “I think some people were like over the top excited, and Brandon was definitely one of those people,” says Erin. “He had his camera the whole time, trying to take pictures. It was really cute.”
  • As the sun disappears, the temperature drops, and the wind dies down. “When all those crickets and frogs started going off, I said, ‘This is a little creepy right here,’” says Lawson.
  • “It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, and we saw a couple stars in the sky,” says Katie. 
  • Everyone agrees that the eclipse was an unforgettable event. Now that it is done and over with, Michael and Brandon turn their attention to their appointment with Dr. Vick, the Bates’ OB/GYN. “This is the last thing we’re going to do, and then take a break,” Michael tells Erin. “I think there’s a little bit of hope but also a lot of nervousness, too,” says Kelly.
  • At the appointment, Dr. Vick performs a hysterosalpingogram, a diagnostic procedure to determine if there is a tubal blockage that could be hindering pregnancy. So far, Michael and Brandon have both had exams, but doctors have not found any reason why a pregnancy would not work. It has been determined that Michael has been hyper-ovulating.
  • Through the procedure, a bit of a blockage is able to be cleared, and Dr. Vick concludes that at least one of Michael’s tubes is now open. He instructs her to wait three cycles before discussing potential surgery.
  • “Each step has been a blessing and seeing God direct and open doors and just make a way possible,” says Michael. “When I’m having a really hard time…just focusing on all of the positives, to try and think of all the benefits from it. At the top of the list would just be how much closer we’ve gotten to each other. It has a beautiful side, too.”
  • “It’s been quite a journey, but I’m so proud of Michael,” says Brandon. “She’s been a trooper through it all.

21 comments:

  1. Would anyone with some medical knowledge be able to explain Michael’s condition to me more fully? I’m just curious about it! If she is hyper-ovulating, wouldn’t that make her more likely to get pregnant, not less? I wasn’t able to watch the episode, but I’m curious what they discovered. The recap makes it sound like one of her tubes had an obstruction, which maybe prevented eggs from reaching the uterus? Sorry if this post is ignorant! I would love to more fully understand what their issue is.

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    1. Hyper ovulation is what causes fraternal twins, or even triplets, however, if her tubes were blocked that would prevent her from ovulating. Since they were able to unblock at least one tube, hopefully she'll be able to conceive soon. Twins would be an incredible blessing since they've had to go through this😍

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    2. I am a doctor, although I do not specialise in infertility. "hyperovulating" is just a term for more than one egg capable of being fertilised. It is not anything wrong. I'll be honest -- when I did my rotation in the infertility clinic, the staff docs did so many tests because it made the patients feel better psychologically. Yes, the occasional couple is truly infertile, but 99% of the time, it is just being stressed out. Yes, there can be thyroid problems or polycystic ovarian syndrome, but that is rare. That's why so many families have stories about 'oh the doctor said we can't have children and now I do!' or 'oh the doctor said we can't have children and then we adopted & then we were pregnant right away' etc. My own cousin claims the doctor told them they couldn't ever have a baby so they did in vitro & a yr after their twins were born, his wife was pregnant 'naturally'. So, honestly, most couples just need to relax and have fun together and it will come, maybe just not in the exact time they wanted. And, in case you think I had an easy life, no I have not. I had one baby at age 40 yrs. So I'm not being mean, just offering some perspective to all women who want to have a baby -- stay calm, enjoy life, don't let it overwhelm you.

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  2. With Michael hyperovulating, what a blessing twins or even triplets would be. Instant family all at once... hopefully that can be their reward after all this heartache.

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    1. Children aren't a reward! They're their own persons...

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    2. Actually the Bible states that the fruit of the womb (that would be childre) are a reward. That has nothing to do with a child being his or her own person.

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    3. Oops, that should have been children, not childre. :)

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  3. i had that exact same test done that michaela had! they found what they called a 'folicle' and said they'd monitor it and if it got any bigger, they'd remove it. 7 months later they did, by emergency c-section! 7lbs 2oz and he's 26 now!

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  4. I had one tube surgically removed due to a ectopic pregnancy that ruptured and since have had two beautiful children, true blessings from God. When it seemed doctors said there wasn't a very good chance of having children, God said otherwise! Praying for you two!

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  5. My husband and I tried to conceive for nearly a year and a half after we were married, with no success. I had a very similar procedure to what Michael had where they ran dye through my fallopian tubes to make sure there were no blockages there, and two months later I was able to conceive. The doctor was amazed, saying that most women don't conceive so soon after, but we know that God has given us a miracle child. Praying for Michael and Brandon to be abundantly blessed!

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  6. My husband and I started trying for a baby a couple months after Michaela got married. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility so I definitely feel for them. But because they found something it likely can be fixed, I'll keep hoping for them!

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  7. My goodness, why was Carlin screaming during the eclipse? All the others were talking about how quiet it got and then Carlin screams. Why? Perhaps a little too much drama.

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  8. I haven't seen this episode yet, but reading this recap makes me question the doctor Michael has been seeing all this time. I've been seeing a fertility specialist for almost a year, and the test Michael had is the FIRST one my doctor did. Checking to make sure the tubes are open is one of the most basic tests, so why did her doctor not do it in the very beginning? Maybe the expense prevented it or there were other things going on that we're not hearing about, but I'm so surprised it wasn't done earlier. Either way, if Michael and Brandon are meant to have biological children, it will happen when it's supposed to. Best of luck to them!

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    1. Lindsay- Yes, I remember that being one of the first tests I had and that was 25 years ago. It not only picked up blocked tubes, but also a large uterine fibroid. A subsequent surgery found many fibroids on the outside of the tubes, as well as extensive endometreosis adhesions, completely obstructing them. While it has many miserable symptoms and can affect mutliple organs, endometreosis can only be correctly diagnosed through surgery. The surgeon removed as much as he could, along with some of the fibroids, but I never was able to conceive. We went on to adopt two children and consider ourselves to be very fortunate to have things work out the way they did. We wouldn't trade our kids for anything!

      "Not flesh of my flesh
      Nor bone of my bone,
      But still miraculously my own.
      Never forget for a single minute,
      You didn't grow under my heart
      But in it."
      -Fleur Conkling Heyliger

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    2. Same, its the first test I do with my patients.. But everyone's different

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  9. Hyper ovulation can come from many different causes including genetics, ceasing birth control, using natural home remedies and also medical conditions such as PCOS. A blockage is separate and can come from PID (most common) or endometriosis. If you have a blocked tube eggs can't get to sperm and vice versa (or there is a reduced chance). With a clear tube, hopefully she will get pregnant. There is a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy bc she had to have it cleared. Hopefully she won't have to have anymore surgeries.

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    1. What’s ectopic pregnancy?

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    2. 2:20, a pregnancy outside the uterus

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    3. It is when a fertilized egg attached itself in the tube vs the uterus. When it grows it can explode the tube. These are not generally viable babies. Women experience a lot of side pain when this happens. Doctors usually have to go in surgically.

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  10. Michael,

    I have quietly followed your challenges ... am sure you receive a gabillion emails ... I never type comments.

    However,as tired as I am ... will type this time.

    You are so rich in spirit to travel home, step up to the plate, so mum can heal while dealing with unexpected surgery challenges. What an example you are to the women of this world!

    Rest your soul ... be at peace with fertility. Please ... you are tender hearted, do not twist yourself into a ball of unrelenting anxiety. What will be, will be. There are many ways to be a mum and experience motherhood ....

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  11. Does anyone know the brand of swimdress Erin was wearing at the pool?

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