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Hello readers! My name is Molly Cwiek, and I’m the newest FertilityCare Practitioner addition to the Groesbeck FertilityCare Center and patient of Creighton and NaPro Providers. I’ve been working as an FCP since November 2020, and a patient since December 2018. Jenny, Karoline, Natalie, Daria, Anna, Julie, and Jessica have all shared their stories of their separate journeys to NFP and the Creighton Method, so I wanted to share my story as well! The first part of my story is about my journey as a patient.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for women’s health, babies, and the Catholic faith. I was a pretty “normal” kid - I was born and raised in Northern Michigan with my loving parents and sister, went to school, was involved in extracurriculars, worked on the side, received my high school diploma, went off to college…you get the idea. Science was (and still is) my favorite subject - specifically human anatomy and physiology. However, one specific day in science class really stood out among all the others.
I walked into my AP Bio class, took my seat like most days, and got out my notebook and pencil. All of the lights were off and the projector was on…MOVIE DAY! We were in the middle of our human reproduction unit, and my teacher announced that we would be watching the “Conception to Birth” video by Alexander Tsiaras that was recently released on YouTube. Nine minutes later, after watching a baby’s incredible journey from fertilization to delivery, I sat in my chair in complete awe and wonder. Tears poured down my face as I marveled at the majesty and miracle of human life. It was in that moment that I truly felt God calling me to be a part of this miracle of life somehow.
Not too long after, I found myself in the car with my mom, excitedly sharing all of the details about the conception to birth video I had just seen. As a junior in high school, the focus at the time was largely on career aspirations and complimentary further education. I eagerly asked her what I could do that would allow me to be a part of prenatal development and delivery. As the good Catholic mother that she is, she listed off a couple of positions I could have, along with their roles, but she warned me that as a practicing Catholic, I’d have to be careful not to partake in birth control/contraception in any way. That was enough to steer me away at the time. I thought to myself, “that is NOT a battle I want to fight in today’s culture..too stormy of seas to try to voyage through.”
Fast forward a couple of years, I was in college studying to be a Physician Assistant. I was also running Cross Country and Track & Field competitively. I still loved science and the human body, but had decided to focus on Sports Medicine over Obstetrics and Gynecology. To tie it all together, I had been experiencing some stormy seas of my own; for years, I was having quite a bit of abnormal bleeding and intense GI irritability in between menses and after workouts and races, so much to the point that it was interfering with my recovery and daily life. I had seen multiple providers over the years regarding the abnormal bleeding, all of which suggested that this was just “normal because you are an elite runner,” and recommended that I “just take the birth control pill.” More wind and waves to weather. I was convinced that there was something truly wrong though, and I refused to take a pill that would only mask my symptoms. 12 years went by with more concerning bleeding, new provider visits, and still no answers. I was worried about my health and fertility. I absolutely loved kids, but I was worried I wouldn’t be able to have any in the future.
Now I had become quite close with our parish priest at Aquinas College, and he recommended that I go see a Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner for healing. This was around the same time that my mom (who was also convinced that there had to be treatment out there for me other than birth control) had just discovered NaProTECHNOLOGY. I looked into both to learn more and was immediately flooded with hope. How had I not known about these restorative reproductive health modalities sooner? And how was this not the standard of care for all women? I was on a mission to find answers and potentially pursue a career in Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM).
I wasted no time scheduling my first Intro Session and Follow-Up with an FCP, and within two cycles of charting (with abnormal bleeding on full display), my FCP assured me that, indeed, this bleeding was NOT normal - even for runners - and referred me to a NaPro Provider.
Six months later, after diagnostic testing through labs, imaging, dietary and lifestyle changes, and finally, a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy with the NaPro team, I finally had answers. I was diagnosed with and treated for extensive endometriosis and cervical ectropion. What I thought was impossible is now my reality; since surgery, my reproductive health has been restored, and my husband and I have been blessed with our first baby, all thanks to Creighton and NaProTECHNOLOGY!
Stay tuned for My Story Part 2 to learn how I became a FertilityCare Practitioner following this!