Before 2011, a typical six-month time span didn’t involve many life-altering situations or events for me. But that all changed when I hit what I now call my six-month hiatus.

The first part was bliss. I spent it celebrating the joys of a new husband, whom I married on June 18, 2011. We moved in together, blended our families and shared the news that we were pregnant. We relished and soaked up the unrelenting highs.

But on...