All around me this week are endings. A friend has experienced a break up of her relationship. Another friend is putting her dog down tomorrow. And this week is my last writing for this fertility blog. I have learned so much and have met some wonderful people through this forum. It gave me something to do while exploring my infertile times and welcoming my new son into our lives. A dream experience for a work at home mom. And now, there are new things to learn and new things to say. I have no idea if I'm done with infertility, but I am for now in my life and in my career. I'm excited to see where this blog goes and am so… [more]

Marley and Me I just finished listening to John Grogan's book Marley and Me. Most times, I don't enjoy having an author read their own book. Grogan's voice didn't match what I had in my head, so it took me awhile to come around. It is a true story of a dog's lifetime with his owners and all of the adventures that they go through, Marly and Me is a true story that will be familiar to dog owners past and present. My librarian warned me that he wasn't able to finish the book, due to the end that he knew was coming, but I made it through to the end. It made my errand running enjoyable and now I know the difference between which types… [more]

My friend Dawn over at Family Found has written a remarkable post on fertility and insurance. No matter how much research I do on the topic, I couldn't ever say it as well as she did. She has graciously allowed me to reprint it here. Please I am infertile and we have chosen adoption over extensive fertility treatments because of the cost. We currently do not have insurance coverage for fertility treatments and one round of IVF with no guarantee of a pregnancy or live birth can cost w/drugs up to $15,000--that is for one month--imagine having to do 3 or so rounds without any financial assistance. There is a bill that has been introduced called the Family Building Act of 2005 and is being rewritten for the new… [more]

Have you ever hear of Ten on Tuesday? It is a blog that puts up a prompt for each Tuesday and then you complete it and link your post to it. And they have been doing so since 2004. Today the list of ten has to do with bragging about yourself. I completed the list and then thought that this would be a great activity for anyone going through the self abusing minds that infertiles have at times. Or, anyone, for that matter. Here is my list: Time to Brag: 10 Awesome Things About You 1) I love my freckles 2) I love my age 3) I recycle with a passion, especially clothes 4) I am emotionally dependable 5) I am extremely supportive and open minded 6) I cherish my friends and… [more]

While I was trying to conceive I had a feeling of being so out of control of everything. My body was out of control, my mind was out of control. I was out of control. When I felt controlled by everything else besides myself, the only thing that helped was to take control of something. Anything that I could steer an outcome towards. Something that I could set my mind to and finish. Even if it was something tiny like doing the dishes, it was worth it to feel accomplished at something. I get a newsletter from Get Organized Now! by Marcia Gracia. The most recent issue had an article about getting certain things organized within 10 minutes. Here are some of her tips: 1. Weed… [more]

I have just finished reading an article about the nutrition status of United States women in regards to folate. Folate definition from pdr health. The term folate is used in two different ways. Folate, a member of the B-vitamin family, is a collective term for a number of chemical forms which are structurally related and which have similar biological activity to folic acid. Folate is also the term which is used for the anionic form of folic acid. Folic acid or pteroylglutamic acid (PGA) is comprised of para-aminobenzoic acid linked at one end to a pteridine ring and at the other end to glutamic acid. The pteridine-para-aminobenzoic acid portion of the molecule is called the pteroyl group. Folic acid is a synthetic folate form which is used for food fortification and… [more]

Persistence Paid Off For Paralyzed Dad Miami Project Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago I have heard of procedures to help retain the sperm of paralyzed men in episodes of Law and Order and also on shows like ER. But I began wondering how true any of these series were. What options are there for paralyzed men and their families? How closely did these shows resemble what is available in real life? I found the article, "Persistence Paid Off For Paralyzed Dad" on HappyNews.com, which, as you know, is one of my favorite sites to get info off of. The other links at the top of this post are also provided by the original article. The article narrates the fertility success of a couple named The Luthers. Geoff had… [more]

Once again, another study that reminds me that physicians are normal people. In this article titled, Doctor's Often Don't Fess Up to Errors we see where even doctor's are people too. I am lucky in the fact that the doctor's in my life are also people that I feel a companionship with or have worked hard to build a dialog with. Except for one emergency room doctor who changed the face of it all and made me realize how important developing a mutual bond with your doctor is. The only time that I have had medical complications and I believe, medical errors are with an emergency room procedure with a physician that I didn't know, but had been warned about. At the time, I had no choice but… [more]

After I had my first miscarriage and the subsequent comedy of errors that went along with it, I couldn't find any solace. Until, through the kindness of a client and interim pastor, I found a novel that took me away from it all. Far, far away. Which is where I wanted to be. And where I wanted to stay. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet was my ticket outa there and I seized it like Charlie with his golden ticket. At one point, I remember that Chris spoke to me from a couch length away and I was startled back into my reality. It had been forever since I had gotten so immersed in a book, the narrative and descriptions so captivating that… [more]

I mentioned last week that I am changing birth control this month. But the landscape keeps changing and I'm glad that there are options to hopefully work for all of us when we need birth control. While trying to get pregnant, I kept thinking about all of the money and all of the years wasted on birth control. But honestly, I think that I would have made the same choices over again. Birth control provided me with a peace of mind that I needed to grow into the person that I am today. If I would have added in the anxiety of wondering if I was pregnant when I wasn't trying to become a mom, I wonder if that growth would have occured. There will now… [more]