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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A letter I found

So, as I was searching some infertility support websites, I ran across this letter and I really felt like I needed to share it. I'm not sure who the original author was, because the girl that posted it had found it somewhere. Although, not everything in this letter directly relates to exactly what I'm going through, much of it hits the nail right on the head.


Shared Journey – A Letter to Family and Friends
Dear Family and Friends,

I want to share my feelings about infertility with you, because I want you to understand my struggle. I know that understanding infertility is difficult; there are times when it seems even I don't understand. This struggle has provoked intense and unfamiliar feelings in me and I fear that my reactions to these feelings might be misunderstood. I hope my ability to cope and your ability to understand will improve as I share my feelings with you. I want you to understand.

You may describe me this way: obsessed, moody, helpless, depressed, envious, too serious, obnoxious, aggressive, antagonistic, and cynical. These aren't very admirable traits; no wonder your understanding of my infertility is difficult. I prefer to describe myself this way: confused, rushed and impatient, afraid, isolated and alone, guilty and ashamed, angry, sad and hopeless, and unsettled.

My infertility makes me feel confused. I always assumed I was fertile. I've spent years avoiding pregnancy and now it seems ironic that I can't conceive. I hope this will be a brief difficulty with a simple solution such as poor timing. I feel confused about whether I want to be pregnant or whether I want to be a parent. Surely if I try harder, try longer, try better and smarter, I will have a baby.

My infertility makes me feel rushed and impatient. I learned of my infertility only after I'd been trying to become pregnant for some time. My life-plan suddenly is behind schedule. I waited to become a parent and now I must wait again. I wait for medical appointments, wait for tests, wait for treatments, wait for other treatments, wait for my period not to come, wait for my partner not to be out of town and wait for pregnancy. At best, I have only twelve opportunities each year. How old will I be when I finish having my family?

My infertility makes me feel afraid. Infertility is full of unknowns, and I'm frightened because I need some definite answers. How long will this last? What if I'm never a parent? What humiliation must I endure? What pain must I suffer? Why do drugs I take to help me, make me feel worse? Why can't my body do the things that my mind wants it to do? Why do I hurt so much? I'm afraid of my feelings, afraid of my undependable body and afraid of my future.

My infertility makes me feel isolated and alone. Reminders of babies are everywhere. I must be the only one enduring this invisible curse. I stay away from others, because everything makes me hurt. No one knows how horrible my pain is. Even though I'm usually a clear thinker, I find myself being lured by superstitions and promises. I think I'm losing perspective. I feel so alone and I wonder if I'll survive this.

My infertility makes me feel guilty and ashamed. Frequently I forget that infertility is a medical problem and should be treated as one. Infertility destroys my self esteem and I feel like a failure. Why am I being punished? What did I do to deserve this? Am I not worthy of a baby? Will my partner want to remain with me? Is this the end of my family lineage? Will my family be ashamed of me? It is easy to lose self-confidence and to feel ashamed.

My infertility makes me feel angry. Everything makes me angry, and I know much of my anger is misdirected. I'm angry at my body because it has betrayed me even though I've always taken care of it. I'm angry at my partner because we can't seem to feel the same about infertility at the same time. I want and need an advocate to help me. I'm angry at my family because they've always sheltered and protected me from terrible pain. My younger sibling is pregnant; my mother wants a family reunion to show off her grandchildren and my grandparents want to pass down family heirlooms.

I'm angry at my medical caregivers, because it seems that they control my future. They humiliate me, inflict pain on me, pry into my privacy, patronize me, and sometimes forget who I am. How can I impress on them how important parenting is to me? I'm angry at my expenses; infertility treatment is extremely expensive. My financial resources may determine my family size. My insurance company isn't cooperative, and I must make so many sacrifices to pay the medical bills. I can't miss any more work, or I'll lose my job. I can't go to a specialist, because it means more travel time, more missed work, and greater expenses. Finally, I'm angry at everyone else. Everyone has opinions about my inability to become a parent. Everyone has easy solutions. Everyone seems to know too little and say too much.

My infertility makes me feel sad and hopeless. Infertility feels like I've lost my future, and no one knows of my sadness. I feel hopeless; infertility robs me of my energy. I've never cried so much nor so easily. I'm sad that my infertility places my marriage under so much strain. I'm sad that my infertility requires me to be so self-centered. I'm sad that I've ignored many friendships because this struggle hurts so much and demands so much energy. Friends with children prefer the company of other families with children. I'm surrounded by babies, pregnant women, playgrounds, baby showers, birth stories, kids' movies, birthday parties and much more. I feel so sad and hopeless. My infertility makes me feel unsettled. My life is on hold. Making decisions about my immediate and my long-term future seems impossible. I can't decide about education, career, purchasing a home, pursuing a hobby, getting a pet, vacations, business trips and houseguests. The more I struggle with my infertility, the less control I have. This struggle has no timetable; the treatments have no guarantees. The only sure things are that I need to be near my partner at fertile times and near my doctor at treatment times. Should I pursue adoption? Should I take expensive drugs? Should I pursue more specialized and costly medical intervention? It feels unsettling to have no clear, easy answers or guarantees.

Occasionally I feel my panic subside. I'm learning some helpful ways to cope; I'm now convinced I'm not crazy, and I believe I'll survive. I'm learning to listen to my body and to be assertive, not aggressive, about my needs. I'm realizing that good medical care and good emotional care are not necessarily found in the same place. I'm trying to be more than an infertile person gaining enthusiasm, joyfulness, and zest for life.

You can help me. I know you care about me and I know my infertility affects our relationship. My sadness causes you sadness; what hurts me, hurts you, too. I believe we can help each other through this sadness. Individually we both seem quite powerless, but together we can be stronger. Maybe some of these hints will help us to better understand infertility.

I need you to be a listener. Infertile couples have a lot on their minds and need someone to talk to. Sometimes a good ear helps people get things off their chests. A good listener can help people express their anxiety, anger, and guilt; or help people work out solutions to problems. Without offering any suggestions, your attentiveness and interest may provide the comfort and reassurance I need most. Talking about my struggle helps me to make decisions. Let me know if you are available for me. Repeatedly remind me that you love me no matter what. I need to hear it so badly. Let me know you understand that this is very hard work. Help me realize that I may need additional support from professional caregivers and appropriate organizations. Perhaps you can suggest resources. You might also need support for yourself, and I fear I'm unable to provide it for you; please don't expect me to do so. Help me to keep sight of my goal.

Let me know when you don’t know what to say. I need you to be comfortable with me, and then I also will feel more comfortable. Talking about infertility sometimes feels awkward. Are you worried you might say the wrong thing? Share those feelings with me. Ask me if I want to talk. Sometimes I will want to, and sometimes I won't, but it will remind me that you care.

I need you to be sensitive. Although I may joke about infertility to help myself cope, it doesn't seem as funny when others joke about it. Please don't tease me with remarks like, "You don't seem to know how to do it." Don't trivialize my struggle by saying, "I'd be glad to give you one of my kids." It's no comfort to hear empty reassurances like, "You'll be a parent by this time next year." Don't minimize my feelings with, "You shouldn't be so unhappy." For now, don't push me into uncomfortable situations like baby showers or family reunions. I already feel sad and guilty; please don't also make me feel guilty for disappointing you.

I need you to be honest with me. Let me know that you may need time to adjust to some of my decisions. I also needed adjustment time. If there are things you don't understand, say so. Please be gentle when you guide me to be realistic about things I can't change such as my age, some medical conditions, financial resources, and employment obligations. Don't hide information about others' pregnancies from me. Although such news makes me feel very sad, it feels worse when you leave me out.

I need you to be informed. Your advice and suggestions are only frustrating to me if they aren't based on fact. Be well informed so you can educate others when they make remarks based on myths. Don't let anyone tell you that my infertility will be cured if I relax and adopt. Don't tell me this is God's will. Don't ask me to justify my need to parent. Don't criticize my course of action or my choice of physician even though I may do that myself. Reassure yourself that I am also searching for plenty of information which helps me make more knowledgeable decisions about my options.

I need you to be patient. Remember that working through infertility is a process. It takes time. There are no guarantees, no package deals, no complete kits, no one right answer, and no "quickie" choices. My needs change; my choices change. Yesterday I demanded privacy, but today I need you for strength. You have many feelings about infertility, and I do too. Please allow me to have anger, joy, sadness, and hope. Don't minimize or evaluate my feelings. Just allow me to have them, and give me time.

1. Be patient. This couple may experience mood swings with every treatment or monthly cycle. One week they may be high because a new treatment promises hope; the next week they may be in mourning for the child they lost (didn't make) this month. They may be riding an exhausting emotional roller coaster which makes their actions and moods unpredictable. Try to understand and flow with their changes. And remember that when they want to be alone, they are not rejecting you. Don't get your feelings hurt by the preoccupation they have with their problems; keep in touch.

I need you to be strengthening by boosting my self esteem. My sense of worthlessness hampers my ability to take charge. My personal privacy has repeatedly been invaded. Enjoyable experiences with you such as a lunch date, a shopping trip, or a visit to a museum help me feel normal. Encourage me to maintain my sense of humor; guide me to find joys. Celebrate with me my successes, even ones as small as making it through a medical appointment without crying. Remind me that I am more than an infertile person. Help me by sharing your strength.

Eventually I will be beyond the struggle of infertility. I know my infertility will never completely go away, because it will change my life. I won't be able to return to the person I was before infertility, but I also will no longer be controlled by this struggle. I will leave the struggle behind me, and from that I will have improved my skills for empathy, patience, resilience, forgiveness, decision-making and self-assessment. I feel grateful that you are trying to ease my journey through this infertility struggle by giving me your understanding.
************************************************************************
Hints from Another Source
Don’t push adoption. Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another.

You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child, and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby.

Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself.

So, what can you say to your infertile friends?
Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas.

Let Them Know That You Care
The best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone.

Remember Them on Mother's Day
With all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it -- there are ads on TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law. Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pumpkin Fun


Today was a fun day at work. One of our instructional assistants always brings my class a mess of pumpkins right before Halloween. This year I'd say we got a bit more creative with our pumpkins. I posted a picture of my favorite, the luau pumpkin. Each year the library hosts a pumpkin decorating/carving contest. The winners win gift cards to books a million. I'd say we had a fair chance of placing again this year. I'm not sure who gets into it more, me or the kids.
This has been a weird week for me. I started feeling bad last week with sinus yuck. This weekend it got worse so I took Monday off. So, I've been off kilter all week. Then my body decides to tell me the natural way that I'm definately not pg, so that means back to the drawing board with the infertility doc. They scheduled me to come in tomorrow morning. Typically when I have to go to St. Vincents for these appointments, I rush back to Cullman and go into work late, but I just decided to take the day. I think I need a stress relieving shoping trip after the dr.
I really hope the rain holds out on Saturday. My family is having a hayride/bonfire/chili dinner. I'm really looking forward to it, so I hope the weather doesn't interrupt my happy time. Everyone be safe on Halloween, don't overload on candy--on second thought, do overload on candy, just be sure to brush your teeth and drink plenty of water. Night!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The End and The Beginning

Well, I worked today. Granted it was only half a day, and all I did was sit in a meeting, I worked. That means that summer has officially ended. However, there is a beginning in the horizon. That makes me think of one of my favorite Hope Floats quotes. It says, "Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome. That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will... " I love Birdie Clavert. She knows her stuff.

Something else that's been going on in my life is that Nick and I have been attempting to have a baby for quite some time. We have not had much luck and we have started a little investigation. So far we know this: My tubes are fine. Nick's swimmers are fine. Next month, I'll go in for a little more prodding. I'll keep everyone posted. Until then, pray for us!

Well, I had intended for this blog to be a bit longer, but FarmTown awaits. =)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Summer Reading

After reading the Twilight series thing spring, I have rekindled my love for reading. I get such gratification when I finish a book. If it's a great book, I have to admit I'm a little sad when it's over. I'm going to do my best to create a list of books I've read this summer.

The Wedding -Nicholas Sparks
Even Now - Karen Kingsbury
Confessions of a Shopaholic -Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan -Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Ties the Knot - Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic and Sister - Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella
Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin
Something Blue - Emily Giffin
Baby Proof - Emily Giffin
Love the One Your With - Emily Giffin
Love and Other Natural Disasters - Holly Shumas
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
The Guy Not Taken - Jennifer Weiner
Good in Bed - Jennifer Weiner
Happiness Sold Separately - Lolly Winston
Dear John - Nicholas Sparks

I'm currently reading:
The Bachelorette Party - Karen McCullah Lutz

My to do list:
Goodnight Nobody -Jennifer Weiner
Gideon's Gift- Kareny Kingsbury
True Believer - Nicholas Sparks
The Rescue - Nicholas Sparks
The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks

I'm glad I finally found a passion. I think I had it all along. My 4th grade class voted me "Book Worm" in our class awards. I was bummed because I wanted best dancer or best singer. Now, I don't mind the book worm title.

Friday, May 22, 2009

School's Out...for Summer!

Overall, it's been a good year. I started my year with 8 special needs children and ended with 6. Don't worry, I didn't lose anyone. They just moved. It's strange that even though I should be relishing the fact that I don't have to work for a while, I cant seem to get my mind off of what the next year holds for me. I guess I'm a worrier by nature. I can't exactly quote the Bible here, but I do believe that God says something like...don't worry. (pretty sure he wasn't the one that added the be happy on the end) I know worrying will get me no where, but I guess I'm addicted to it. What will happen next? What if? Why did that happen? What did he/she mean by that? The list could go on. I think I'll insert a personal goal here. Goal: Stop worrying so much. (But what if I can do it? LOL I can't stop) I guess we all have our little quirks. A dear friend of mine takes her flattening iron to work with her everyday just to make sure she didn't leave it on. God love her.

So I have some super exciting plans for the weekend. Tonight I plan on doing a little laundry and housework. Tomorrow I'm getting a pedi done with my mom, and I'm going to spend the night with her and go to Church with her on Sunday. I realized today that I don't spend enough time with my mom. My special ed coordinator was the one that actually made me come to my realization. I told her that I was going to spend time with my mommy, and she got a bit teary eyed and told me that I should while I still could. I guess when you're growing up you never really have any reason to think that your mom won't be there for you, but it happens to everyone. I need to enjoy my mom while I still have her. She's not sick or anything, she's probably in the best health she's been in for years, but I remember how upsetting it was for her when her mom got sick. Hm...I'm kind of sad now.

Happy thoughts!
Until next time readers...if I ever get any.