Don't Ignore...

...yourself.

During the last few years I myself have struggled with Infertility and PCOS. It's been a long road and I never imagined how hard it truly would be. However I'm not in this struggle alone, and I cannot be more grateful for that fact. I'm a pretty private & sensitive person. I started to research PCOS & Infertility and started posting online. I found friends that I could be open with and not feel judged by. I even started this blog to help open up about our struggles with IF, and it has helped me tremendously.

My advice to any couple or woman out there who is alone in struggling with IF is to seek support. I understand that it is a touchy & personal subject but there are other avenues than friends/family to discuss it with. Wives talk to your husbands and be open with him as to how you're feeling and husbands do the same with your wife. You can even seek the help of a professional therapist, a tool I myself have been recently contemplating. A great way to discuss what you're going through is to find an online community one such as Thebump.com or Babycenter.com. These sites have community's specifically for people who are trying to get pregnant or people who are having trouble TTC. You can be totally anonymous or divulge who you are, it's up to you. Don't ignore the way you may be feeling. Feeling hurt, angry, sad, lonely, or alone are not good feelings to bottle up inside. I've been there, and it's not fun. Open up to your spouse, your family, your friends, or anonymously, just don't ignore who you are and how you're feeling.

Whatever stage you may be at in your IF journey find your support system. If you already have one great! If you don't I'd be happy to offer any advice, point you in the right direction, or be the support you may need. Please feel free to contact me.

For more information on infertility and National Infertility Awareness Week, please visit the following links:

• Basic understanding of the disease of infertility : http://www.resolve.org/infertility101
• About NIAW : http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html

Don't Ignore...

...the Causes of Infertility

As part of national infertility week I wanted to be part of Resolve's Don't Ignore... Blogger's Unite. I've decided to write this blog about PCOS(polycycstic ovarian syndrome). Obviously there are many causes for Infertility some of them are even unexplained. PCOS is one of the current leading causes of infertility; it is close to my heart and something I feel I know a great deal about.

Infertility is a medical issue that affects 1 in 8 couples. PCOS affects millions of women world-wide and some don't even know they have it. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders, it's up there with thyroid disorders or even diabetes! Yet it is still not as widely known or talked about. There is no cure for it, but the symptoms are treatable.
Most simplistically PCOS is the imbalance of women's sex hormones. It is a metabolic disorder that affects several body systems that can cause significant long-term health consequences. It is often characterized with multiple small painless cysts that form in the ovary. If you ask a women who has it she will tell you that it is acne at the most inopportune times, it is unwanted facial hair, excess weight gain, difficulty losing weight, weird growths on the back of her neck, mood swings, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, and in the most severe cases the inability to conceive even with intervention.
PCOS symptoms can be helped with the use of birth control, but for women that are trying to have a baby that is not an option. We have to endure the symptoms while it may take years to get pregnant. Not all women who have PCOS have issues trying to get pregnant, however the majority do. If you have PCO and have annovulation then the chances are you will have some issues conceiving.

                                                              A ploycystic ovary view from an ultrasound.

You can be tested for PCOS by an OB/GYN or even your family practitioner. It is mostly diagnosed by your symptoms but hormone labs, and an ultrasound can be done to confirm. Patients who have PCOS are at higher risk for having insulin resistance, and for developing type II diabetes, ovarian cancer, and possible cardiovascular disease. So if you've been diagnosed please take care of your body and see a Doctor regularly. If you have the symptoms make an appointment with your Physician to get more information and tests preformed. If you are one of my PCOS cysters help make others aware: blog, FB, and share information about PCOS. The only way to find a cure is to make people more aware, and interested in finding out more.

http://www.resolve.org/infertility101  (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)

It's National Infertility Awareness Week

April 22-28, 2012 is National Infertility Awareness Week®, a nationwide campaign intended to educate the public about infertility and the concerns of the infertility community.

I am trying to spread the word for the infertility movement. We need more bloggers, law makers, insurance policy creators, donors, well everyone to get involved! If you live in Washington DC or Atlanta Georgia you can participate in the Walk for Hope. It's is my goal to help create a Walk for Hope in southern California or to at least travel to Scottsdale, Arizona next year so that I can participate. Let's tear down the wall of ignorance together!

I'm participating in Resolve Blogger's Unite program. My Don't ignore post is about PCOS (polycycstic ovarian syndrome) check it out tomorrow.

Infertility is a medical condition, it is a disease that is often overlooked and seldom talked about. I realize that infertility isn't a life threatening disease and so understandably it's not on most people's radar. I don't want to compare infertility with something like cancer as I get that they are very different things. But I would like people to see that infertility is life altering, financially debilitating, and heartbreaking. Being a couple who wishes to have a child and are unable to without medical intervention is awful.
Most insurance plans have little to no infertility coverage which puts a huge financial strain on infertile couples.  I pray that this changes in the future so couples will have more options. It is a terrible thing for a young middle-class married couple to have to choose between buying a home for the future, maybe going to grad school or just the chance of having a child. I understand that having a child is a huge expense but it just doesn't seem fair in my mind to have to start out paying 15,000 for something that should be free (natural) or at the very least an intervention that is covered by your insurance plan.

Please don't ignore infertility and find out what you can do to help.

• Don’t ignore opportunities to talk about infertility.   Do you blog? Tweet? Teach a health class? Have a book group? Take advantage of opportunities in your daily life to share information about or bring attention to the cause of infertility.
• Don’t ignore legislation affecting infertility patients.  Several pending and existing laws encroach upon the rights of the infertile to freely build their families. Help change policy and protect your rights by writing to your representative or attending RESOLVE's Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. on April 25. 
• Don’t ignore infertility support available.  Infertility is a lonely road, but no one has to travel it alone. Join an online infertility forum or local support group to find a warm, welcoming environment.
• Don’t ignore people struggling with infertility.  Reach out to friends or family members struggling with infertility. Ask how you can best support them in their journey. 
• Don’t ignore the impact of making a donation. Every cent donated helps bring needed programs and services to women and men with infertility. Sign up for the Walk of Hope or create your own fundraising event in your location.
• Don’t ignore family building alternatives.  You can build your family through many paths. During this week, open your mind to options that you had not previously considered.
• Don’t ignore your own strength. If you’re engaged in the fight against infertility, take a moment to recognize your courage and determination, as well as that of the sisters and brothers fighting alongside you.

• http://www.resolve.org/infertility101  (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)
• http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)

If you or someone you know is dealing with infertilty please pass along this information/blog. I would love to be able to reach out to someone that may be going through this as well.

DX: Infertility

Photo Credit: Stacy Lynn Baum

On Friday I had my annual physical and pap appointment with my primary Doctor. We went over lab work, my recent weight loss, and of course the fact that J and I have been trying to get pregnant for 16 months, with one loss under our belt. At the end of our talk my Doctor handed me a persciption for J's Semen Analysis and she thought a sonohystogram would be beneficial for me. I took the Rx, thanked her and went on my way. When I got in my car I took a look at the Rx that she gave me while I sat in my car and there is was in the right hand corner Dx: Infertility. I'm not sure why I got so upset because I've tried my hardest to stay strong and positive. We knew at the beginning of this journey that it would be long, I thought I prepared myself for this. I know what I've been diagnosed with it, but seeing it there in black in white made me sad. I started crying, and not just a few tears but actual full blown ugly crying. I really hope no one saw me, because I probably would have freaked them out. I realize that we are not the only ones going through this, but at that moment I felt selfish, angry, and hurt all at once. I was in need of a reality check! 

I've had sometime to think about it and that isn't me I'm not an angry or selfish person. I'm still allowing myself to be hurt because that is only natural, but I've decided to have hope & faith again.  My body may be broken, but I'm not unfixable. I have support in my husband, and my friends. Even my Mom is there for me to vent or cry to now. I'm glad I have places to go and not feel judged, but loved. I have hope that one day we will have our take home baby.