Just a Thought...

Image Found here.

I'm thinking about changing the direction of this blog a little bit.  Nothing drastic, but maybe a change of layout and perhaps a different vibe to the writing.  For fans of my rants, fear not, I will still be ranting on occasion.  Let's face it, there is and always will be plenty of things and people in this world that piss me off.

While venting and ranting are vital to my well-being and sanity, I'm going to be trying something a little different.  In an effort to increase my chances of pregnancy, I'm going to try being a little hippy-dippy, 'everything's cool, man'.  Will it work?  I don't know.  So far the usual ways of trying to get knocked up, and the medical interventions I have tried haven't really worked so well.  Granted, there are still treatments left to try but we won't be pursuing those for at least another couple of months.  In the meantime, I may as well try to calm my body from top to toe and see what happens.  I'm talking yoga, meditation, contemplating my navel - you know, hippy-dippy.

What does that mean for this blog?  I'll sort of be figuring that out as I go along but I think it's going to include sharing my thoughts on books I've been reading, how I'm going with yoga and meditation, and whatever else I'll be doing to improve my outlook.

I mentioned before that I have another blog devoted to crafty/arty things and I'm going to really put some effort into building that up.  I've also recently signed up for an Etsy store and will be posting more about that on the Pro-Craft-inate blog as it gets going.

So, what do you all think?  Will you be abandoning ship?  Do you think I've lost my mind?  It's okay if you do - I'm kind of wondering that myself.

That Time Again...

Sunday marked the first day of the 5th annual Canadian Infertility Awareness Week (May 15th to 22nd).  If you click the link, you'll be taken to the IAAC website and from there can find a list of events happening across the country.  You may remember that last year, my good friend CC and I were the Victoria Fertility banner bearers in the Victoria Day parade.  VF isn't in the parade this year as far as I know but they were having their annual picnic at Beaver Lake park last Sunday.  Hopefully they didn't get completely rained out.

This evening here in Vancouver, the clinic that I go to is hosting a seminar on fertility, treatments and alternative medicine.  I had a look at what they'll be covering and I doubt I'll be going as there doesn't appear to be any new-to-me information.  However, if you're new to this world and are interested in finding out more about your options, it's being held at the Jewish Community Centre - 950 W. 41st Ave in the Gallery Room.  Along with doctors from the clinic there will be other speakers discussing acupuncture, nutrition, yoga and meditation.

Myself, I 'celebrated' the first day of CIAW with a negative home pregnancy test.  Joy!  If you're wondering why I would do such a terrible thing to myself, it was doctor's orders.  Since I'm taking progesterone, I'm supposed to test at the end of 10 days of taking the supplement to determine if I should continue or not.  Sunday's answer was 'or not'.  Monday I was feeling depressed and homicidal.  Today I'm  just feeling worn out, but that could be the heinous cramps.

I recently had my appointment with the doc who will be performing the pre-polyp re-section.  He seemed like a straight-up, honest kind of man and now that I'm on his patient list, I hope I will be able to continue to have him as my OB/GYN.  I asked him if he thought the polyps would interfere with my ability to become pregnant and he said he didn't know.  No bullshit, no dicking around - just that he didn't know.  I appreciate that kind of honesty.

So, now I wait for the surgery date.  We're going to hold off on doing Clomid/IUI until after that has been done.  I'm not going to lie to you - I'd much rather be celebrating CIAW with a baby or a pregnancy.  That hasn't happened though and I need to move on.  Hopefully, The Boy and I won't be greeting next year's CIAW empty handed.  One can dream, right?

The Hits Just Keep on Coming...

As if fighting the morons of the world isn't enough (see previous post re: PETA), sometimes Infertiles also have to fight the government.

I was talking with my sister (who lives in Melbourne, Australia) about IVF and other fun topics.  She mentioned to me that in order for IVF patients in the state of Victoria to proceed with treatment, they have to undergo a police check.  As in, a check for a CRIMINAL RECORD.  I was absolutely outraged when she told me this.

I poked around on the good ol' internet and found the following article.  Go ahead and have a read:

http://www.ivf.net/ivf/ivf-couples-must-undergo-police-checks-under-new-australian-law-o4470.html

Regardless of whether or not a person is undergoing IVF, has other fertility issues, has 10 kids or has no desire to be a parent we should all be appalled that any government would pass this kind of legislation.

I'm sure in the history of IVF there have been some resultant parents who have been less than stellar but I would hazard a guess that instances like that are few and very far between.  I find it very hard to imagine that someone who would put themselves through the stress, the physical discomfort and financial impact of IVF, would have anything less than love, and the desire to care for the baby they've worked so hard for.

This kind of legislation serves no other purpose than to degrade those who have to suffer from it.  It does nothing more than add to an already stressful situation.  Who are the idiots that think these things up??

I also wonder, why stop there?  Why not go the whole nine yards into Big Brother-dom and do criminal record checks on anyone contemplating becoming a parent, whether 'naturally' or using ART?  Why single out people who are choosing IVF?  Doesn't that scream of discrimination?

What I'd really like to know is this:  why waste police resources on such foolishness when there are children already in the world being abused?  When there are babies being born to drug addicted mothers or alcoholic fathers?

As someone who could very well have to consider IVF before the year comes to an end, it saddens and enrages me that anyone would have to go through additional, unnecessary stress when making that choice.  I find it disturbing that a group of what I hope is reasonably intelligent people, could make the decision to pass that legislation.

I'm curious to know what other people think of this.  Feel free to comment!