Emotional v. Physical

There's a fine line when it comes to deciding which is harder: physical or emotional struggles. I think for men the physical struggle is more of a challenge, but more of an accomplishment when they overcome it. As for women, I think it's oposite. We are always fighting an internal battle and we usually have to overcome it physcially before we emotionally feel better. I'm bringing this up because of what came up today. We got home from our first of four Christmases this year and we spent the night when my niece and nephew and I told AJ that I can't wait until March for the IUI. He told me that he can't wait to try naturally. A normal, healthy couple has a 22% chance of conceiving every month, and after of year of failing to conceive, you have about a 5% chance of conceiving every month. We have been emotionally trying to start a family for 15 months, but physically about 5 months since that it the time that I have been ovulating. He tries to remind me that we haven't been technically trying for a year yet, but I just don't think that he understands that I don't think that I have another 7 months in me of waiting to see if we conceive naturally. If you're emotionally drained, I would think that that would play a toll on your body and cause you to be physically drained as well. People tell me that I need to "not stress" (FYI- when you say that it makes every ounce of my being to not slap you...just a warning) because it is harder on my body. Well then I would most certainly think that emotional baggage would be the same way.

I guess it's not fair to choose which is harder, physical or emotional struggles, but for me I think it's the emotional baggage. Would I love to get pregnant the natural way? Definitely, but if we are not pregnant by March then we are definitely looking into the IUI. However, until then I am going to take an ovulation test every day to see if I am ovulating and hope for the best.

So excited!!

I finally have hope and good news again! AJ and I went to the ORM seminar last night. I didn't want to go, but AJ did and I am so glad that we went. They presented a lot of information but at the end we were able to ask the doctor one on one questions. I told her that I was on Clomid for 6 cycles and that my OB told me that my body built a tolerance against it. She asked me what my levels were and I told her that when I was ovulating they were 20-35 each time and then when I stopped ovulating it was only 6.6. She told me that I definitely ovulated that last cycle just probably a little later than normal. She told me that they like to see anything above 1 but if it's about 3 then that's great. She told me that if I would have went in a few days later for my progesterone check, then my levels would be in the 30's again. She told me that I am a candidate for Clomid/IUI. I will make an appointment after the first of the year to get all of the prelim testing completed and we are hoping to get started on the Clomid/IUI around March. We figured that we are paying and choosing when to get pregnant (assuming that this will work the first time), we might as well choose when the baby would be due. If we start in March then it would be due around November/December. April would probably be better, but I just don't know if I can wait that long!

I am just so excited to get started on the next step, but now I just have to wait...

Nerves and Frustration

Last night at work we had a 14 year old come in that is 20+ weeks pregnant, and when she delivers she will still be 14. I am ten years older than her! She was born in 1996 and is having a baby. She is is middle school!!! Then there's me. I'm 24 years old, married, and not on welfare, and I cannot have a baby. She is in the hospital for DFM and I am making appointments at fertility clinics to go to seminars to hear about our next steps. Last night I was having a hard time dealing with this so I tried to do something that I never do. I reached out to a friend, and the friend I reached out to has been going through relationship issues and I have been there for every single thing offering a shoulder to cry on and someone to vent to, and when I reach out what does she say, "Oh, you don't want a crack baby." No, I don't want a crack baby. I want a baby and it's not fair that this 14 year old is having one and I am not. I may have made this friend mad because after she said that I told her what she needed to hear, but of course no one wants to hear it. She hasn't talked to me since. I'm ok with that right now because she kind of made me mad the last couple of days. I think we are just going through too many different hardships and are both stressed and depressed.  I'm sure we will be fine. She is one of my best friends.

Tomorrow night we are going to the seminar at Oregon Reproductive Medicine. I procrastinated on making the appointment until today because I've been nervous and in denile and I was hoping that I wouldn't need to go. Well I do... So I told my mom that we cannot make my brother's birthday dinner because we have somewhere to be. I think that she is thinking that it's something Christmas related with AJ's family, but it's just a seminar. I just told her where we were going, so hopefully that will help her understand. Even though I just emailed my mom to tell her, it's still hard to admit. I can write it in this blog all day because no one reads it, but having to admit to it makes it so much harder. Hopefully we will get some good information tomorrow and will be able to move on to the next step.

Rough couple of days

As I am sitting here writing this AJ's cousin is at the hospital in labor with their first child. Although, I am excited for them,  they are the one couple in the whole entire world that I am happy for, but it still doesn't make it any easier. They have been waiting for this days for over two years. They tried for two years and now they are having their baby. I am genuinely happy for them, but at the same time it hurts so bad. I would give anything to be in their situation and to have the entire family waiting for me to deliver. She has an entourage of people waiting, which I'm not sure how I would feel about, and is experiencing the most exciting moment of her life. I cannot wait and hope that someday I will get to experience the one of a kind experience of delivering a baby.

Meanwhile, this day I also find out that some friends of ours are having a baby boy. She is 20 weeks pregnant and found out today. She and her husband tried for 6 months, and apparently, they know what we're going through with waiting to get pregnant. Actually, you don't know, but I guess thanks for trying to sympathize.

This holiday season has been extra rough on me and yesterday when I was on Facebook, the husband of the infamous "fertile Mertyle" announced that if you want to get excited for the holidays again "then have a kid." Can I PLEASE take his head and his wife's and bang them together....very hard. Between his ignorant wife thinking that it's appropriate to announce that you're a fertile Mertyle, and the just-as-ignorant husband says that "all you have to do" is have a kid. Guess what, some of us aren't as "blessed" to get "accidentally" pregnant like you. Some of us try and try and seek fertility treatment, and guess what you dear ignorant couple, we cannot just "have a kid." Some of us also loved the holidays and would be so excited and elated this time of year, but since we cannot "just have a kid," the holiday season has never been so painful in all my life. So thank you for rubbing your fertile successes in my fertile failure face...thanks.

Lost Control

I am sitting here at my computer writing this post because I have completely lost control of my body. First I can't get pregnant or ovulate and now I can't run. I try to do everything right, yet somehow I get disappointed again. I know that I am extra prone to injuries (I have no idea why...), so I started running short distances and taking it easy. Over a period of four weeks I increased by runs to 3.1 miles long and I only run 3-4 times a week, and now here I am with an injured achilles...again. It's just not fair that I can do everything right and still be let down. I can't get pregnant and AJ and I have a happy, healthy marriage, own a house, have jobs, and are perfectly content. However, a high school girl; an unemployed, welfare mom;  an abusive family; or a drug user can get pregnant without any issues. Why does it happen to the undeserving so easily, yet those of us who deserve a family cannot achieve it?

Then there's running. There are the people who are not runners, or are overweight, or don't run correctly, or have terrible running gear and they never get injured. I just want to know why I have to have so many issues. I am healthy, not overweight, and just trying to exercise and I somehow get injured. I am not out there doing speed work or hill repeats, I am just running. I am running at a 9:30 mile pace and here I am: crippled...again.

I just want control of my body. I want it to do one thing that it is supposed to do. With all of the baby stuff going on in our lives it felt so good to be out running. It was a way to get away from the frustrations and to feel good about myself, and now I am a failure at another thing.

Holidays

I gave in and decorated on Wednesday. I felt bad for AJ and people that came over and didn't want to ruin anyone's holiday season with my depressed holiday-less house, so I decorated. I didn't do very much; just a couple of knick-knacks placed around. But I'm still not listening to Christmas music. So I'm still "bam-humbugging" it up.

I have also been extra depressed lately, but I think it's because I'm tired of pregnant friends and friends with babies. I am tired of the holidays and I am tired of being at a stand still waiting for January to take the next step in our journey. Last night we went out with some friends who do not have babies so it was great. They are officially our new couple friends.

bah humbug...

Usually I am a complete holiday nut. I decorate as early as possible and I practically bounce off the walls until the day after the holiday when I have the not-so-fun task of undecorating. Well, this year, it's an entire different situation. Last year when I was decorating I told AJ that next year when I do this I will have to put everything up higher because we will have a little one crawling around, well here we are 12 months later and 15 months of trying to start a family and we aren't even close. We don't even have a plan of what we are doing next to try to get pregnant. All we know is that we are seeing a specialist in January.  I just want the holidays to go away. I want to go on vacation and not come back until after all of the holidays are over. I hate this year. Most of our friends either got pregnant or had a baby in 2010 and what did we do? We took Clomid until I became immune to it. Actually, now that I am thinking about it, I think that out of all of our married friends we are the only ones who do not have kids and/or are pregnant.

Thanksgiving was on this past Thursday and usually I hate Thanksgiving, but I enjoy spending time with family and eating the world's best pie. This year was different. It took everything in me to stay positive, smile, and not try while eating turkey and watching everyone enjoy the beginning of the holiday season. Not only are we the only ones out of our friends who do not have kids, but we are now the only ones in the family that do not have kids also. Well technically one of AJ's cousins does not have kids, but she is pregnant and due anytime now, so yes, I think it's fair to say that we are the only ones who do not have kids/are not pregnant. I am so tired of being depressed and alone, but unfortunately I do not have many people to talk to. I like my support group, but I am kind of tired of telling my story there, and really all I want is to release my frustrations and have people who understand infertility listen and offer advice. I also feel as if I do not quite fit in with this group either because everyone is older and has been trying for a lot longer than we have. Maybe I should start my own group?

Anyway, back to the holidays...I do not want to decorate this year. I do not want to get a tree. I do not want to go to the family functions. Instead, I want to lay in bed and throw myself the pity party of the year while reading celebrity gossip magazines. Everyone is so excited for the holidays this year, well maybe they are every year, but this year because I'm not I guess I notice it more. When ever I see a house with it's Christmas lights, or a car driving down the road with a tree on it's top, or people decorating their houses, it makes me wonder "how are you happy?" I guess when you're depressed it's easy to get lost in that and assume that everyone else is as miserable. I might put pine cones in my bowl in the table, but I do not think that I am going to decorate. AJ is making me get a tree, so I guess we have to do that, but if I had my way we wouldn't. Maybe we can compromise and get a little tiny tree to sit on our coffee table?

Today I went to the Christmas Bazaar trying to get in the holiday spirit. Instead it depressed me even more and made me want to leave...far, far away for the next 4 weeks. I want to go somewhere tropical so Christmas isn't everywhere...absolutely everywhere... What's extra hard is that I am always so upbeat, that I feel that I need to continue to stay positive because I hate making people around me miserable.

I need a friend. I need an infertile friend who I can confide in during this difficult time. I need an infertile friend who does not have kids...Oh, and an infertile friend who is not Christian.

I am tired of being alone and this holiday season is just reminding me how alone I really am. AJ wants to be there for me, but he just doesn't understand how hard it is to deal with being infertile.

This year I hate the holiday season..bah humbug....

Keeping notes so I don't forget.

I am going to make an appointment for January to see an RE, and I know that it is so easy to get overwhelmed in a doctor's office, so I am just going to keep notes so I can reference them before I leave for my appointment.

Well I did not ovulate on my fourth cycle of 150mg of Clomid, yet miraculously my monthly enemy showed up right on time on day 35 with a normal flow. Now I know it's possible to get your period without ovulating, but is it normal to get it right on time? It seems like I should have been late...at least by a little bit?  Well I guess that I will just have to wait a couple of months to know more.

"Fertile Myrtle"

I have reached an all new low of hatred of fertile people, well those who are inconsiderate of the infertile. There is a girl, who I really have never been a huge fan of, but now she is officially on my list of people that I really couldn't care less if she fell off the face of the Earth. This is the same girl (well one of them) that we went bowling with who was pregnant at the time, and the entire time kept complaining about how uncomfortable she is and how she can eat anything she wants because she is "eating for two." Here I am, 4 months into our trying to conceive journey with two "fertile myrtles" (both "accidentally" got pregnant. One was not on birth control, yet was surprised that she was pregnant- seriously, how dumb and ignorant can one person be?) And the girl (AKA inspiration of this blog post) evidently got pregnant by complete surprise with a condom that broke. Do I believe her for a second? Absolutely not. Considering that she and her new husband had only been married for a couple of months, and throughout her entire engagement (Well, I should use the word "entire" carefully, considering that they met, dated, and got married all within a year) mentioned that she wanted babies ASAP. And as a "shocker" to us all, she ended up pregnant ASAP.

Well now the "inspiration" girl is on Facebook every single freaking day complaining about being tired, hungry, sick, or having a sick baby. However, she had to get a mole on her pinkie toe removed and kept calling it "surgery," so clearly this girl's judgement on what being "sick" is, is a little impaired. So today this umm..incredibly intelligent girl, updated her Facebook status to "fertile Myrtle." Of course everyone is commenting asking if she is trying to tell us something, and this complete idiot states, "Don't worry, I'm just reminding myself." What kind of complete moron has to publicly announce that she is a fertile Myrtle? Do you actually feel the need to post to the whole world that you need to take your birth control or to remember to use a condom? Come on, stupid girl...

Some of us are doing everything that we can and still cannot get pregnant, as if that's not hard enough (emotionally and physically), we now have to deal with the ignorant and the insane on Facebook who feels that it is not only interesting, but also appropriate to announce that she is a "fertile Myrtle." Am I probably a little too sensitive? That may be the case, but it is still not only inappropriate, but just plain dumb to update your Facebook status to "Fertile Myrtle."

I think it is also fair to complain about the fact that her mom had to remind her on Facebook to take her birth control pill? Seriously, "stupid girl," how does that make you feel when your mom reminds you for the whole world to see, that she does not want to see you procreate? Now that kind of makes me happy...

Maybe I should update mine to "Infertile Myrtle?" I guess that would be a good way to open up...

Opening Up

My goal is to open up a little more about our struggle with infertility. I feel that if I tell more people I will be able to cope with it myself and will have friends to confide it, but openning up is so hard for me. I know that it is a common thing and nothing that I am actually doing wrong, but still it's such a personal and intense battle that it's scary to allow other people in. Although, I'm sure that most infertile people feel that way which is why I seem so alone, and that's probably also why insurance companies feel that they can not cover infertility treatment because so few people open up about it.

Yesterday I told a friend that we are being sent to a specialist. I didn't tell her much more because I knew that I would end up crying, but just getting that out really helped and made me feel better. I just need to learn to open up...

This next issue doesn't have anything to do with opening up, but I need to get it out! I am a part of an online support group and all of the ladies on in are struggling with infertility and are all on Clomid or pursing IUIs and IVF. Well this new lady joined who said that she was 33 years old and has been married for 17 years (so evidently she got married at 16), has three kids 3 years old-15 years old, and she and her husband have always wanted a big family, so they went on Clomid to increase their chances of conceiving twins. She wants our thoughts with her and to people to pray for her even though she doesn't have fertility problems. Are you kidding me!? The audacity that that lady has. That's like going to an AA meeting and saying that you don't have a drinking problem, but want people's prayers that you don't get one after you go out to happy hour that night....people are so dumb. Luckly no one was responded to this person, but come on!

Oh, and we just had someone deliver a baby who was born in 1995. She just turned 15 a few months ago. That means she got pregnant at 14! Why is it that the young girls get pregnant so easy and then the rest of us who do everything right get punished? Ugh...