Infertility is...

In my classroom, we often give sentence starters. These are supposed to give kids who have a hard time brainstorming writing ideas from scratch a place to start. When I saw RESOLVE's "Infertility is..." blog contest, I decided to take a shot at finishing that sentence. However, I had the opposite problem as the kid who can't brainstorm. I found it really challenging to creatively fit the parameters of the contest. Here is my interpretation...

Infertility is...full of reasons to laugh
... knowing the schedules of the ultrasound technicians, nurses, doctors, and even parking attendants at your RE's practice
... is giving medical professionals a drawn road map of how to locate your ovaries with an ultrasound wand
... a way to justify every mood swing, crying jag, and shopping spree
... gritting your teeth through your 500th baby shower game
... considering setting up a sleeping bag in your RE's waiting room this morning, because you'll have to be there tomorrow morning anyway
... trying to figure out if you can do a head stand against your bed's headboard to make gravity work in your favor

Infertility is...full of reasons to cry
... feeling like you are a marathon runner, who keeps tripping over the hurdles
... the source of intense feelings of failure
... having to endure physical and emotional pain, ranging from discomfort to excruciating
... incredibly expensive. Groceries or Gonal-F this week?
... having some of your friendships change, especially when they become a mom and you don't
... balancing romance and productivity in your sex life
... a condensed and fast forwarded medical education, that you never wanted
... scheduling your appointments, work day, and hobbies around your treatment schedule
... a full time job

Infertility is...above all else, reason to persevere
... rising above the stigma
... holding onto the support of your spouse, friends, and family for dear life
... an opportunity to educate others
... hoping that someday it will be you with the morning sickness, swollen ankles, and labor pains



This post is part of the Infertility Is Blog Contest sponsored by RESOLVE of New England. You can find links to all of the submissions online at their website. For more information about RESOLVE of New England, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.