I left tonight’s support meeting feeling revved up and recharged.
It is amazing how spending a few hours with other passionate people going after something that requires so much effort and such a massive leap of faith every cycle leaves me feeling so motivated.
Infertility provides so much perspective about what’s important in life, and what it takes to keep having faith in something you haven’t seen.
I love the transitions of energy as everybody vents about a rude front desk person, or proudly announces how they refused to leave the office until their protocol was completely clarified.
There are often tears of frustration and sadness as losses are grieved or insensitive extremely fertile people share the news that they are getting ready for number two/three/four, etc.
The tears turn to laughter as embarrassing stories get told about speculums and samples, lupron rage and IVF confusion, delayed cycles and the insanity of the cosmic idiot factor that seems to ensure high fertility rates for the least prepared population of Americans.
It’s amazing that Lisa and I still have infertility issues after sixteen years since our initial diagnosis.
Just this past week, Lisa got a lecture from a physician’s assistant about how irresponsible it was that we aren’t using birth control.
I’m sure the PA has no idea how close she came to getting her ass kicked by Lisa.
Even when Lisa told her just how infertile we were, and that we’ve had unprotected sex for 16 years without any magic miracle pregnancy, the PA persisted.
That’s the thing I always loved about going to support groups when we were on our journey through infertility, and why I love going to the groups now: there is some kind of post group endorphin rush of peace and energy you get from truly feeling supported unconditionally.
It puts everything in perspective, and reminds me that no matter how in the thick of our infertility battle we were, or how long we’ve been a veteran of the infertility wars we finally won, that we are not alone.