RESOLVE is sponsoring National Infertility Awareness Week, starting this Saturday. Not only do they have a list of 7 things you can do in 7 days, they are also doing 7 days of free teleseminars on various subjects surrounding IF, as well as many local face-to-face events around the country.
I've signed up for the first seminar on Sunday, 4/26 at 4pm: Getting the Support You Need for the Journey Through Infertility - I think that's a good starting point for me anyway, especially since I'm getting my Dx confirmed in 3 days. But there are 7 days worth of excellent topics from affording ART/adoption to egg donation to advocating for family building legislation. I'll try out this first seminar and see how it goes before I register for more.
The ol' college activist in me is feeling inspired. I think it's because by involving myself in some kind of advocacy role, I reestablish a sense of control. Man, IF is a bitch if you're a control-freak like I am. ;)
Oh, and I deleted the post on my FB page about NIAW, b/c I don't think I'm ready to share this yet with people I haven't seen since kindergarten and semi-professional networked contacts. Yeah, yeah, I know folks could have seen it before it was deleted, but whatever. Maybe it's just superstition that I don't resign myself to this yet before I'm "officially" diagnosed on Friday.
EDIT: I re-outed myself and reposted the link/announcement on my FB page, after I found out someone from high school messages me to tell me they are in the same boat. If my voice can give courage and support to others, than it's super important for me to speak out.
4 comments:
Ah, Facebook. Such a tangled web it weaves. I completely don't blame you for second thoughts...I second guess myself over pretty much everything I post there.
Happy ICLW!
I am sorry about your POF - I just read the post about your long and painful journey to the place you are at today.
I know it's hard "outing" oneself on Facebook too - I ended up sending personal messages on FB to some people I figured could handle reading my blog. I am not out as IF to everyone in FB land - but if they wanted to read between the lines or inquire more they would probably be able to figure it out.
take care and good luck with next steps:)
Another POFer here....
In my humble opinion, it will help you a lot to be open about IF, it will help you come to terms with it faster.... Just be prepared, because most of the people who do not suffer from IF, do not have a clue about anything, see things differentely, can be insentitive and say things that may hurt you. Most of them are well intended, it is just difficult for them to REALLY understand.
Thinking of you tomorrow on the big appointment day ;)
You are so brave to come out to world. I can't do it. Sometimes it makes me feel like a coward and sometimes it makes me feel like a traitor to the community, but I just can't. I can't bear the idea of opening up this area of my life for free conversation and questions, of giving up control of my pain.
I respect your decision so much.
I was recently diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve. Not quite at POF, yet.
I hope that your appointment went well enough and that your disappearance from this space does not bode ill.
ICLW
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