Ever wonder about the expression, “infertility journey?” To my way of thinking, infertility is a journey because in the process, you may find yourself making decisions and having experiences that you never before imagined.
For example, I’ve talked with many friends who find themselves thinking about undergoing IVF treatment, when perhaps just a few months earlier, they would never have imagined that their fertility journey would have taken them to that place. Where before the prospect of undergoing invasive treatment and taking powerful drugs seemed daunting, now the quest for a child is changing all of that. The undo-able now becomes the “next thing” to be done.
All of this takes a toll on the mind as well as the body. As part of your infertility treatment, I believe it’s important to consider your emotional well-being, and the state of your marriage and relationships.
Don’t let your quest become so single-minded that you become blind to the whole of what you need.
If you find yourself feeling stressed, confused, overwhelmed, sitting down and talking to counselor who specializes in reproductive issues, or even just starting a blog like this one, can be of enormous help. You can learn skills and gain insights that can help you to grieve, to make decisions, and ultimately to heal. In this way, no matter what happens, you’ll know that you will come through this stronger and healthier than before. That's my goal.
I like the idea of a journey. It helps me reconcile the way different things seem to happen to others than happen to me. I know we're all trying to get to the same place, but if we're starting from different locations, our journeys will be very different.
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