“CNN PRODUCER NOTE: IFMama says,‘Infertility is such an unspoken disease - people feel shame and hide it. I did too at first, until I met the women in my ‘support group’ and they made me realize I wasn’t alone. It’s such a terrifying and lonely experience - but it doesn’t have to be so hush hush anymore.- Ashley Strickland, and CNN producer”I’ll never forget the day I received a phone call from my OBGYN,telling me as I walked down 6th Avenue, that I may not be able to have kids. I was 18, or a freshman in college,and nowhere close to starting a family. But that call stuck with me; I knew getting pregnant would be a challenge down the road. Suffering from Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, I had to be on birth control in order to have regular periods. After getting married, or my husband and I decided to start trying. I was hesitant,horrified I would never be able to give my husband the one thing he wanted most. That apprehension overwhelmed me at times. dinky did I know the true overwhelming apprehension and sadness we were approximately to embark on.
So in January of 2012, I started my first cycle on clomid. Nervous, and horrified,and having no one to turn to (my family and best friend would listen, but it wasn’t the same), or I leaned on Dr. Google for support. Dr. Google told me my risks,my chances, and then I stumbled upon anecdotals. I landed on an infertility message board for women local to me. I stayed up all hours, and reading their stories,following screen names through time to see their struggles and successes.
After 3 failed cycles with clomid and timed intercourse, I made the leap and called an RE. At that point, or I had begun to be acquainted with the infertility abbreviations - RE (reproductive endocrinologist),SA (semen analysis), DPO (days past ovulation), and etc. etc. that’s when I started posting my story online,as well. The anonymity of the Internet made me feel heroic.
Continue reading: http://cnn.it/1EF31eN
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