The Infertility Blogosphere

Well, I'm diving right in!  I guess I wasn't looking in the right places, but it seemed like for months all of the blogs and communities that I found about infertility and trying to conceive (TTC if you're in the know!- insert massive eye roll here) were weird and talked about baby dust, angel babies and sticky fluid.  I have finally found some online communities with some intelligent voices of reason- other people who need to express the wide range of feelings they go through every day but can't share with the people around them.  What a relief to see that others have experienced the same emotions that I have and that I'm not a freak!  To be honest, however, what a NON relief to hear people talking about trying for 10 years.  Could I really do this for 9 more years?!! As I've said before, I know there are worse things in the world but this has been one of the most challenging years of my life, I'm not sure if I could take a decade.

So it turns out there are like a zillion infertility blogs.  I found a great resource in the Stirrup Queens http://www.stirrup-queens.com.  Not only is this a great blog, there are tons of resources and ways to connect to other blogs.  I seriously have been sitting here for like three hours and have only just scratched the surface of what's available.

I'm still looking for that answer... how does one keep faith/hope/sanity alive between rounds of treatments, blood tests, ultrasounds, waiting, periods, disappointment, crying, blood tests, ultrasounds, medicine, ultrasounds, waiting...

I did find a few short prayers that might be helpful for those of us who are doing this with God.

Prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Amen

Prayer #2
Lord help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I can't handle.
Amen

Even if you are not a praying person, perhaps you can find some peace in these words.  I like "Patience obtains all things".  It reminds me to not get stuck so much in the woah is me look where I am but to see how far I've come.  I look back on that first failed IUI, how I cried and cried.  I felt like I was alone in a dark cave devoid of hope or ever leaving.  I forgot that I had a life outside of trying to get pregnant and thought that all hope was lost.  Seven months later I feel years wiser.  I don't know if that broken woman would recognize the one that sits here today, trying to reach out to others, giving advice about Ovidrel on the internet.  Time has made me this much stronger, so I guess I can keep going.

Please share what advice you have for keeping faith and hope alive!