6.Discuss how you found your way into the ALI community, and what being part of it has meant to you – good and bad.
After we found out my tubes were blocked, early March 2010, I was talking to a friend who had hoped he could be a sperm donor. Yes, I had a number of offers! He mentioned that he had a friend who had just had twins via IVF. I immediately thought, "Yeah, yeah, my sister's friend's cousin...lalalala."
But he insisted I speak with them. A couple of emails later I was invited in. The first blog I read was Andrea's, Preheated Oven: Where Is My Bun?. She hasn't updated lately...she is a busy lady these days. Anyway, she said she had chronicled her journey, if I cared to read. Did I ever! I read her entire history one day. And then read some of her blog roll. And started thinking...
I took the dive, created this blog, and haven't looked back. I may not have as many followers as some, but that's okay :-) I get support, and I get things off my chest. And I could NOT have made it through the last year and a half without ALL of you.
I would say that 98% of my experiences have been positive. Support, friends, giving support, fun, laughter, tears...a community like no other.
The negatives have been a few times when someone IRL read, pretty much knowing full well I was pissed at them, and a couple erroneous and horrid anonymous comments.
It's still worth it. I would not give you all up for anything. My life has been made richer, fuller, larger and smaller all at once. Not only has it made me feel not alone in my journey and struggles, it has helped me help others, which is something I live for. It has allowed me to help people IRL, too.
I feel very blessed to have this technology, this way of connecting to people all over the world, of becoming a community. I only wish I could meet you all in person...
After we found out my tubes were blocked, early March 2010, I was talking to a friend who had hoped he could be a sperm donor. Yes, I had a number of offers! He mentioned that he had a friend who had just had twins via IVF. I immediately thought, "Yeah, yeah, my sister's friend's cousin...lalalala."
But he insisted I speak with them. A couple of emails later I was invited in. The first blog I read was Andrea's, Preheated Oven: Where Is My Bun?. She hasn't updated lately...she is a busy lady these days. Anyway, she said she had chronicled her journey, if I cared to read. Did I ever! I read her entire history one day. And then read some of her blog roll. And started thinking...
I took the dive, created this blog, and haven't looked back. I may not have as many followers as some, but that's okay :-) I get support, and I get things off my chest. And I could NOT have made it through the last year and a half without ALL of you.
I would say that 98% of my experiences have been positive. Support, friends, giving support, fun, laughter, tears...a community like no other.
The negatives have been a few times when someone IRL read, pretty much knowing full well I was pissed at them, and a couple erroneous and horrid anonymous comments.
It's still worth it. I would not give you all up for anything. My life has been made richer, fuller, larger and smaller all at once. Not only has it made me feel not alone in my journey and struggles, it has helped me help others, which is something I live for. It has allowed me to help people IRL, too.
I feel very blessed to have this technology, this way of connecting to people all over the world, of becoming a community. I only wish I could meet you all in person...
I enjoy reading these posts. Thanks for doing them. I read more IVF blogs than non IVF blogs and I have no reason to be in the community. One good thing that came of it I wanted to be an egg donor after reading IVF blogs and went through all the testing to be one only to find I may have my own IF issues on a few years so everything happens for a reason.
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