Blog Challenge: Day 20. Becoming part of IF community

Day 20 - Discuss how you found your way into the ALI community, and what being part of it has meant to you – good and bad.  ALI stands for Adoption, Loss, and Infertility.  Since I have not dealt personally with loss through c/p or m/c and I only follow on IF'er who went with adoption...I feel I can only talk to the subject I know - Infertility.

I found my way there in the same way many do...I had been TTC for a while (9 months) when I brought up to my OB that we'd been trying with no success.  She said since we should continue to try for a year before getting worried, she suggested we take the next three months and slowly get the basic testing done for IF out of the way.  So, month one I got my HSG done - all clear.  Month two Jeff got his S/A...and that's when the doctor told us "I don't believe you'll be able to get pregnant on your own.  You should start seeing an RE." 

But that's just how I learned I was infertile.  Not how I became part of the community.  For that, I really have a handful of women to thank that were there at the beginning.  In March 2010 when I started testing, a large group of women I had gotten to know on the bump's TTGP board all felt it was time they had a spot of their own...for the non-newbs, but not full blown IF.  The 3T board was fairly dead so they decided to make a "mass exodus" as it came to be known.  As I had not been trying for a year yet, I felt maybe I shouldn't join them yet so I lurked, but Mari2003 encouraged me to join them.   And here were Kdodge, Glowisconsin, Mari, Ams, Riley Grace and many others I had known for the whole wild ride up to that point.  I started following blogs at that point, and starting this little outlet for myself.  And yes, almost every single person who was there at that point now has their little bundle of joy...but I have to believe I will join them again sometime soon...but I will never forget the IF pains I went through to get there.

And as an outspoken, tell it like it is person - I started to talk to anyone about IF when it came up in conversation.  I began to take pride in educating people.  And so almost a year after we were diagnosed, I came up with a seven day facebook awareness campaign for the national IF awareness week.  I look forward to doing it again this coming April, no matter if I am PG or not.  I have contacted my congressmen about legislation and encouraged others to do the same.  I am an advocate for IF support, awareness, and treatment!

But really the way I feel I am part of the community is through my 3t gals.  We've done gift exchanges, send messages of encouragement, and really get to know eachother well.  And the love I felt when being contacted by two of the ladies wanting to personally donate to me for our injects cycle?  I can't tell you how I felt!  I told Jezebell she is my fairy godmother, granting my wishes to "go to the ball".  LOL.  I hope there is a fairy tale ending to this story.  But no matter what happens, I know I have my IF community to lean on - and that has made such a huge difference in getting through this nightmare that is IF.