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The American Fertility Association Blog
Manicures & Martinis & MDs
May 14, 2009 - Thursday
Posted by admin
By Lori Holden
One of these things is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn’t belong
Can you guess which thing is not like the others...?
The Sesame Street song was in my head as the nail tech pushed back my cuticles at the American Fertility Association‘s Manicures & Martinis event in Denver.
I was in a room full of beautiful 20-somethings. Tanned legs, cute sun dresses, fresh skin. We were all guests of the AFA to begin thinking about our fertility and to listen to three doctors from Conceptions Reproductive Associates of Colorado.
I ONCE had tanned legs. I ONCE wore cute sundresses that didn’t have spaghetti sauce in some not-so-hidden crease. I ONCE had fresh skin.
But I never, in my 20s, worried about my fertility. Back then, we were trying hard NOT to get pregnant. And, we were told, “people have babies well into their 40s—you have plenty of time.”
So when I didn’t meet my husband until I was 31, I was not concerned. When we married at 32, I was not concerned. When, after a year of not exactly trying to become pregnant but not really trying not to, I began to grow concerned.
I could have used a night like this back then. Or even before then.
After welcoming remarks by AFA Executive Director Ken Mosesian, Drs. Swanson, Bush and Albrecht told about substances and activities that can decrease fertility in both men and women. They shared results of studies on everything from egg health to treatment success rates to timing of intercourse. They entertained questions about an alphabet-soup of issues: PCOS, POF, MFI, OHSS, IVF, IUI and the rest of the infertility lexicon.
(I am now reading The Land of IF: Understanding Infertility and Exploring your Options, so I was able to follow the technical parts. Mostly.)
The good doctors were informative and charming, and I could see trusting them with my fertility hopes, if I had been like the others instead of being a tired mom having a rare night out with an organization I’m now blogging for.
How did my story turn out? Well, we never did get the better of our fertility. Our one shot at IVF was a failure, and we faced it alone and isolated in the days before online support groups, blogs, forums and the AFA.
But we did become parents, nonetheless. In 2001, we were at our daughter’s birth, and remain in contact with her first parents in a fully open adoption. Two years later, her brother joined us as an infant, and our family was complete.
Lest you think I’m blowing the age gap out of proportion, check out the local news clip. You’ll see my back (I’m talking with the doctors) at 1:12 where the voice over says, “Most importantly, know about the AGE FACTOR.”
Even though I was not like the others—wanting to know the ways to preserve my fertility—I did somehow manage to enjoy my manicure and martini.
Some things are universal.
Lori Holden blogs about open adoption and mindful living amid chaos at Weebles Wobblog, and she dishes up sassy reviews at All Thumbs Reviews. Lori has recently joined the AFA as a contributing blogger.
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http://WeeblesWobblog.blogspot.com ...mindful living amid chaos
http://AllThumbsReviews.blogspot.com ...sassy reviews by sassy chicks
@BestLight ...follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/BestLight
Categories
Adoption •
Fertility Preservation •
IUI •
IVF •
PCOS •
Pregnancy •
Reproductive Health
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