…or Begins. Depending on how you look at it. After almost a year of blogging all the news your womb can use, this will be my final week here at Fertility Notes and at b5media.

Sniff.

But don’t you be sad! You can still find me at my private blog (you can email me for details) and at www.nationalparksonline.net, our newly revamped blog chronicling Michael’s and my two-year road trip to all of the National Park sites across the United States and keeping you up to date on national park news. If you’re interested, I am working on some pretty neat things over at www.par.net for folks looking for autism or intellectual disabilities services here in Pennsylvania.

And here’s even better news: for those of you following my personal fertility journey, we received two very nice hCG (aka “pregnancy hormone“) numbers this week. While I’m wary of celebrating just yet, things are looking pretty good. We have an ultrasound (!) scheduled for later this month.

Since this will likely be my last post, I wanted to leave you with some of my favorite all time posts and helpful hints. Here is what I learned writing Fertility Notes:

• Even though some people can be mean and irrational, if you are struggling with or living with infertility, you never need to feel alone.

• Telling your partner he is “seriously F-ing with your fertility feng shui” tidies up the bedroom far faster than nagging.

• Acupuncture (and my acupuncturist) is awesome.

• Sometimes struggling with fertility gives us compassion and brings us closer to people in unlikely ways.

• You can still enjoy a fabulous foot massage from your husband while pregnant.

• This may have been the hardest post I’ve ever written.

• There is not nearly enough information available in schools regarding infertility.

• Estrogen is not all bad. In fact, sometimes it’s kinda nice.

• The end result is more important to me than how I get there.

• Cultivating my Qi is important. And it can be fun.

• It is possible for joy and sorrow to occupy the same space.

• You ladies love learning about herbal tampons.

• The Barren Bitches Book Brigade may be one of the best online meeting of minds I have ever participated in. A monthly opportunity to read, reflect, respond and most importantly gather the thoughts of beautiful, intelligent women. You should join the next one!

• Raising a child is relatively inexpensive, once you get to that point.

• I will never stop caring about Choice and the environment, getting angry about misinformation, or boycotting products that do not respect women (that means you, Tampax) And I hope to goddess that my children are rabble rousers too.

• My top ten random reasons for wanting to have a baby are still 100% accurate.

I invite you to comment here or email me at polchic@hotmail.com to tell me what you have learned. Don’t be a stranger!

Post from: Blisstree

Here’s Where the Story Ends

Sigh.

I think I can squeeze in one more trip or two to the beach. I have to. I still have summer reading to do. I still haven’t finished the The Mind-Body Fertility Connection: The True Pathway to Conception by James Schwartz. Did I mention that I have some extra copies to share? Want one?

Let me tell you what I know: James Schwartz is a Board certified Hypnotherapist and founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Hypnotherapy Center in Lakewood, Colorado. He’s got a fertility program called, “Hypnosis to Promote Fertility” which focuses on “healing the mental and emotional barriers that can often prevent conception.” That practice is the basis of the book that I have for you.

If that sounds like something you’d like to know more about, email me at polchic@hotmail.com and ‘ll tell you more….

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – Win a Copy of the Mind-Body Fertility Connection by James Schwartz

If you are still undergoing cancer treatments and think others at your oncologist’s office would benefit from this, you can use Fertile Hope’s Tell Your Doctor tool and they’ll take care of the rest.

A little over a year ago, when hubby and I finally realized that surely I must not be the only childhood cancer survivor who wanted to have a baby, (Hey, sometimes that light bulb takes a little longer to light for some of us…) finding Fertile Hope was the first glimmer of, well, hope for us. An earlier version of this Guide helped steer us in the right direction and connected us with the Reproductive Endocrinologist and clinic that still works with us today.

Even though we are not directly involved in a Fertile Hope program, finding an RE with at least a basic understanding of oncofertility was essential for us. I think that search would have taken much longer without Fertile Hope.

Here’s to hoping that this post shortens a search or two.

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Speaking of Freebie Friday, You have until July 31st to enter to win a $40 Fertility Scope from  Miracle Light Labs. That’s tomorrow! Hurry!

Post from: Blisstree

The 08-09 Cancer & Fertility Resource Guide is here!

A Newsweek article that will be published in the August 4th issue of the magazine gives a great explanation of what Oncofertility is and why it matters so much to cancer patients.

According to Newsweek:

Of the 125,000 people under the age of 45 who are diagnosed with cancer each year, roughly half will receive treatments that will affect their fertility. The cancers that most commonly strike the young—leukemias, lymphomas and breast cancers—require some of the most toxic forms of chemotherapy, which target rapidly growing and fragile cells like hair follicles, sperm and eggs.

The good news: patients who would like to become parents have a growing array of options. Men are benefiting from a procedure that allows urologists to find a single live sperm to bank, which can then be used in an in vitro fertilization method that requires just one sperm. Women can freeze eggs or ovarian tissue, though success rates are still low. Those with partners (or donor sperm) can freeze embryos, the procedure with the best track record, though, like egg freezing, it’s available only to patients who have two to six weeks before starting treatment. On the horizon are less toxic chemotherapy agents as well as methods of shielding eggs and sperm from harm.

But can I just ask that you, dear docs, take a little more care in those “methods of shielding eggs and sperm from harm?”

Before I started the radiation segment of my treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease, someone thought that by pulling my ovaries behind my uterus (which would be shielded from the radiation by a big lead block), that would be good enough. Instead, it took years and several confused ultrasound technicians to finally locate those ovaries again – which were anything but shielded from harm.

I’m just sayin’.

Anyway, this is a nice article in mainstream media that’s not the NY Times (who has had fertility-related articles in nearly every Sunday edition for the last several weeks.) I dig it.

Post from: Blisstree

Newsweek Shines a Light on Oncofertility

Since I wrote to my Congressmen about the Act, I received the following update from CureSearch.org:

The bill, first introduced in the Senate by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Norm Coleman (R-MN), passed by unanimous consent, echoing a similar 416-0 vote June 12th in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) requested, and received, this unanimous consent on the Senate floor.

What does this mean? It means the bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously and is now on its way to President Bush to sign into law. If he does, $30 million will be authorized annually over five years,

providing funding for collaborative pediatric cancer clinical trials research, to create a population-based national childhood cancer database, and to further improve public awareness and communication regarding available treatment and research for children with cancer and their families.

Hells yes. That is what I am talking about. In the grand scheme of things $30M is not really a huge chunk of money, especially compared to other expenditures in the federal budget. But my goodness, this is a nice place to start.

I am thrilled by this news. I hope you are too. If you did reach out to your Senator or Representative, please take a moment to thank them for their bipartisan efforts on behalf of children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors.

Post from: Blisstree

More Updates – The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act

Smart ART IX, which will take place August 14-16, is a symposium that will “provide a unique opportunity for nurses and healthcare professionals involved in the management of infertility patients to learn about new agents, procedures, and counseling techniques contributing to the continued success of ART.”

Oh wait, did I mention? Maybe I didn’t…

Enrollment is limited to the first 450 registrants and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Why?

Tuition has been generously underwritten by an unrestricted educational grant from Organon, a part of Schering-Plough which includes all scientific sessions, a course syllabus, and planned meal functions.

That means it’s free.

Of course, you’ll still need to get a hotel room for the weekend, but I bet your spouse or best friend would be happy to split the tab and find some other reasons to be in Vegas.

What are you waiting for? Click here to register.

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And don’t forget about that other Friday Freebie! You have until July 31st to enter to win a $40 Fertility Scope from  Miracle Light Labs.

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday (Professional Edition) – Smart ART IX: From Physiology to Clinical Success

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
      PA-New Hope: Attachment Strengthening Activities for You & Your New Baby or Child 10:00 AM
      Tele-Seminar: Making the Decision to Adopt 9:00 PM

Thursday, July 24, 2008
      PA – York: General Infertility Peer Support Group 7:00 PM

Sunday, July 27, 2008
      PA-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: General Infertility Peer Support Group 6:30 PM

For more information on support, events and other information on the family building issues important to you, visit http://www.northeast.resolve.org/.

Post from: Blisstree

RESOLVE Events and Activities in PA Next Week

Originally written for the 1996 March/April issue of Psychology Today Magazine, this article stills feels timely and relevant. I’ve had this page bookmarked for a while and have been digesting it in bits. Don’t be turned off by the first paragraph which states:

Contrary to popular belief, there is no infertility crisis sweeping the nation. We’ve just lost all conception of what it takes to conceive. Reproductive technology has made us impatient with nature. So for increasing numbers of couples the creation of a new human being has become a strangely dehumanizing process.

Because what follows is actually a quite thoughtful and thorough discussion of infertility, assisted reproduction and the role it is now playing in our lives. And, pages later, the article finally does admit that it is nearly impossible to determine whether or not infertility in men is rising or falling and,

Although infertility rates are not on the rise overall, Creighton University sociologist Shirley Scritchfield, Ph.D., points out that they are rising among some subgroups of the population: all young women between the ages of 20 and 24 and women of color.

A rise in sexually transmitted diseases, which can permanently harm reproductive organs, is seen as a primary reason.

The article explores why couples go through such lengths to reproduce and how the insertion of technology into the mix can both dehumanize the process and intensify the desire to add a new human to the family:

Couples undergoing intensive fertility treatments lose their wide-angle perspective on life. They may fall behind in their careers and cut themselves off from friends and family, all in the narcissistic pursuit of cloning their genes. Technology may provide us with the illusion that it’s helping us control our reproductive fate, but in reality, it just adds to the narcissism. “The higher tech the treatment, the more inwardly focused couples become,” says Doherty.

I’m not sure if I agree with those assumptions, but I don’t mind these conclusions:

“Most couples who seek fertility treatment are committed enough to their relationship that they will go through pain and suffering to have a child together,” says Pasch. And if they have the skills to address their problem, their relationships tend to become stronger—even if they never have a baby.”

I would love to hear your take on Psychology Today’s take on “technofertility.”

…after you add your entry to the latest Green Giveaway, which features the kind of high tech Fertility Scope.

Post from: Blisstree

Has “Technofertility” Taken Over?

FertilityLifeLines.com is offering a FREE 48-page booklet entitled, In the Know: What No One Tells You About Fertility

The 48-page girlfriend-to-girlfriend booklet was created to address this gap in the current resources available to couples seeking information about infertility. The booklet covers the broad range of issues that couples face when struggling with infertility, including a description of infertility in males and females, how to cope with the emotional stresses of infertility, an overview of the treatments that are available and resources that can provide couples with information to navigate the costs of treatment.

Want one? Just register at the Fertility Life Lines website. Don’t worry. You can opt out of receiving newsletters or more info if you only want the booklet. (That’s what I did.)

From their website: Fertility LifeLines™ is a free, confidential, educational resource that provides customized information and support to people with fertility health concerns. A single phone call can put you in touch with customer service representatives, benefits specialists, and fertility nurses. Fertility LifeLines™ is provided by EMD Serono, the leader in fertility health.

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But don’t forget about that other Friday Freebie! You have until July 31st to enter to win a $40 Fertility Scope from  Miracle Light Labs.

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday Bonus! Free “In the Know” Booklet from FertilityLifeLines

And now I’m a little nervous.

Image details:  served by picapp.com

Why? If things continue to move forward, I could be facing the possibility of traveling with my medicine cabinet, which includes, gasp, sharp objects.

I’d rather travel light using only a carry on – would this even be possible? It’s been ages since I’ve flown. Just how screwy are these new rules and regs?

I checked with my clinic earlier this week and my nurse seemed to think that all I would need was a note. She was more concerned that I would have someone with me to assist with the actual injections (are you reading, L? Don’t get woozy…)

I just checked my airline’s website and here’s what it says (after it warns that baseball bats, hockey sticks and other large blunt objects are no-no’s along with knives or sharp objects of any kind):

Medically necessary needles and syringes are exempt from these prohibitions if passengers have in their possession prescription medication with a professionally printed label that identifies the medical office, pharmacy, or manufacturer of the medication.

That sounds reasonable. I can do that.

Tell me, dear readers. Have any of you had to travel with injectable meds? Is it really this easy? Did you encounter any static or trouble along the way? Any anecdotes that I should know about?

Post from: Blisstree

How Flight-Friendly are Fertility Meds?