Friday, September 18, 2009

Well That Didn't Last Very Long...

I think I used up all my happy in that last post. That brief burst of jabbering about lucky numbers and signs was evidently the bottom of the barrel for me. Although it's seemingly more obvious now that I've reread all that four leaf clover, unicorn shit...

And I've got another confession to make. I spend more time online with the IF blogging community than I think I ought to. I say that because my social life is pretty much non existent these days. Let me first say that I have always been a homebody. I always enjoyed an intimate setting rather than a vibrant one. But it's gotten to the point where I'm leaning on you all a lot. Brian is a little concerned. He says it's all I ever talk about. He thinks my hopelessness is hindering our conception viability. He doesn't understand why I don't make much of an effort to hang out with our pregnant friends. He doesn't get why I would feel jealousy or resentment towards people we love just because they have something we don't. I wish I could help him understand. I wish he could see the guilt that comes with feeling this way. I wish he knew that I feel like it's my fault that we've lost two sets of friends, because I'm not strong enough to hide my baggage and pretend everything is okay while my girlfriends rub their swollen bellies and debate over strollers and daycare. Please don't misunderstand, Brian is a wonderful husband and for the most part very supportive. But the last few weeks have been particularly hard on us. He thinks I'm obsessed, I think he's insensitive, and the next thing you know we're fighting over dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.

We can't be the only ones who've hit these lows. Until recently I could honestly say that the challenges we've dealt with have truly made our marriage a lot stronger. I guess I need to start working harder on that. It's not fair that I have become so consumed with my feelings. Above all my marriage comes first. I hate that I've let this overtake me. But it is so difficult to ignore.

Usually around now, 6dpo, I would be feeling anxious about being that much closer to knowing our fate. But all that comes to mind is what our next protocol will be once this cycle is done... Case in point: As of today we are the proud owners of four new vials of donor sperm. I called yesterday just to check the inventory of our specific donor. Turns out it was all gone. His next batch of vials won't be released from quarantine until January. Each sample is tested for STD's, HIV and AIDS then remains in quarantine for about six months until all tests are conclusive and verified negative. When I originally ordered our first six vials in June, there were well over 25 samples in stock. Guess we have good taste. The woman I was speaking with was very kind, but I got a little upset and asked if there was some kind of waiting list I could apply for. She asked me to hold, and came back with great news. She said she was able to pull from a special inventory because I had already purchased from this donor. The most we could get was four vials, still much more than we could afford, but I had to make the decision right way because she said she wouldn't be able to guarantee they would be available next week. And if this cycle doesn't work we would be in the position of having to pick a new donor. She also told me that our donor has another pregnancy reported, so that's encouraging. At least someone is getting lucky.

As of right now I can tell you that if this cycle doesn't work I am definitely going to ask for Clomid or injectables. I can't fucking take this anymore. Bring on the drugs!


11 comments:

Clare said...

Didn't the doc say 3rd time's a charm? Hopefully this will be it for you! But I totally hear ya on the drugs. I've been playing around with this in my head too. Anything to increase the chances!

The pregnant friends thing is so hard. I feel happy for them but I wouldn't want to spend a long time in their company - it's just too intense and exhausting. It sucks that IF does this to us, but it is what it is and there's no point pretending otherwise. What I hope for is that our relationships will pick up again after we finally get the good news. I think once you are pg, you'll happily be able to spend time with them again. Until then friends and hubbie have got to be patient and see things from your point of view. Big hugs!

meinsideout said...

M - you are so not alone. We have gone through so many ups and downs - and I really struggled with depression and not wanting to leave the house for a long, long time. My husband also got worried about my blogging - it was all I did and it was all I talked about for a long time. I am copying a post I wrote months ago about this same topic. ((HUGS))

Mr. M and I took a walk in a local park today – it was beautiful and hot and just great to get out. As we were walking, I saw so many people with their kids, women with strollers with babies as old as mine would be had my first pregnancy been successful. I could feel the darkness that I am/have been living in and I looked at the man next to me – my man – and it struck me how hard he has been fighting to keep me with him – he as drug me out of so many dark places and days just by doing simple things like the dishes and laundry. He has asked me to do so many things and I usually say no because I was too tired or I felt too sad or I felt too insecure – and it hit me – I have to work harder to meet him half-way, I have to walk, more like, drag myself out of the darkness to get to him, to love him, to take care of him. He is getting tired too – tired of losing me to this process over and over and over again. I am going to slowly try to get my life back more and more – I have to, pregnancy or no pregnancy, baby or no baby – I need to find myself again, find joy again.

kerri said...

melissa - your post resonates through me like a bolt of lightning. though our situations are so different, i too for a while relied on the IF blogosphere more than i relied on anyone else.

it is difficult when DH and I are the only couple in both of our circles that doesn't have children. so we are constantly around kids. a couple of our friends have had IF issues and have overcome them, so that is one thing that keeps us hopeful.

many many hugs!

R.J. said...

I have my fingers crossed for you!! And you are so not alone in your feelings. For at least 2 of the 3.5 yrs we've been TTC, I have balanced every bit of my happiness and most of my sanity on getting PG and put the rest of my life on hold. Sometimes I feel that I'm so emotionally binded by IF that it is the only thing that can make me happy. I too have pulled away from my girlfriends who have had babies during the last few years.

I start injectables for our first donor IUI this week. Given our 5 failed IVF cycles, my RE didn't even want to mess around with natural or clomid cycles. But of course the risk of multiples are higher, but right now I just want to get PG!!!

Jendeis said...

I agree that IF can really suck it sometimes. And, it's especially hard on a marriage.

I think a potential response to Brian when he's upset about the blogging stuff is that you are having a really hard time dealing with IF and that reading blogs and writing your own are helping you to deal with it.

Congrats on the available sperm! Our donor is a "hot commodity" as well, so I'm always thrilled when the bank calls us up when they are releasing vials. :)

Lu said...

Hang in there. I can totally relate on the whole don't want to hang out with pregnant friends thing. I think they deserve their day in the sun, I just don't want to be around for it most of the time. I hope some of them reach out to you to make things better, but I am a firm believer that you should only do what you are comfortable with, especially when it comes to the world of infertility.

lowfatlady said...

I tend to be a homebody and don't haven much of a social network either. I am very glad that I found this blog roll and all the support that came with it. I hope that you are able to find some joy with friends near by as well. I wish you luck in your journey!
ICLW

Teresa said...

You have NOT ditched your friends. You are still there for the ones that count, meaning me. :) As for the rest, well, you have too many friends to begin with, you can afford to lose a few.

Okay, so I am joking, but my point is that your friends know that you are swimming in a river of shit right now. The only thing you should be worried about is yourself and your husband. At the end of the day it is just you and him. So any energy you have left should be directed at him and caring for the awesome relationship the two of you have.

Your firends will be waiting for you when you are ready. And if they aren't; fuck them.

Meg. said...

My dear Melissa! (sorry I'm late to comment. I went on a blogging hiatus this weekend).

Basically, all of this sucks. I know you know this. You know I know this. And I completely understand how ALL ENCOMPASSING it is. I liken it to breathing. Even though you're not always conscious of it, it's happening -- thoughts of IF play on a loop in your head, constantly.

My two areas of focus in life, as of late, are: 1)Wedding 2)Baby. And since I'm the "planner" in the relationship, I spend tons of time researching and gathering information. Someone has to do it!

I often wonder if T thinks I'm too wrapped up in the blogging community (and he doesn't even know I have a blog!). But you know? These women get it. They get it in a way that a fertile friend could never, ever grasp.

But I also understand that Brian wants YOU back. He wants to spend more time with his wife. Maybe you could start by setting designated blogging hours? That's what I try to do (I often go over time, but at least I try!).

Know that you have an IRL friend in me as well! I know that wedding planning madness is making me freakishly unavailable right now, but I'd honestly like to spend more time with you!

I hope the end of the week greets you with the biggest, fattest BFP ever!

p.s. lunch soon?

babyattheend said...

I hope this is it and you don't have to worry about druggin' it up. It's no fun, despite what the hippies say ;)

Thanks so much for all the support you've shown me... I don't know what I'd do without you and the other girls who've been so awesome!!!

~Jess said...

It is hard: The whole IF thing. I think there comes a point (or at least with some men) that they start to realize the reality (or accept the reality) and feel the same pain we do at seeing other people's pregnancies (for us it wasn't until our 2nd failed DIUI that it really REALLY hit DH).

I'm glad that they had special vials to give to those who had previously purchased. Hopefully this happens soon for you guys.

We did medicated cycles (clomid and ovidrel) because I knew I needed to have as much "Science" involved in each cycle as possible, for my own sanity.

*hugS* I'm praying it's soon for you guys!