Fertility Podcasts

By Kathleen

There is an explosion of new media options for news and information on the internet today. You’ve probably heard of youtube.com, but how about podcasts? Podcasts are audio programs that people produce about a very specific topic. You subscribe to podcasts, and are alerted when there are new programs to listen to. Apple’s Itunes program is a great place to get started with podcasts. Not surprisingly, there are several fertility related podcast resources. Some, like the no-pea-in-the-podcast, are personal (but very informative) accounts of one persons infertility journal. The second time around is another couples journal on their infertility struggles. Others podcasts are more professionally done and are sponsored by various fertility clinics. Many of these podcasts are very well produced, and are well worth taking the time to listen to.

Who Do You Tell?

By Kathleen

Dealing with infertility is obviously a very personal experience. Deciding whom you are going to share this with is often difficult. Most people tell their parents, but frequently extended family members are not in the loop. I chose to keep a close circle of friends involved, but didn’t tell my colleagues at work. This allowed me to have an escape at work, knowing people wouldn’t be feeling sorry for me or feel a need to ask me ‘How I’m doing’ each day. Having my close friends involved ensured I’d always have someone to talk to when I was really down.

YouTube Video

By Kathleen

A friend recently sent me a very touching YouTube video. Even though I am now on the “other side” of infertility this video brought back all of the pain and heartbreak of my infertility journey. Kellie Coffey manages to wrap all the emotions from my two year journey into a four minute video. The artist describes more about her experience on her official website. It is wonderful how the internet has brought infertility patients together in numerous ways- through this video sharing website patients are now able to share their stories like never before and touch countless people. It is comforting to know there are other people out there who know exactly how you feel.

Effectiveness in Sperm Banking for Cancer Patients

By Kathleen

A recent study investigated the benefits of freezing sperm in young male patients prior to receiving cancer treatment. Childhood cancer treatment has improved dramatically resulting in a greater number of survivors. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy may cause temporary or permanent infertility. In this study, the patients who used their frozen sperm sample later in life had a 36% fertility success rate using IUI (intrauterine insemination) and 50% using IVF (in vitro fertilization). Pregnancies have been reported for cases in which the sperm has been stored for 20 years prior to thawing and insemination. Surprisingly even though freezing sperm has proven to be highly effective, discussion of reproductive options with young male cancer patients is not standard procedure.

Getting the Best Treatment

By Kathleen

I am a big fan of the “YOU” books by Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz for down to earth and practical medical advice. They have published a book about getting the best medical treatment- YOU: The Smart Patient: An Insider’s Handbook to Getting the Best Treatment. Infertility treatment is very complicated and expensive thus it is critical that you are at the right clinic for you. You will find a wide variety of options when considering treatment in most metropolitan areas, but its up to you to make the final decision. As this book emphasizes, it is worth the effort to get a second opinion. Visit several clinics in your area to determine which offers the best treatment given your individual problem. Some clinics specialize in treating certain patient populations, which means that they may have more physicans with knoweldge of your specific issues.

Coping Mechanisms

By Kathleen

There are many excellent resources online that can help you deal with the stress of infertility treatments. The Resolve website has a special section specifically for coping with these issues. I found the advice on Coping with the Holidays to be particularly helpful. When I was cycling I found it very difficult to spend time around pregnant women- it just reminded me of how hopeless my situation seemed at the time. And pregnant women were everywhere- work, the grocery store, family gatherings, etc. I went out of my way to avoid friend and family events where I knew expectant mothers would be. This was especially difficult with my own sister-in-law’s baby shower. I decided to attend but found it very stressful. I subsequently limited my social engagements, and refused to feel bad about purposely avoiding them. Instead my husband and I made special plans that included just the two of us so we could focus on our relationship.