For the first time ever, RESOLVE put together a scorecard to rank the states (and DC) in how fertility friendly they are. The rankings were created based on four factors: the insurance mandate climate, the legislative climate, the number of fertility clinics as compared to the number of people dealing with infertility, and the number of RESOLVE support groups. Before you click on the link, take a guess as to where Georgia is ranked. I'll wait.
Any guesses?
I talked about this with one of my local friends, who guessed 49th. In the voice of several game shows, I had to tell that person "LOWER!!" Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Georgia is DEAD LAST in the rankings.
Where is Maryland, you may ask? Between the mandated IVF coverage and a couple of large clinics, among other factors, Maryland ranks 5th. Yes, I moved from a state that ended up ranked 5th, where my IVF would have been covered, to the state being pointed out for epic failure.
I still have no idea whether I'll need it, whether it will impact my immediate life which fertility climate I live in. And no matter what, I'm still happy that I moved here. But at the same time, I will be looking for what opportunities I can fit in to get involved and advocate, whether it's for myself or for my sisters.
So maybe that's how I'll recognize NIAW, both during the week and after.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Progress
Reading through my reading page for the first time in many months, I'm seeing how much I've missed, how many people who I follow have been able to adopt or gotten their BFP or even had their baby, and I'm amazed. I truly am happy to see that people I've followed and cared about have had their dreams come true while I've been away in the reaches of outer space.
Monday, April 15, 2013
NIAW and Me
Last year at this time, I was preparing blog posts, changing my cover photo on Facebook, posting a poem every day, getting my suit and talking points ready for Advocacy Day. This year is...different. And I'm not entirely sure where I fit in.
I just put up one of Keiko's cover photos, one that points to the profile pic and says "Because 1 in 8 is someone you know." Implying, of course, that the person in the profile pic is infertile. But am I? I don't know. After all, the testing all came back normal. Together with DH, I was infertile. But I don't know if I, in and of myself, am infertile. So I don't know if the cover photo applies to me or not. Looking back at the one I got from her last year, it also says, "Because 1 in 8 is someone you know" but adds "Like me." So I can't just go back to last year's photo without wondering either.
Yes, I could just let NIAW pass by without notice. After all, I am in an awkward stage of my infertility-or-lack-thereof journey. But that feels wrong, too. It isn't true to the experience that I've had so far, and it isn't true to the experience that people I care about have had or are still in the midst of. The theme for this year's Bloggers Unite is Join the Movement. According to the Resolve website, "The goal of this year's Blog Challenge is to bring together bloggers to talk about how you are making the difference in ways large and small in the lives of people with infertility. Topics covered in your blog post can include how you broke the silence of infertility in your life, how you advocated for the infertility community, how you advocated for yourself, or how you created a support community to help you through the infertility journey".
Every other year, I've had an easy time writing about the theme. But this year, I don't know what to say. I probably won't write a post, because I don't know what I've really done. I guess I'm "joining the movement" by not slinking quietly by and ignoring NIAW. But anything else? I dunno. Last year it was clear, but not anymore.
I just put up one of Keiko's cover photos, one that points to the profile pic and says "Because 1 in 8 is someone you know." Implying, of course, that the person in the profile pic is infertile. But am I? I don't know. After all, the testing all came back normal. Together with DH, I was infertile. But I don't know if I, in and of myself, am infertile. So I don't know if the cover photo applies to me or not. Looking back at the one I got from her last year, it also says, "Because 1 in 8 is someone you know" but adds "Like me." So I can't just go back to last year's photo without wondering either.
Yes, I could just let NIAW pass by without notice. After all, I am in an awkward stage of my infertility-or-lack-thereof journey. But that feels wrong, too. It isn't true to the experience that I've had so far, and it isn't true to the experience that people I care about have had or are still in the midst of. The theme for this year's Bloggers Unite is Join the Movement. According to the Resolve website, "The goal of this year's Blog Challenge is to bring together bloggers to talk about how you are making the difference in ways large and small in the lives of people with infertility. Topics covered in your blog post can include how you broke the silence of infertility in your life, how you advocated for the infertility community, how you advocated for yourself, or how you created a support community to help you through the infertility journey".
Every other year, I've had an easy time writing about the theme. But this year, I don't know what to say. I probably won't write a post, because I don't know what I've really done. I guess I'm "joining the movement" by not slinking quietly by and ignoring NIAW. But anything else? I dunno. Last year it was clear, but not anymore.
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