Yesterday I got to meet a fellow blogger and woman I "met" through WebMD. She was a vet on the ITSG (infertility treatment support group) when I joined back in December. She and a few other ladies were so helpful and informative with all my questions. She gave encouragement and sage advice when called for. It was great to finally be able to meet Gretchen and her husband B (I won't post his name).
What I thought would be a lunch lasting about an hour and a half turned into a three hour lunch, then we stood outside the restaurant for another 15 minutes or so before heading to our cars! It was so nice to talk to someone in person who had been been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. I even asked her husband how he was handling everything and how he added to the decision making process, so I could compare it to how my Hubby has been dealing with everything. Lately Hubby has told me that whatever I decide he'll go along with, as he's tired of talking about it already. Which is kind of discouraging for me as these are big decisions we are facing and I don't want to face this task alone. Plus, to be 100% honest, I don't want him coming back to me later on down the road and telling me "This was your decision and look what it's done to us!" Know what I mean?
Back to lunch, just as Gretchen has done on the boards, she did at lunch, providing me with valid reasons as to why I should seek a second opinion from CCRM (the doctors my OB told me to go to). That's where she has been, seeking care for her issues, not giving up the fight because her RE said "that's all folks." Luckily for her, her RE told her that if she would like a second opinion to get a fresh pair of eyes looking at her case, that he would support her decision. (Be sure to click on Gretchen's blog to get updates and provide her with encouragement, as we all know that the more we have support, the better we are able to fight this beast called infertility.)
If you ever have a chance to meet a fellow IFer, please do so. The connection we have through the web is real, but when you meet IRL, it makes it alive. It allows you to see the pain etched in our faces, to hear the catches in our voices, the firm grip of a hug, the comfort that a shoulder can actually provide. Many of us have supportive husbands, even family and friends, but the support of a fellow IFer is so much better because they know. They know.
