Thank you!!

This is a post of gratitude. When we started this blog at the end of March, we didn’t know how many people would read it. We didn’t know if our story would reach anyone who needed to hear it. We started it because we didn’t want to be silent about our journey. Being silent made us feel like we were ashamed of the card that we had been dealt. Infertility and the struggles to have a family are often kept quiet and often times couples keep quiet because of fear. They are afraid how other people will treat them. They are afraid other people will pity them. They don’t want to hear the platitudes or advice that others say out of kindness and naivety. We wanted to help break that cycle. Infertility is a medical condition, just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It is not something to be ashamed of. It is not a dark secret to hide away from those who love you most. Studies have shown that couples diagnosed with infertility grieve the same way as couples who have been diagnosed with cancer. They have similar degrees of psychological impact. Think about that for a minute. If you or your significant other were diagnosed with cancer, would you hide it away and keep it from your support system or family or friends? If you did, how difficult would it be to go through the journey to remission without that support system?

Our goal when we started this blog was to help others going through this know they are not alone and because everyone’s infertility story and journey is different we were hoping that our unique path would be familiar to others and help offer some guidance. We wanted to be the lighthouse in someone else’s storm. We have had many lighthouses that we are forever grateful for and wanted to pay it forward. If we helped one person, then all of it would be worth it. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason, and it took some time but I truly feel that this happened to us because we are strong enough to handle it and are open and willing to help other people through it. God chose this for us because He knows it won’t break us and He knows we will help others through our experiences.

In the last few months of sharing our story I have had countless friends tell me how much they enjoy reading about our journey and how we are in their nightly prayers. I have had people that I haven’t spoken with in 10 years reach out to me to thank me for being open and sharing because they have gone through similar journeys. When I have been down and worried about test results, I have had acquaintances private message me their lab results from their pregnancies to reassure me of my levels. I have been contacted by mothers of high school classmates to ask that I connect with their friends because they think our blog can help them. This week I am planning on meeting with a classmate who is starting her own fertility journey and has tons of questions. I am so happy that we are able to help others through this difficult time and I am thankful that people feel comfortable enough to reach out to me.

Those of us with an analytical mind like to quantify things. Our blog has reached more people that I could have imagined. Here are a few stats (as of 7/27):

• 13,683 views
• 4,707 visitors
• 873 followers
• Viewed in 31 different countries:
  • United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, France, New Zealand, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Sweden, Haiti, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, India, Morocco, Spain, Mexico, Malaysia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Iceland, St. Lucia, Taiwan, Greece and Philippines

That is absolutely CRAZY! The love and support that we have received from everyone is overwhelming and each one of you has touched our hearts. We are so lucky to have such a support system in place, from family and friends to the online community, each person has helped us get through this and keep our heads up and looking toward the future.