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Entry bubble Infertility: Part 2 - Coping and Options

By: Ginger | October 24, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

My blog last week was about the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Decisions and choices become more difficult as a person progresses through the journey with infertility. With each attempt, the anxiety escalates, as does the potential cost (health insurance coverage varies) and the grief experienced if the attempts fail.

It is important to learn how to cope with those feelings. Psychological factors can impact a person’s fertility. The following things can help you and your partner get through this crisis:

  • Keep communication open between you and your partner. Approach infertility as a team.
  • Educate yourselves about all aspects of infertility.
  • Keep an optimistic attitude, but be realistic by setting limits on how long you are willing to try and how much you are willing to pay.
  • Seek emotional support from doctors and others in support groups.
  • Pursue other interests. Don’t let infertility take over your life.

Medline Plus has a section on coping with infertility that has helpful information. The Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo, CO has a mental health links page that offers links to sites that can help you deal with stress, grief, and anxiety.

Coping with infertility can be particularly difficult at holidays and family gatherings. People don’t mean to be cruel, but sometimes they say things that hurt. Talking to friends and family about your infertility may help you and it may help them to understand better what you are going through.

If pregnancy doesn’t happen, it is disappointing, but there are other options. Adoption or foster care for a child in need is a good option. There are many children in the U.S. who need a good family. International adoption may be a more involved process, but it is also an alternative. However, not everyone decides to adopt. Some people get more involved in the lives of children through a Big Brother/Big Sister program.

Ginger with her nephews in Colorado.

In my own case, my journey with infertility ended several years ago and I have accepted that I will never be a mom. I try to keep my life active and fulfilling by spending time with my 5 nephews (that’s Cam and Bryce with me on a vacation in Colorado). I may never be a mom, but I try to be a good aunt.

Life goes on and we all find our way to cope. How do you cope with infertility?

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: adoption   ginger   infertility   reproduction  

 

Entry bubble Beyond Pumpkin Pie

By: Nancy | October 23, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Our Kids.gov manager Arlene shared her fantastic apple pie recipe with us in the comments section of my birthday post last week. And that got me to thinking: The apple pie's all gone and now I'm craving pumpkin. pumpkins in a fieldSo for fun I did a search on USA.gov for pumpkin recipes and was not disappointed by what I found among federal, state and local government and nonprofit websites. So for your culinary pleasure, here are some of my favorite discoveries:

Think pumpkin and you probably think "pie." You can get the standard recipe on any can of pureed pumpkin. But here are two new ones to try:

If you have celiac disease and can't tolerate—or don't want to use—regular flour, Ohio State University's extension department suggests harvest pumpkin bars, using soy flour for the crust.

Pumpkin cheesecake from South Carolina? That sounds good about now, as do pumpkin orange cookies from Alabama's Tallapoosa County Extension Office.

Kids get such a kick out of cooking. How about saving the seeds from their jack-o-lanterns and toasting them up with one of the creative mix-ins suggested by the kids in Michigan's Saranac Community School District?

Pumpkin's good for more than just desserts. The Vegetarian Resource Group offers recipes for pumpkin and lentils, stuffed pumpkins and more. I've hollowed out pumpkins but never filled them!

In the mood for something light, like soup? King County, Washington has a spiced pumpkin soup recipe and my home base, the state of New Jersey has pumpkin bread and pumpkin-mushroom soup recipes for you to try.

Aiming to eat not so light? Take a peek at the Pentagon Channel's pumpkin and sweet Italian sausage fettuccine. Yes sir, that's good eating!

Which of these recipes are you tempted to try?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: baking   cooking   nancy   pumpkin  

 

Entry bubble Cancer Treatment Scams

By: Colleen | October 22, 2008 | Category: Health

doctorBefore I dive into the serious stuff, I have to give a public shout-out to the Phillies, who are playing in their first World Series in fifteen years, starting tonight. Here we go Phils! "Why can't us?"

While baseball seems like the most important thing to me right now, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings me back to reality, where we are all hard pressed to find anyone whose life hasn't been touched in one way or another by cancer. Personally, my maternal grandfather passed away due to cancer and by the young age of 20, I'd already had minor surgery to remove skin cancer cells.

When someone gets such devastating news, it is important to have an honest discussion with your doctor regarding the course of treatment that is best for you. Sadly, there is always someone out there looking to make a profit by being dishonest to consumers. Because of this, FTC recently launched a new site that encourages cancer patients who are curious about new treatments to ask their doctors first.

This site was developed in response to a group of companies who were selling fake cancer cures to cancer patients. FTC is suing 11 of these companies for false and deceptive claims. This site gives tips and advice to help people distinguish legit companies from scammers.

Always ask your doctor about any product you may have seen advertised, and do your research on the different treatments available to you.

How have you helped a loved one deal with a diagnosis of cancer?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cancer   cancer_treatment_scam   doctor   federal_trade_comission   ftc   phillies   scam   treatment  

 

Entry bubble Is it Mammogram Time?

By: Joanne | October 21, 2008 | Category: Health

a pink ribbon, symbol of breast cancer awarenessI hope you enjoyed the long National Mammogram Day weekend! OK, I guess National Mammogram Day just can’t compete with the 4th of July or Labor Day. No parades, no fireworks, no backyard barbecues. Mammogram Day isn’t a really exciting day (maybe they can make it more like Mardi Gras?) but when you consider it, early breast cancer detection just might save your life and that’s certainly worth celebrating.

Even though I try to do self exams monthly, my doctor recommended that I start having regular mammograms when I turned 40. I was a little afraid because I heard that the test is awful and uncomfortable and hurts. Sure, it was uncomfortable and I can think of a long list of things that I would rather be doing. Of course, my friends battling breast cancer can tell you that the momentary discomfort of a mammogram is nothing compared to having breast cancer.

October is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer kills tens of thousands of women in the U.S. each year, and a mammogram is currently the best method to detect breast cancer. With that in mind, get the facts and talk to your doctor about when it’s time for you to have your mammogram. The government funds local mammography programs, so if you don’t have the money for the test, look for free or low-cost mammograms in your area.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: breast   cancer   joanne   mammogram  

 

Entry bubble Get a Flu Shot!

By: Jake | October 20, 2008 | Category: Health

I see signs plastered all over grocery stores, pharmacies and even in the GSA building telling me to get a flu vaccination. I'm a little skeptical of flu shots.Flu shots

I don't have a fear of needles; it's just that I learned firsthand last year that if you get a flu shot it doesn't guarantee you will avoid getting the flu. Even though I got my shot in October last year, my dad still gave me the flu over the holidays. There are various strains of influenza and scientists create the vaccination from the three strains that they find most likely to cause the most illness during flu season. Last year I got one of those other strains.

Still, a flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu. Since I got the vaccine and still got the flu, the Centers for Disease Control says the shot can make the experience milder. I think this is true as I don't remember hallucinating when I had the flu like I did when I got the flu in the past.

Flu season varies in duration from year to year. We may see flu outbreaks in October, but we generally don't see most cases until after January, so it's important to get your shot early. Keep in mind that there are some people the CDC highly recommend get shots (children, elderly, etc.) and those that they say shouldn't or at least should check with their doctor before getting one (those who are allergic to eggs or who have Guillain-Barré syndrome).

You can get flu shots at grocery stores, pharmacies, your doctor's office and flu clinics. Once you get your flu shot there are other steps you can take to prevent coming down with the flu. You can check out CDC's influenza surveillance website. If you see your friends or co-workers become ill, it's good to know the difference between a cold and the flu.

If you take all these actions and still wind up with the flu, there are things you can do to have a swift recovery. I hope you avoid it though!

| View Comments [7] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colds   flu_season   flu_shot   jake  

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