Wednesday 1 April 2015

#AtoZChallenge: A is for Appointments

It’s April the 1st, a.k.a. April Fool’s Day, a.k.a. the first day of the A to Z Challenge. What better day to start the epic challenge that is attempting to blog throughout the month of April, one post a day (excepting Sundays). Except I’m going for this alongside my standard blog posts as well, which means writing somewhere in the region of seventeen posts a week.

S’gonna be interesting, isn’t it?

My theme this year is IVF/ICSI, a process we’re starting at the moment and today it’s A for Appointments.


Assisted reproduction means lots and lots of hospital appointments. Different things happen at these appointments, mainly it’s blood tests and scans. You get very used to having blood taken and getting bits of you scanned.

As the appointments aren’t always pleasant, I think it’s important to make those days somewhat enjoyable. We like to go for a nice meal, pick up a film, a book, some new clothes, whatever on the way too or from our appointments. It helps to make up for anything that might have been uncomfortable or unpleasant about the day.

I’ve never been the sort of person who is ruled by the calendar. I keep a diary, but it’s a journal, not a schedule. In fact, the only time I use any sort of planner is when I’m planning my blog posts. If it wasn’t for the fact that I need to pay attention to what day of the week it is at work, some days I probably wouldn’t worry too much about what day of the week it was.

Hospital appointments change that. You suddenly pay a lot of attention when you’ll be going, what the weather will be like that day (or maybe that’s just me what with the threat of ferries being off and all) and then there’s wondering when the next one will be. A lot of the time you don’t actually know when your next appointment will be until you get the results of blood tests or scans. In the beginning they’re scheduled in advance, but once your treatment is underway you won’t know from one day to the next when you’ll next be paying a visit to the hospital.

So you’re going to want to keep a fairly clear schedule during that period. You don’t want to plan too far in advance, for one thing as treatment progresses you probably won’t feel like doing too much, for another, you simply won’t know when you’ll be summoned to the hospital for another blood test, scan and perhaps some good news.

If you’re going through treatment yourself, you’re probably going to feel nervous about your hospital appointments, but you’ll be excited as well. You’ve probably been waiting for this for a while and it feels good to get going. There will be bits that you won’t enjoy, mostly the needles and the prodding and poking, but remember you’re taking steps in the right direction.

If you can, make it into an enjoyable day; counter the good with the bad. Pick up a treat while you’re out or when you get home, chill with your favourite book or film. I know that it’s stressful so find a way to unwind afterwards.

And if you know someone who is going through IVF or some other form of assisted conception, let them know you’re thinking of them. It can be a lonely process and it’s easy to feel as though people don’t get what you’re going through. Ask them how their appointment went or take note when they say they’ve got another one so you can wish them good luck.


Trust me, it’ll be appreciated.

26 comments:

  1. I think you are being very courageous in tackling this as your A to Z Challenge as I can only imagine some of the feelings this must stir up for you, however, I think the help it will be to those who are about to embark or who are already doing this will be invaluable. I wish you every success :-)

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    1. Thank you. :-)

      It's been my intention to blog about IVF and infertility here because there aren't a huge number of other people who blog about it all. Hopefully this will be a fairly light-hearted look at something that is important to me. And it'll help prepare people for reading about it when we get started on the treatment in the next few months.

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  2. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope all goes well with your treatments, and I'm sure this is a topic close to many hearts.

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    1. Thanks for the return visit. :-)

      And thank you, I'm hoping that some people find my April posts useful now and in the future.

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  3. It sounds like a very complicated process, but the reward is well worth it! I worked with a women who went through IVF and she now has two beautiful twin girls.

    Stephanie
    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you for visiting. :-)

      It is so complicated. I have so much respect for the people who came up with the idea of it and the people who still work to improve it. You hear so many success stories, it's made a huge difference in so many people's lives.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by the blog. Ugh, doctor's appointments are like trying to do taxes! :) but good luck and hope you have a happy ending.Girl Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie - In Miniature Style II

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    1. Thank you.

      I'm quite looking forward to these appointments because it'll be good to get things started, though I could do without all the prodding and poking. ;-)

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  5. Ah yes, the dreaded appointments. Good luck.

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    1. Thank you. I don't mind them as long as everything goes smoothly this time. :-)

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  6. Excellent post, Cait. So much here that deserves attention, and so much to learn. I struggled with my first pregnancy, many years ago, and thought about all sort of things. It finally happened without any intervention, but I understand the emotional impact. As the poster above said, the result is well worth it.
    Best,
    Silvia @ Silvia Writes

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    1. Thank you for visiting.

      I think trouble getting pregnant and infertility are one of those things people don't really talk about much, you often only hear people struggled to conceive after they had a child. It's so easy to feel alone through all of it. :-)

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  7. As others have said, a brave choice of topic. I wish you all the very best.

    Anabel's Travel Blog

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    1. Thank you, and thank you also for visiting. :-)

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  8. I hope your appointment goes well. I really wish you well in this. I've never know anyone who has gone through IVF treatments before.

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    1. Thank you. I've got a bit of a wait until the next one, but then it'll be all systems go!

      I think it's something not many people talk about, either because it's hard to talk about because people feel awkward and don't know what to say to you, or because there's a certain sense of embarrassment about it, like you're a failure in some way for not being able to do it naturally.

      Obviously, that's not the case on my little corner of the internet. ;-)

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  9. Very good post, with lots of empathy. :)
    Happy A to Z! Good luck with the scheduling!

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
    MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

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    1. Thank you and thanks for the visit. :-)

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  10. Best of luck with it all, Cait and Mr Cait :) Looking forward to learning about the process.

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    1. Thank you. Hope you enjoy the rest of the posts. :-)

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  11. Good luck with the treatments, good luck with A to Z! I have to agree with the idea of doing something nice when you have to do something with a hospital... Take care.
    Cat

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    1. Thank you.

      And yes, it's always nice to have a little treat when you're away for something that might be a bit unpleasant. :-)

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  12. Many hugs and I hope you get all the support you need. I can imagine how these appointments can get rather stressful. Good luck with the IVF!

    *Shailaja/Alternate Angles/A-Z*

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    1. Thank you very much. :-)

      And thanks for stopping by.

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  13. I think you're doing a wonderful thing and your posts will give hope and inspiration to many people going through the same issues. I wish you the very best of luck and hope this journey has a truly happy ending for you. I'll continue checking in. Have a great night and thanks for visiting my blog. Eva

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    1. Thank you, I'm glad you're finding them interesting and I hope others find them useful too.

      Thank you for visiting. :-)

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Let me know what you think. :-)