Infertility-You are not your diagnosis

Savasana is final relaxation pose in a yoga practice. A deeply quiet place where all the outer layers of who you are peel away. What you do for a living, how you spend your time, what you own, how much you weigh, even whether you are a parent; all melt away to reveal to you the essence of who you are.

You are not infertile. I am not infertile. I am Lisa. Some of you have been making your name known to me; none of you are "infertile". You each have your own name, and you are each a unique person. We are not our diagnoses. That's what a friend said to me today, as a response to yesterday's blog, "we are not our diagnoses". What a good reminder, thank you.

We will live in this space of trying to conceive for a time period. Sometimes it feels like it will last forever. Oh, like waiting those two weeks for the results after a cycle. Or getting blood drawn and knowing the phone call is coming with a "yes, you are" or "no, I'm sorry, you're not". Or yet another month of getting your period when you are so hoping not to.

It actually will not last forever. Life is not designed that way. One way or another, you will have resolution around becoming pregnant and having a baby. There are many different ways that resolution is reached. It may not be the way you expect or want. Already, it's been pretty tough, hasn't it? I love our practice, our doctors, nurses, clinicians. Still, not what you envisioned when you pictured creating a child. No matter where you are in treatment,  it will have a time limit on it. And you will be in a different place. You will still be that essential you, separate  than your diagnosis.

So spend some time with a spectacular person this holiday season. Yourself.  Find a way to inhale deeply, coming into yourself. The season can be so busy, so full of things that must be done and need our attention. In yoga, we refer to that as our exhale. The inhale is necessary to replenish, refresh and renew. Similar to what the earth is doing. Bringing energy inward so that it can burst forth in the spring; the earths exhale.

You are worth it.Inhale.