My Fertility Clinic is Way Cooler Than YOUR Fertility Clinic

So you all know I've been doing these interviews for Ye Olde Fertility Clinic. It's awfully nervewracking, because it's SO not me. I put on this big act of being all open and extroverted about this stuff, but truthfully? I never talk about this stuff, ever. Well, that's not true. I do talk about it - but I don't talk about it publicly while I'm in the middle of a cycle. I go through a treatment cycle under a shroud of secrecy whenever possible.

And yet, three times now, I have sat in front of a television camera with a reporter in front of me and declared to the greater metropolitan area that I am pursuing fertility treatment right now. And why? Well, because Ye Olde Fertility Clinic asked me to, that's why. And because putting a face and a voice to infertility is important. It's all together too easy for society to pretend like infertility is "someone else's problem" and that it's one of those things we don't need to talk about. Or worse, one of those things we should be ashamed to talk about.

In some ways, I'm not the poster child for fertility treatment. I was the aberration - the nightmare outcome - the now-mother to HOMs. But I'm also the survival story, and the mother who came back for more, despite knowing the pain, suffering, and inconvenience of it all. And the mother seeking to do this in a the way most likely to result in the best outcome - a healthy singleton pregnancy - by doing elective Single Embryo Transfers.

Infertility and its treatment is a multi-billion dollar industry, that's for sure - but when it comes down to it, the industry is in the business of making life. Babies. Building families. Sure, there's a payout in the end, but they earn it. I've been to the other side of infertility and I know it's worth every bit of the toll the process takes and every penny I (and my insurance company) spent. And I also know that there is no way that I can ever repay the kindness that Ye Olde Fertility Clinic has offered me in helping me to build my family. So when YOFC asked me to do these interviews, of course my answer was yes. (With the condition that the mobile gets hung in Room 1 ASAP - oh you thought I'd forgotten about that, didn't you? No sirree! I have the memory of... um, whatever it is that has a really good memory - I forget)

I know that I'm a giant pain in the ass. I know that I give my doctors a lot of crap. Do you think I don't know that they probably could live without hearing about the damn missing mobile in Room 1? Do you think I don't know that they have far more important things on their plates than dealing with me? Of course I know that. But hey, at least I bring them cookies! (Did I mention I brought cookies today?) The fact that they put up with me despite my... ah... we'll call them idiosyncracies (what can I say? It's all part of my charm!)... is what makes me love them so much. There is a reason that I refer people to them time and again (aside from their stellar statistics, their cutting edge medicine, and their convenient locations - that's all secondary to the fact that they are, simply, good people).

But absolutely none of that is why I'm telling you that I have complete faith that my clinic is way cooler than yours. Do you know why I'm telling you that my clinic is so cool? I'll tell you why!
Because today I went and interviewed with News Station #3, which meant I had the pleasure of meeting once again with J, Marketing Supervisor Extraordinaire*, which is always great. As I said, I brought cookies. Anywhozit, I got to meet with him and meet a lot more of the behind-the-scenes crew at Ye Olde Fertility Clinic, which is always all kinds of fun. I got to see my nurse (and she got a little more camera time, also, which is always fun for her!). The story isn't airing until March, but I'll let you peeps know when it airs. I know, I know, my adoring fans *need* to know, right? Of course right.

Afterward, I came home, a little sad knowing that this was my last interview - not because I'm so keen on putting myself all out there and all (honestly, it really IS tiresome to talk quite so publicly about this rather private subject all the time), but because I realized that I pretty much have no excuse to see J (Marketing Supervisor Extraordinaire) anymore or send him random eccentric emails (well, that's not quite true... that mobile hasn't been hung yet. He can't get rid of me until it's hung!! bwah hah hah!)

And what should appear at my front door a few hours later?

A beautiful Edible Arrangement from J and the Marketing Team at YOFC:

Now, be honest, have any of you ever received such a cool present from your clinic? I can't hear you! That's right. I didn't think so. So just think about that the next time you're thinking about where to go for treatment, why don't you. :)

*Note the name change - I previously referred to him as "marketing guy" but (God help me) for some reason I was crazy enough to let him know my blog URL and apparently he actually read it (ohmygosh) and felt a little slighted. Seriously, I mean, if my nurse gets to be "NurseAwesome" and my doctor gets to be SuperDoc and my sonographer gets to be M, Sonographer Extraordinaire... but he's "marketing guy"... well, he had a point when he pointed out that it sounded kinda cold and creepy. Which he is not. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met. He suggested TalentAgent, but unless he's going to get me a suh-weet deal with one of the stations where I get to market myself as a "childcare expert" on account of my large(ish) family, I'm not *quite* convinced that he can market himself as a Talent Agent just yet. Though, he did manage to get me my first three television appearances. Oh wait, that's not true, in high school, I appeared on tv bunches of times... Hrm. I think I need an agent...