Men Struggle Too
Infertility affects everyone. It affects the couple going through the journey, as well as the family and friends supporting the journey. Sometimes the cause of infertility falls on either the man or the woman, and sometimes both, but regardless, both partners are along for the emotional rollercoaster that it presents. I’ve outlined mine and my husband’s journey at https://www.hopeagainstinfertility.org/angies-story and, when I occasionally find myself going back through the story, I am in awe at the strength and the support that Kyle provided. Although the outward actions and emotions portrayed were somewhat different between him and I (you’ll find through the story that I cried …. a lot), the inner emotions were the same: hurt, sadness, desperation, and love. I knew without a doubt that this journey hurt him a lot, but his strength and support through the entire rollercoaster moved mountains for us. In trying to learn as much as I could about IVF and our options, I read so many stories of relationships not being able to stand the test of time that infertility requires. It broke my heart to read the stories of women posting about being on their medications, just days before an egg retrieval, only to find out that their spouse no longer wanted to continue on the journey, or even the journey of marriage. Infertility is a true testament of love, compassion, and strength. I thank God that it has brought Kyle and I closer together. He opened up and supported in ways that I didn’t know he was capable of. I will forever be grateful for that.
I write this today because I want to recognize the brave men that go through this journey as well. It takes a strong, strong man to stand the test of infertility (just as much as it does the woman), but sometimes the emotions of the man involved get overlooked or overshadowed – not intentionally, but likely because they aren’t as vocal about the struggle. Men – we see you, we hear you, and we recognize you. We support you through this as well.
As our first ever Hope Against Infertility, Inc. event approaches on October 19th, I’ve been asked on different occasions if men are invited to attend. The answer is an overwhelming “YES!” Please, please encourage the men in your life to attend: husbands, fiancés, boyfriends, sons, brothers, and uncles. They’re all invited. They are just as much a part of the journey as the women, and what an event it will be if we all come together to support one another. We hope to see you all there on October 19th at Plamann Park in Appleton. If you cannot join us that day, we do have a virtual registration option so you can support from afar: https://www.hopeagainstinfertility.org/5k-run-1
Angie
