"IKEA" is Swedish for "crack"

I went with my mom to IKEA today.  We go a few times a year; it's only a 30-45 minute drive depending on the traffic.  I try to not go unless I actually need something because otherwise, I spend too much money on things I want but don't necessarily need.  Today, I went to get new slipcovers for my couch & chair using the axcuse that a) they are 5 years old (the original ones we got when we bought the set as newlyweds) & looking warn out & b) I kind of wanted to maybe change the colors since we bought a new house & painted the living room walls.  I was also looking for a floor lamp for Vid's office/man cave which I found as well.  Then, as my mom was looking at frames, I spotted this:

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that my phantom child's room has an elephant theme.  I have an odum chair from when I studied abroad in Ghana, an adorable print of Ganesh & several of these fabric elephant strings from India. We painted the walls in the spare bed room the same gray we used in the living room & I've been on the look out at local consignment shops for a Bombay-style dresser that I can paint a deep red.

So, I bought the above print.  It was ony $12.  And it's so cute.  I just hope it doesn't end up sitting in an empty room for the rest of my life because it's just adorable.  Hell, I haven't put as much thought into my own bedroom that I sleep in every night as I have into the room of a child who may never exist!  Clearly, I need help.

Mother India

Luck o' the Irish

So, hey, it's been a while, huh?  Yeah.  Nothing new to report in the land of infertility here.  Happy St. Paddy's day to those of you who are Irish in blood or just Irish in their hearts!  My mom's side of the family comes from the Emerald Isle & we still have a smattering of cousins there, none of whom actually celebrate this holiday either.  Since I don't like beer, I'm usually the designated driver for all activities related to the day but my parents left for Florida this morning & my sister now has a kid so for this year at least, we are no longer the family that drinks together.

Anywho, I booked a trip to Ireland when our tax refund got deposited into the checking account on Friday.  So excited!  We'll be there once the semester is out; basically, the week before Memorial Day.  We'll do some exploring on our own & hang out with relatives as well, all of whom I haven't seen in person in over a decade.    Vid is obsessed with going to Enya's castle.  We shall see; it's way up north in Donegal & my people are in the south west of the country.  Once we get back from The Old Sod & Aunt Flo shows it'll be FET time (in theory) come June.

I say in theory because a lot hinges on what happens with my mother-in-law.  Almost 4 years post-bone cancer diagnosis, she is still alive, but opinions vary on for how much longer.  Vid is heading over to India for 2 weeks on Wednesday to see exactly what is going on since his parents are the worst communicators on the planet.  I won't get into the drama (trust me, there is much) but this is not a trip he is looking forward to making for many reasons.  We've discussed it & I'm really not comfortable cycling again while she's still alive because when she does pass, my father-in-law's lack of coping skills will mean my husband will have to go over there again to deal with the aftermath of her death.  I know that sounds terrible, but we both agree that we don't need the added stress while cycling with our only frozen embryo.  And Vid has told me nay times recently how he "just wants it to be over", for her to pass on, for everyone's sake.  Of course that won't solve the issue of my father-in-law thinking his kids just need to obey him like they are 5 & everything will be ok,  but baby steps, right?

So, that's the plan for now.  Hopefully the luck of the Irish shines upon us!  May Vid have a relatively drama-free trip to India.  May we have a blast in Ireland.  May my mother-in-law pass quickly & in as drama-free a manner as possible.  And may Nemo make his/her appearance around this time next year as a happy, healthy baby.

How safe are your fertility drugs?

Do you ever think about the safety of fertility drugs most of us spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on?  I'm not talking about the whole "ZOMG IVF = CANCER!" thing (which is still not proven either way), but the conditions under which they are compounded, mixed, etc.  Honestly, I never did.  

Then I saw this in the news:

"Village Fertility Pharmacy announced Sunday that it had recalled several compounded medications shipped over the past three months, after the contamination discovery.  State health officials issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 20, prohibiting the company from making sterile compounded drugs, pending a state and federal investigation."

And then this a few days later:

"The Rhode Island Village Pharmacy at 1 Commerce St., and pharmacist Elise Varkonyi both received summary suspensions for violations that included mixing drugs without a proper ventilation hood, failure to monitor surfaces and the air for microorganisms and mislabeling drugs made in Massachusetts as having been made in Rhode Island."

Lovely.

This is where my PIO came from which was part of the recall.  And now I wonder if we even had a chance with IVF #3 given all of this.  A friend of mine who was undergoing her final donor egg IVF around the same time I was cycling also got her meds from these guys.  She miscarried.  Were we both doomed from that first shot?  I'm so angry for every fellow infertile wondering those same things about now.