Fertility Shows - They do exist!

The Season Finale of Guiliana and Bill was on Sunday night and we always DVR that and watch it together, so J and I did Monday night.  Here's what happened: When we last met with Guiliana and Bill they had just done and IUI with injectible drugs (our next step I think) and were eagerly awaiting the "verdict" from the doc about the pregnancy.  When we join them for this, the last episode of a seemingly short season, they are still waiting in the doc's office.  Guiliana is giddy and is sure they are pregnant and the IUI worked.  Alas, they are not.  Now I think I teared up here because I have been there.  I have been 100% sure we were pregnant, especially after our first IUI and for some reason that I will never know we were not.  It was devastating!  So when Guiliana tried to play it cool in front of the doc and eventually couldn't hold the tears in any longer, I really felt for her.  Bill was the great husband that he has been on TV and tried to comfort her, but you could tell he was upset too.  Although, to be fair to Bill, he had warned her that she was too excited and should calm down.  To which she replied, "but I know we are!"

The doc (I'm not even going to attempt to try and spell his name) gives them the option of doing the same thing again, maybe with a few more drugs and trying for another month.  But Guiliana won't have that.  She blurts out that they have been trying for a while and she too is a planner.  I get that!  I felt the exact same way!  So they decide to talk about IVF with another doctor who is a specialist.

Then the show turns another way and Guiliana's assistant quits unexpectedly and without any explanation.  He wasn't my favorite person on the show, except that he was openly gay and Guiliana and him had a lot of fun together.  But he quit very stupidly and for the reason that he wanted to move up but didn't feel he could, but he never said anything to Guiliana so apparently he isn't grown up enough yet to do other stuff.  Anyway, I won't comment on that situation anymore because it isn't related to the real meat-and-potatoes of the show that I was interested in.

At some point, Guiliana and Bill venture to the IVF doctor's office for a meet-and-greet and to understand the process better.  This is what I am hoping will happen on Friday with Dr. H for us.  A step-by-step run down of the next places we could go.  The doc explained it on the show and for the most part I understood it, except he had a bit of an accent, so some things came out funny.  He also said it was about a 50-60% chance of working.  Anyway, it sounds really intense.  Guiliana and Bill decide they need a little vacation to sort out all the things happening in their life (book tours, finding a new assistant, IVF, etc) so they head out to California and have a little getaway.  This is fun stuff to watch...eating huge pastries in Solvang (I am sure I spelled that wrong), going on a wine tasting bike tour and getting a little tipsy while riding a bike, and just trying to talk about the upcoming events rationally.  Obviously, cost isn't really an issue to them - or at least nearly as much as it is to us. So the question was really, could she handle something this invasive.  They finally make it back to Chicago and Bill says something to the effect of, "it's your body and it's up to you.  I'll support you either way."  They close the season with Guiliana saying, "I just don't know if I can handle it."  And roll credits!

Now, if you watched The View's episode on Infertility, then you know (like me) that on that show Guiliana said they were starting IVF, so that isn't a surprise.  I just hope it works for them. 

There are two other shows that I have found that discuss infertility, in varying degrees.  The next one is called Rules of Engagement.  David Spade, Patrick Warburton (from Seinfeld fame), Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson, and Bianca Kajich.  Very cute show where Megyn and Patrick are a married couple (Jeff and Audrey, for maybe 5 -7 years), Oliver and Bianca (Adam and Jennifer) are engaged and planning their wedding, and David (Russell) is single and a bit of a player.  The different relationships out there. Anyway, we have watched this show for the last 3 seasons and both J and I laugh out loud at it.  The writing is great and fun.  However, there have been a couple episodes about Jeff and Audrey TTC and having issues so seeing docs about it.  Nothing super intense in discussion, but at least they broach the subject!

And the last show is called Private Practice.  It has Kate Walsh in it from Grey's Anatomy fame where she was Addison Montgomery (and still is on PP).  This show started out based all about infertility.  Addison joins The Practice which is a full service fertility clinic and OB/GYN with an acupuncturist to boot who used to specialize in disease control (random!).  Anyway, since its inception, it has deviated a bit.  One of the owners of The Practice left and moved to a different practice in the same building and I really don't know what she does there anymore except make out with other co-workers and eat chocolate.  There have been meth lab explosions, hoarding mothers, many births, deaths, cars running off into canyons, weddings (the owners of The Practice's 16-year-old pregnant daughter - go figure!), and baby stealings.  So I don't take this as a factual show, but it is interesting enough for me to keep watching it and cry once in a while.  But again, they still talk about infertility and IVF and adoption, etc, and I am glad that finally there is some light on the subject in the media!

I wish that more shows would discuss infertility and how difficult it is and tolling.  Guiliana and I are in the same boat (well, maybe with some differences, say THE MONEY and the body!) but it's always nice knowing that you aren't going this alone.  I thank you dear Bleaders for all the support you give me on the blog and off.  It is very important to my well-being!  That being said, I'm going to step away from the computer now!  Later folks!