Ready to learn

[louisianagal]

I admit at first I was pretty intimidated with the language and discussion groups related to infertility. There is so much jargon and abbreviations and lingo, it’s intimidating. But I’m also determined to learn. I guess it’s like my sister in law Lucy who learned to become a real estate broker mostly so she could help herself buy a house of her own. Or maybe that’s not the best comparison, but somehow it helps me understand the effort I am committing to here. So I’m going to try to learn all this stuff. I appreciate any guidance anyone can offer, books to read, sites to visit, things to do, whatever. Meanwhle I learn something new on ivflink everyday and value the sharing and support. also making the commitment to actually write this down is step one! I’ll be back here to read it again, and hopefully I’ll remember this moment from a place where I am more informed than I am now.
Lousiana Gal

[Meg]

lou,
You are doing it exactly right! The best way to learn is to keep reading and visiting sites like this. As patients we take a lot for granted and the doctors assume we know enough to understand what they're talking about. The patient needs to make an effort to learn. You see the same thing with cancer patients or people with other complicated conditions. As soon as someone learns they have a problem, they start to read about it and before long, just be being exposed to it, they start to pick it up. (Notice that I didn't try to offer any tips! Because I'm afraid of exposing how much I do NOT know.) Just wanted to give you some encouragement.

[Casandra]

I know exactly what you're talking about, angel. Even some of these boards are filled with initials and abbreviations. Does anyone know where I can find a list of fertility abbreviations so I can understand some of these entries?