So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to market the show and I think it's word of mouth advertising which is cheap and effective. Social media is good...
I want to find someone who actually produces theater so I can ask questions about how to ask for money which is something I'm really bad at. Perhaps that's one of the reasons the festival I did for women back in 2000 get as big as I'd like...although, truth be told, I wanted to move on to things that I wanted for my own acting career...it just took me a long time to get there.
I've always considered myself to be a late bloomer. I think that whatever success I get as an actor will come later in my life and perhaps there needs to be a purpose behind what I do as opposed to just being recognized and successful...something that helps other people...gives a different perspective to those who don't know...
I don't know. I think I'm just grasping at things to write about which is good...because interesting things come from grasping...
Cheers!
Friday
Thursday
Answer to the quiz!
OK, so I think that this blog listing site thinks that I'm a shill for another website. I am here to tell you that I am not a shill! So, if you want the source for my quiz query, let me know!
OK, no one answered the last quiz so, sadly, there are no winners. But, the answer to the question is "True". Abstaining from sex can affect a man's fertility. So, go at it all you men!
Here's something completely unrelated to fertility...
My dog gets all excited when anyone plays Wii! He goes after the person with the remote...it's not aggressive, but almost like herding behavior. In fact, he nipped my niece's ankle this week! Which she promptly blamed on her sister "making" the dog "bite" her. It didn't hurt mind you...and the truth is I'm glad she deflected the blame from the dog...I didn't want to scare her parents after all.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Oh, and BTW, my new audio blog is up on fertilityauthority.com. Sign up is free so give a listen and tell me what you think!
Cheers!
Kathleen
OK, no one answered the last quiz so, sadly, there are no winners. But, the answer to the question is "True". Abstaining from sex can affect a man's fertility. So, go at it all you men!
Here's something completely unrelated to fertility...
My dog gets all excited when anyone plays Wii! He goes after the person with the remote...it's not aggressive, but almost like herding behavior. In fact, he nipped my niece's ankle this week! Which she promptly blamed on her sister "making" the dog "bite" her. It didn't hurt mind you...and the truth is I'm glad she deflected the blame from the dog...I didn't want to scare her parents after all.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Oh, and BTW, my new audio blog is up on fertilityauthority.com. Sign up is free so give a listen and tell me what you think!
Cheers!
Kathleen
Monday
I've been traveling so I haven't been able to post...but here is the latest quiz! Don't forget, the winner will receive on free ticket to the show!
Monday Quiz Day!
It's Monday Quiz Day...again! Very exciting. OK, today is all about male infertility. The answer will be revealed on Friday. Again, the winner will receive one free ticket to Journey to the Center of the Uterus: Adventures Infertility!
Here goes:
True or False?
Abstinence from sex for a few days or more can affect male fertility.
OK Quiz Kids, have at it!
Interesting that we don't really think of male fertility. In fact, I think that men get the shaft (so to speak) when it comes to support or attention to their issue.
I've been doing some audio interviews for fertilityauthority.com and the premiere interview is about Dave, who had dealt with testicular cancer in his 20's and was told that he would never have kids if he survived it. It was a pretty bad time for him, however, in his 30's, against all odds, he was able to donate his sperm and have twins through IVF. Very cool.
We just don't think enough about the struggles that our partners are going through. Many times they feel powerless to do help when we're in pain, or emotional, or on the downward slope of that roller coaster.
I would ask my husband how he felt and his response would be something along the lines of..."Fine. I'm fine. It's fine." But I knew there had to be more to it so I would try and pick a good time...a good time meaning one where we're both feeling good about the day...and ask him how he really feels.
I think that men feel like they have to protect their women...they have to be strong. I'm here to tell you that I wanted to know how he felt...so I could know I wasn't alone!
Monday Quiz Day!
It's Monday Quiz Day...again! Very exciting. OK, today is all about male infertility. The answer will be revealed on Friday. Again, the winner will receive one free ticket to Journey to the Center of the Uterus: Adventures Infertility!
Here goes:
True or False?
Abstinence from sex for a few days or more can affect male fertility.
OK Quiz Kids, have at it!
Interesting that we don't really think of male fertility. In fact, I think that men get the shaft (so to speak) when it comes to support or attention to their issue.
I've been doing some audio interviews for fertilityauthority.com and the premiere interview is about Dave, who had dealt with testicular cancer in his 20's and was told that he would never have kids if he survived it. It was a pretty bad time for him, however, in his 30's, against all odds, he was able to donate his sperm and have twins through IVF. Very cool.
We just don't think enough about the struggles that our partners are going through. Many times they feel powerless to do help when we're in pain, or emotional, or on the downward slope of that roller coaster.
I would ask my husband how he felt and his response would be something along the lines of..."Fine. I'm fine. It's fine." But I knew there had to be more to it so I would try and pick a good time...a good time meaning one where we're both feeling good about the day...and ask him how he really feels.
I think that men feel like they have to protect their women...they have to be strong. I'm here to tell you that I wanted to know how he felt...so I could know I wasn't alone!
Friday
Answer Friday!
OK, Quiz Kids!
Thanks for all of the answers to the quiz.
Here is the answer to the Monday Quiz:
Which method below will help you to get pregnant?
A.) Taking Robitussin Cough Syrup before trying to conceive.
B.) Rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman.
C.) Lying with your feet over your head after sex.
D.) The Missionary position
E.) All of the above
F.) None of the above
According to eDoctoronline.com, the correct answer is D!
"There’s a better way to do it. While no sexual positions actually prevent you from getting pregnant, doing it the old-fashioned way can help. According to Felicia Stewart, M.D., of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "No matter what the position, sperm can be found in the cervical canal within seconds after ejaculation. But still, it can’t hurt to get the sperm close to the cervix using positions that permit reasonably deep penetration, like the missionary [position]."
Sorry everyone...the Robitussin thing and the legs over the head thing are myths. I think I even tried the Robitussin but it didn't do much for moi.
So, since none of you were correct, I'll give the prize to the first person who answered...Kathy! Huzzah!
So...who knew that one of the most boring positions would be considered the most helpful in getting pregnant?
Of course for those dealing with infertility, this position can be maddeningly boring because we're doing it all the danged time!! There's little truth to the idea that trying to get pregnant is fun especially when it's not working month after month. Frustrations abound, we take the Robitussin because we've heard it thins the cervical mucus, we put our butts on pillows because we've heard that the sperm will swim faster, stronger...more bionically to the uterus...
Or maybe we are rubbing the bellies of pregnant women just to get some good...what do they call it? Baby dust? Of course, you'd better be careful about whose belly you rub...you may get a smack in the eye...and not from the mother!
So, the good ole Missionary Position...good for Missionaries...bad for the infertile...
Thanks for all of the answers to the quiz.
Here is the answer to the Monday Quiz:
Which method below will help you to get pregnant?
A.) Taking Robitussin Cough Syrup before trying to conceive.
B.) Rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman.
C.) Lying with your feet over your head after sex.
D.) The Missionary position
E.) All of the above
F.) None of the above
According to eDoctoronline.com, the correct answer is D!
"There’s a better way to do it. While no sexual positions actually prevent you from getting pregnant, doing it the old-fashioned way can help. According to Felicia Stewart, M.D., of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "No matter what the position, sperm can be found in the cervical canal within seconds after ejaculation. But still, it can’t hurt to get the sperm close to the cervix using positions that permit reasonably deep penetration, like the missionary [position]."
Sorry everyone...the Robitussin thing and the legs over the head thing are myths. I think I even tried the Robitussin but it didn't do much for moi.
So, since none of you were correct, I'll give the prize to the first person who answered...Kathy! Huzzah!
So...who knew that one of the most boring positions would be considered the most helpful in getting pregnant?
Of course for those dealing with infertility, this position can be maddeningly boring because we're doing it all the danged time!! There's little truth to the idea that trying to get pregnant is fun especially when it's not working month after month. Frustrations abound, we take the Robitussin because we've heard it thins the cervical mucus, we put our butts on pillows because we've heard that the sperm will swim faster, stronger...more bionically to the uterus...
Or maybe we are rubbing the bellies of pregnant women just to get some good...what do they call it? Baby dust? Of course, you'd better be careful about whose belly you rub...you may get a smack in the eye...and not from the mother!
So, the good ole Missionary Position...good for Missionaries...bad for the infertile...
Wednesday
Child Free Wednesday
For those of you who are just joining us, scroll down to the previous post and take the quiz!
I'm tempted to write about Michael Jackson, but the media has taken care of it with vigor. Perhaps too much vigor? I feel like the Pope died.
But, I'm not going to get into it...there is too much coverage as it is...
Besides, I tend not to be a polarizing person unless I'm really vehement about something...like war...but I'm not going to get into that today either.
So, let's talk about being child free. (I think I was just stalling until something came into my head.) What does it mean to be child free? Well, sleeping in for one I suppose. Going wherever you want to go...having sex without locking the door...
My aunt wasn't able to have kids...she's 86 years old so we never had cousins on that side of the family. There was so much speculation about the the "consummation of the marriage"...good God, why in the world were we speculating about their sex life!
I talked to her at length after my own struggles were revealed. She told me that they tried but over the years there were so many obstacles (including the fact that a tree fell on her doctor and killed him...and that her husband had the mumps...and was in a head on collision) that it just didn't work. She worked all of her life, enjoyed her job and took care of her husband, which included cooking, cleaning and everything else on top of that job. But she was, and is, unfailingly happy. I think she got the Pollyanna gene...what happened to me??
She did mention was the occasional comments she would receive about being selfish from those people who thought she just wanted that money for herself...so that they could go on fabulous vacations, or buy a yacht, or booze it up! But I embellish... What did she tell them? That it was none of their business! In those days you got married, had kids, raised those kids, retired and died. (She also believes that the women's movement was the dumbest thing that ever happened. "There were good men out there who didn't know if they were coming or going!" I had to argue that point with her...but, she's 86...whaddaya gonna do?)
I have never felt that pressure to have kids. In fact, I never really thought about having kids when I was growing up, or in my 20's or even going into my 30's...until I got married. Little by little I started adding to the dream of adding to our little family until I had a solid vision of what that would be like. Perhaps that's the hardest thing of all...not the failure to conceive, but the death of the dream.
I have to laugh when I remember a family friend, in her 80's at the time, said, and I paraphrase, "What's takin' ya? By the time I was your age I had 32 children and 75 grandchildren!" She was married when she was very very young...if you couldn't tell. But that was the only real "pressure" I felt to have kids. Oh, and there were the women who found out how old I was when I was engaged and immediately went to their knees to pray for twins for me. Sigh.
I don't know how I feel right now. There's a big part of me that feels like I don't want the responsibility anymore. That we would be fine without...and then there is the occasional pang of want when I see an adorable, sweet child looking at me and smiling...and then they go home...
And there are those who absolutely know that they don't want to have kids. I think it's good to know what you want and don't want. And what you can and cannot handle.
I certainly don't feel shame about this...just the inkling of the dream that used to be...
Monday
MONDAY QUIZ DAY! Quiz #1
Hi Everyone!
OK, it's Quiz Day Monday! From now on, I'll be posting the occasional quiz about infertility, fertility or just about something I feel like asking! Check back on Mondays for your pop quiz! All questions will be answered on the following Friday. Very exciting!
The first person to answer the quiz question correctly will get one free ticket to Journey to the Center of the Uterus: Adventures Infertility! Everyone can answer, regardless of where you live.
OK, granted it's showing in Chicago, but if you know a friend in Chicago, feel free to give it to him/her. OR! You never know...I could be coming to your area in the future. (Blatant Plug Alert: See my website to book the show: www.journeytothecenteroftheuterus.com)
OK, first Monday quiz!
Which method below will help you to get pregnant?
A.) Taking Robitussin Cough Syrup before trying to conceive.
B.) Rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman.
C.) Lying with your feet over your head after sex.
D.) The Missionary position
E.) All of the above
F.) None of the above
Good Luck! The answer to come on Friday.
So cheers for now and remember to find the funny in the journey...
OK, it's Quiz Day Monday! From now on, I'll be posting the occasional quiz about infertility, fertility or just about something I feel like asking! Check back on Mondays for your pop quiz! All questions will be answered on the following Friday. Very exciting!
The first person to answer the quiz question correctly will get one free ticket to Journey to the Center of the Uterus: Adventures Infertility! Everyone can answer, regardless of where you live.
OK, granted it's showing in Chicago, but if you know a friend in Chicago, feel free to give it to him/her. OR! You never know...I could be coming to your area in the future. (Blatant Plug Alert: See my website to book the show: www.journeytothecenteroftheuterus.com)
OK, first Monday quiz!
Which method below will help you to get pregnant?
A.) Taking Robitussin Cough Syrup before trying to conceive.
B.) Rubbing the belly of a pregnant woman.
C.) Lying with your feet over your head after sex.
D.) The Missionary position
E.) All of the above
F.) None of the above
Good Luck! The answer to come on Friday.
So cheers for now and remember to find the funny in the journey...
Different forms of infertility
So, I just got an email from a pregnant friend of mine. I'm very happy for them. Really. I think I have enough distance from this whole thing to be happy for someone without getting that pang of want. The pang, I think, is a little more muted now.
My friend is struggling though...she is constantly battling her bad health and chronic illnesses which have landed her in the hospital and on steroids. She's struggling...but amazingly funny about it! I think that's how we actor/improvisers deal with heartache and fear...
"Just have to remember to keep my now 2 chins up!"
I'm quite sure she and her husband are afraid and dealing with it with humor and laughter to the world but privately...well, knowing them they are dealing with it with humor and laughter and perhaps a few tears.
But this makes me think that there is more than one kind of infertility. She believes that this will be the only bio child that they will have since she's been so sick for the whole pregnancy and can't risk it again. Sort of like secondary infertility I suppose. So, we think of something supportive to say without sounding like an idiot or a boor. Avoiding the "at least you have one child. be happy with what you have" kind of statements. Sigh.
We just don't know what really goes on in the lives of others...
Well, cheers for now. Find the funny in whatever your struggle is!
Oh, and I think I'm going to start a quiz! Winners will receive either free or discounted tickets to the show! And if you don't live in Chicago, or wherever it may tour, then feel free to give it to someone you know!
Cheers!
My friend is struggling though...she is constantly battling her bad health and chronic illnesses which have landed her in the hospital and on steroids. She's struggling...but amazingly funny about it! I think that's how we actor/improvisers deal with heartache and fear...
"Just have to remember to keep my now 2 chins up!"
I'm quite sure she and her husband are afraid and dealing with it with humor and laughter to the world but privately...well, knowing them they are dealing with it with humor and laughter and perhaps a few tears.
But this makes me think that there is more than one kind of infertility. She believes that this will be the only bio child that they will have since she's been so sick for the whole pregnancy and can't risk it again. Sort of like secondary infertility I suppose. So, we think of something supportive to say without sounding like an idiot or a boor. Avoiding the "at least you have one child. be happy with what you have" kind of statements. Sigh.
We just don't know what really goes on in the lives of others...
Well, cheers for now. Find the funny in whatever your struggle is!
Oh, and I think I'm going to start a quiz! Winners will receive either free or discounted tickets to the show! And if you don't live in Chicago, or wherever it may tour, then feel free to give it to someone you know!
Cheers!
Thursday
The Silly Things People Say
I'm an open book when it comes to my own infertility journey and my husband and I managed to find a lot of humor in our situation which is why I wrote the show, Journey to the Center of the Uterus: Adventures Infertility! I wanted to give others a little relief from the crazy infertility roller coaster and give others who are unfamiliar with the ride a little perspective.
One of the things I've been collecting are the silly things that well meaning people say to those dealing with infertility. I can now see why couples are hesitant to tell people about their struggle. I know that these people...or at least most of these people mean well but...come on!
I'll give you an example: I told one of my actor colleagues that I had to take off work and she told me that her sister in law had gone through IVF. I asked her if it worked (as we IVF'ers usually do) and she said "Noooo...she ended up going crazy and divorcing my brother."
I exaggerate...but that's what I heard in my head! Why bother telling me at all?
But, maybe it's a good thing to hear. Keeps one realistic I suppose.
Or there are the people who are told they'd get pregnant if they weren't so fat, or get a dog and you'll get pregnant, or the worst one of all...
RELAX!
Ack! I swore if I ever heard that one I'd permanently relax that person...but, I had to remember, they really didn't know what the journey was like and, frankly, neither did I so I listened to every word...until I knew better.
This has become an element in the show thanks to the marvelously humorous song created by Marshall Stern called The Stupid Things People Say. Of course, that's along with The Hoo Ha Highway...a hilarious song about...well, the hoo ha...which we women know intimately well.
One of the things I don't know is what men hear from those "well meaning" people. I suspect their virility is questioned or the ability to please their partner is discussed.
Let me know if you've heard anything.
And remember, there is funny in this journey...you just have to look for it...
Cheers for now!
Kathleen
One of the things I've been collecting are the silly things that well meaning people say to those dealing with infertility. I can now see why couples are hesitant to tell people about their struggle. I know that these people...or at least most of these people mean well but...come on!
I'll give you an example: I told one of my actor colleagues that I had to take off work and she told me that her sister in law had gone through IVF. I asked her if it worked (as we IVF'ers usually do) and she said "Noooo...she ended up going crazy and divorcing my brother."
I exaggerate...but that's what I heard in my head! Why bother telling me at all?
But, maybe it's a good thing to hear. Keeps one realistic I suppose.
Or there are the people who are told they'd get pregnant if they weren't so fat, or get a dog and you'll get pregnant, or the worst one of all...
RELAX!
Ack! I swore if I ever heard that one I'd permanently relax that person...but, I had to remember, they really didn't know what the journey was like and, frankly, neither did I so I listened to every word...until I knew better.
This has become an element in the show thanks to the marvelously humorous song created by Marshall Stern called The Stupid Things People Say. Of course, that's along with The Hoo Ha Highway...a hilarious song about...well, the hoo ha...which we women know intimately well.
One of the things I don't know is what men hear from those "well meaning" people. I suspect their virility is questioned or the ability to please their partner is discussed.
Let me know if you've heard anything.
And remember, there is funny in this journey...you just have to look for it...
Cheers for now!
Kathleen
Welcome!
Welcome to Journey to the Center of the Uterus (TM)...a new blog based on my journey through infertility and giving birth to a new solo show by the same name.
Comments are welcome! I only ask you to keep them clean.
You can also check out my audio blog on FertilityAuthority.com. The first post to that blog is taken directly from my show which premieres in Sept in Chicago.
More to come!
Comments are welcome! I only ask you to keep them clean.
You can also check out my audio blog on FertilityAuthority.com. The first post to that blog is taken directly from my show which premieres in Sept in Chicago.
More to come!
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