I'm an organizer. It's what I like to do. I like to clean. I like to take all the post-it notes that collect around the computer and write the notes onto one neat list. I like to have different colour-coded folders where we place all necessary documents (okay, so this last one is a fantasy. All important documents get piled ON TOP of the stack of neatly labeled folders with the plan being that I will one day file them away in their correct place).

Hence why I am reorganizing the blogroll once again. I am breaking up some of the larger lists into smaller subsections. So pregnancy and parenting after IF will split into multiple groups: after adoption, after third-party reproduction, after treatments (even when the pregnancy happens spontaneously without treatments). In categories that are small in size, I may leave a blog even if it moves on to be about parenting just because people can search the archives for past posts. This will take me a few days to complete. And just when you get comfortable, I'll mix it all up again.

Which brings me to my next idea. You know how most high schools had those peer counselors? The cool kids that the psych teacher decided could give you advice even though they're just as messed up as you (can you tell that I wasn't chosen to be a peer counselor. And, yes, Mr. Stewart, I still am a bit bitter)? Many times people write me with their specific situation and I point them along to a certain blog or two where a person has a similar issue (and perhaps great information to pass along). But what if we created a sort of peer-infertility-counselor list? Our twin club has this--a list of topics with email addresses beneath if the person is willing to speak about her experience with a certain topic (so I am listed under Apnea, NICU, Bradycardia/Tachycardia in our twin club since those are topics I can speak about to another nervous parent who is going through the experience).

Think about your own IF experience--especially anything unusual in your diagnosis or general treatment path. If you're willing to have other people email you and ask you questions (or point them towards your blog if it has a lot of info on a certain subject), let me know and I'll start creating this list. It can be anything from being a BBT expert to Ashermans to chromosomal translocation (oh--and that last one on translocation, if you've done IVF with PGD for this, let me know because someone wrote me today who wants to speak to someone about this). You don't need to have a medical degree to offer peer counsel. Just a willing ear to lend and a bit of information to pass along.

So, just to get you started thinking about what you would be willing to speak about, here are some general topics. Add, add, add to this list. And if you're looking for someone to speak to about a specific topic, post a comment here as well.

Adoption (any step in the process, deciding between domestic and international, reversal, parenting after adoption, TRA, etc.)

Third Party Reproduction (DE, DI, Surrogacy, parenting after third party reproduction, left over vials of sperm, no vials of sperm, etc)

Pregnancy Loss (D & C, general emotions, tissue testing, Ashermans, etc)

Diagnosis (every single male and female diagnosis out there from PCOS to low motility to LPD)

General (how you chose to live child free, how you took a break from treatments, being a self-advocate, choosing an RE, creative problem solving when you live far from an RE)

This list could go on and on. You can either write me directly (thetowncriers@gmail.com) or post a comment here. Let me know which topics you'd like to speak about, the name of your blog (if you have one), and your email address. I think how the list will be created is that there will just be a name under the heading and by clicking on the hyperlinked name, it will take you to the email address (and feel free to create a new gmail or yahoo account for this, but do check it in case people write) rather than having email addresses listed in plain sight for spammers to poach. Let me know if there is a better way to do this.