A Mistake, Bad Luck, Left Me Sterile

At twenty I was full of vim and vigor, outspoken, self assured, owned the world. Not quite.

I tripped, fell and scr**ed my knee really bad. It got infected and turned bright red. My roommate took me to the ER. I was disoriented and passing out. I was in toxic shock.

It was a coincidence, I had toxic shock from my tampon, which I hadn't changed because I didn't have another one handy. I was sick. Really sick. I was treated and left the hospital ten days later.

I graduated on time, got a job, went to work, got married, and was never able to become pregnant. Nothing helped, implanted embryos were rejected.

I'm forty, I really suffer because I was never able to have a baby of my own. Nieces, nephews, adoption, do not replace that I was never able to be a 'real' mother.

For me 'adoptive mother' is not 'mother'.