Donor Conceived Perspectives: Voices from the Offspring

My previous posting had been in the back of my mind for sometime and I was spun into action by reading this Blog --- if you are considering Donating --- than take a read.

Stupid Laws

I am very disappointed in with regard to the current Law and Donor Conceived children, here's a couple of rants to get things started:

• There is no law to say that the parents must tell Donor Conceived children that they are Donor Conceived. If the child suspects they can ask the HFEA ... once they reach their teenage years--- but that's about it. I do know there was some talk about putting on the Birth Certificate that a child was Donor Conceived but this it just total stupidity as this makes the information almost public. Surely the answer would have been for the HFEA to send a letter to the child when he/she reached 18 to set up an interview. This'd force the parents to tell the child at an earlier date that they were donor conceived.
  
  
• My children have no right to access information about their Donor-Conceived half-siblings. This is just lunacy - why can Donor-Conceived half-siblings request information about their other half-siblings but exclude my children? Total crassness on behalf of the lawmakers

Okay I've a few more but that'll do for now ...

New Project

Yep - this weekend we start off with trying for baby #3.

It's a tough job, of course I'm not enjoying it one tiny bit but it is a burden I'm happy to carry.

Armed and Dangerous

My arm is almost better.

The recovery was set back by a week or so as on Sunday I had a pushchair to push for a few miles when we had a day out at the seaside.

I've not need to take further pain relief - that is a blessing in itself.

Hopefully by the time my vacation starts in August everything will be better as we have many days-out planned ... and I guess I'll have a pushchair to push.

Actually isn't it funny. We come into this world with little or no hair, unable to feed ourselves, get wheeled around and have no control over our bowel or bladder. And when we exit this world, if we get to a grand old age, history repeats itself?

Handy Update

I went to see the doctor last week - and I got offered an emergency appointment that meant I was seen within the hour.

The doctor advised take Ibuprofen on a regular basis - avoid using the arm for any strenuous activity, and that is may taken up to 6 weeks for the problem to go away.

Up until today I've not been able to use the arm - and even just moving it a few mm's was agony.

Researching the condition - it seems it's fairly uncommon and I read some horror stories of nerve damage not repairing itself.

Today I feel it's starting to get a little better. The electric shocks/stabbing pains etc are reducing in intensity - although I will try to avoid using it till it's a lot more improved.

Hopefully my discomfort will result in something wonderful for another family.

Blood Test Agony

The clinic forgot to do a CVM for my second set of donations - so I received a blood-test pack in the post and took it to my local Doctors for them to draw the sample.

The nurse clearly wasn't concentrating - and must have poked a tendon as my left-arm has been in agony ever since - a mixture of 'electric shocks', burning pain, and freezing pain - and I can't put any weight on it or do anything more than lift a pencil.

I can't lift my children, or even hold their hands, and it is keeping me awake at night. I haven't tried driving - I am not sure if I'd be able to do this without pain.

I am not at all surprised as the nurse wasn't taking any notice on what she was doing and was just chatting away about goodness-knows what else rather than concentrate on what she was doing.

I am very annoyed - and can ill afford more time off work for a follow-up consultation.

Results so far

The clinic has confirmed there have been three children born due to my donations so far, and a number of pregnancies which are on-going.

I'm really excited for everyone involved - this has made it all worth while.

Just for the record - I will only disclose the total number of children born - and no other detail.