InterConnect Support Public Blog

    by Tryla Brown     Most times, the sensationalism of using AIS or a similar condition as a plot device on TV does not bother me.  I have a sense of humor and can take a joke just as well as the next person and I have no problem laughing at myself. Yes, I know that Dr. House was just being his obnoxious self.  I simply don’t buy it.  His demeanor with his 15 year old patient with CAIS was tacky, cruel, cold and ugly.  Rather than feeling embarrassed or ashamed, it just plain and simple made me angry.    Tryla Brown        

  Ways to let go of unhealthy feelings About your AIS status     Editor's note: ... This article was adapted from several other non-profit sources. As women with AIS and similar conditions, there have probably been times when we have felt flawed, unworthy, inadequate, or somehow defective, and that we keep saying over and over again "what is wrong with me."  If you’re like me, after initial diagnosis, you may have had feelings of shame and/or remorse about your worth as a woman. Experts say shame often leads us to low self-esteem and it plays a major role in stifling “our best self.”  Shame is both a feeling or emotion, and an experience that happens to the total self. We all experience some shame.  But the years and years of carrying around shame from your diagnosis or anything else is harmful and can affect your emotional well-being. If we do not work through these feelings and work to let go of them, shame can accumulate and weigh us down, until we feel ...

    by Cindy Stone     Well, spring is nearly here, and it's a good time to ask you to "save the date" on your calendars for the 2006 AISSG-USA Annual meeting in Bloomington, Indiana. This year's meeting will be held on the scenic wooded campus of Indiana University (IU).  Visit www.iub.edu for a quick mini tour.  IU Bloomington is nearly 200 years old, and is the flagship campus of the IU statewide system of campuses.  We have nearly 40,000 students and they'll be mostly gone in the summer months, leaving us a beautiful campus to tour and visit. We have reserved really nice hotel rooms & quality meeting space for the dates of August 4, 5, & 6, 2006.  Meetings and rooms will be in the beautiful Indiana Memorial Union Hotel, www.imu.indiana.edu on our campus. Planning is already underway.  A volunteer planning committee has been formed and has had its first meeting.  It's comprised of Dr. Arlene Baratz (from the parent's group),...

      by Tryla Brown      I left my heart in San Francisco San Francisco is such a beautiful city.  Sightseeing was a blast!  The 2005 annual AISSG meeting was above and beyond all my expectations.  Jan did a superb job of organizing the event and making sure that everyone’s needs were meet (see photo below of host Jan with assistant Jane at the registration table with one of Jan’s many orchids).  The hotel was gorgeous and the food delicious and bountiful.  It was so good to see so many familiar and new faces.  There were a total of ten first-timers attending the meeting. One of the main reasons I attend these meeting is for the socializing.  Being around, hanging out, or just socializing with other AIS women is very therapeutic for me.  It is also very fulfilling for me to be there for others who are just finding out about their AIS.  Story sharing time is always a particularly emotional portion of the meeting ...

    by Cindy Stone       For many of us, the weeks leading up to the Tenth Annual AISSG-USA National Meeting in beautiful Palo Alto were filled with anticipation. I found myself humming the old chestnut: California here I come, right back where I started from. Where bowers of flowers bloom in the sun… etc. So open up them golden gates, California here I come. Well, we orchids did bloom in that sunshine from August 19-21, 2005 at the Sheraton Resort in northern California thanks to the incredible work of Jan Johnson. Jan had set the table very well for all of us to gather, share, learn, laugh and care for ourselves and each other.  The enormous amount of “woman-power” Jan personally gave to this organization is extraordinary.  We all owe her our gratitude for making the “10th annual meeting” such a huge success.  Thank you Jan! The meeting was attended by some 50 AIS adults, along with a few parents, teens and physicians. A welcome reception held p...

    by Orchid Press     “The man who can keep a secret may be wise, but he is not half as wise as the man with no secrets to keep.” Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937) Mr. Howe most assuredly didn’t have the AIS woman in mind when he wrote the above quote.  Perhaps he would have modified it somewhat if he knew of the secrets kept by us all at some point in our lives.  Many of us grew up with family members that never spoke of AIS, treating it like a gorilla in the corner.  We know it’s there, but we’re not going to talk about it. Keeping the AIS secret for years through adolescence and early adulthood can cause feelings that you’re “not normal” or a “freak,” especially if no one in your family tells you otherwise or takes the time to explain what AIS is all about.  And, for many of us, our doctors kept us in the dark as well, withholding the truth or shying away from explaining the medical aspects of AIS; thus, another layer of secrecy.  In some in...

    by Orchid Press     Thanks to everyone for completing the annual questionnaire last fall.  In the questionnaire, there was a request for newsletter topics, and one of the suggestions was a discussion of the positive aspects of AIS.  At the 2004 Annual Meeting in Madison, attendees were asked a series of questions about their AIS experiences and one of those questions just happened to be "tell us something that you like about having AIS."  A small sampling of the responses follows: Great skin, no periods! (A very popular response!) Supportive friends. I like being unique and special. A slightly more developed sympathy for people marginalized by society. Being a super-woman. Helping others who in turn help me. Being loved and accepted by my spouse, just the way I am. I have learned a lot about human development and genetics. So, if you find yourself experiencing self doubt or inadequacy, just remember what makes you special and unique.  Perhaps ...

      by Orchid Press     Many AIS women feel the pull towards motherhood, but when it comes time to begin the adoption process numerous questions come to mind.  Where do I begin my search?  What does the adoption process involve?  Are there local adoption agencies that I can turn to? The first step you may want to consider is to search your state’s government website under the “health and family services” or “department of social services” section.  Go to Google, or another search engine, and type in “State of [type in the state in which you reside].”  Note: adding quotation marks around your search phrase will help narrow your search.  A listing for your state’s website should be the first item on the list. Click on the link.  Next, you should see links to various state departments or a search engine to search the state website (type in “Adoption in [the state in which you reside]” in the search engine for links to adoption r...