Word up, Bloggy Peeps

The post I need to subtitle....

Twice On Sunday

Because that is the number of times I set this juggernaut of a new website up. Urrrrgh.

After seven hours' straight work on this thing (and a further two plus YEARS of shelving the concept as other things - and new people... enter Lolly, stage left!.... got in the way) last Saturday night, I left the computer at a little after 2am and headed wearily to bed.

The following day, I was nauseous with anticipation. Of wondering if it still looked good in the light of a new day, of whether it would take off, of whether it did Ellanor any justice for coming here and alighting again whatsoever.... It was an anticipatory feeling of many things. Oh, including angst. Great angst. When I discovered that my templates had CORRUPTED. My site, all that work, all those hours, all that pretty typesetting.... all went VOOSH and got lost somewhere. I tapped my iMac screen. I implored, I gnashed my teeth and, yes, I cried a little bit.

And then, along came Steve. With a swashbuckle here and a deletion of preferences and some other geeky shit bit there, I got it back up. I married my DNS with my host and said, "Genetic Factor? Meet your landlord. Host? Meet this latest concoction of mine. Do well!" and off they went into the cyber sunset.

Now. Here is where you guys come in.

I implore you as I have not done before: this is a site that really needs to happen. I don't quite know how to stress that enough. Far beyond any financial gain (for of course, I am in the red on it and haven't even considered getting any sort of funding or sponsorship), this is something that I wished was around when I was looking for somewhere to crash land. A truly safe haven, not one where I might run into *gulp* a pregnant person who had put their troubles in their old kit bag and turfed it, awaiting for the arrival of the next miracle child.

No, no. I yearned for a place where my partner-determined infertility (despite our high success rate of egg/sperm togetherness and lovey-doveys) would not be considered alien. Or misunderstood. Or something I just needed to relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaax and drum my fingers patiently while I waited.

I needed ballsy, gutsy stories of determination and inspiration. I needed comfort. After Ellanor, I needed to know we weren't the ONLY couple in the world who had waited four long years and then, kissing that forehead one last sweetest of sweet goodbyes, farewell our dream and hope and reason for going on. After she had gone, we had nowhere. I then found Essential Baby, of course. It became my lifeline. However, as is all too often known or realised, it's a lifeline that can sting and sometimes, frankly, bite the big one. Like any forum.

So. To business:

I would like to introduce you all to www.geneticfactor.com - as well as being Ella's new "place" online, I have dear hopes for this project becoming a hub for genetic-related infertility, loss and high risk pregnancy stories and information.

How you can help:

Submit your own story.
Submit any poems regarding Loss, in particular, which you love or have helped you and you think may help/comfort others too.
Submit any information/links/articles, etc., about the area of genetic "hurdles" that has affected or interested you most.
Link to me (and let me know your website address, so I can link to you)
Let me know if you have any issues/joys navigating the website (give it to me, good and bad!).
Pass this email on! (or at least, the web address) To anyone you feel may be interested to know about it.
Any or all of the above would be really helpful please.

Obviously, above all else, this will only work if people know about it. (A somewhat scary concept in itself, on a personal level, cuz if it doesn't work it means.... well, it means I was totally wrong on it being "needed".... but let's move on!)

You therefore have my nod to go and spread the word anywhere you think would help. I want it to be browser-led. ie. I can go and fill it up with content that I find, but that would only go so far. It needs to be injected with many facets, as many as people can throw at me. And I am open to suggestion (not that I'm promising I have time to honour all the suggestions made!) on other ways/directions for it that I haven't thought of.

I need to give it a good, hard go. At least, then, I can say I attempted it and won't slip off the mortal coil wondering if I shoulda, coulda, woulda.....

Tell me what you think!