Michael and Brandon Keilen: Part 4

[theotherelise]

My RE doesn't usually recommend IUIs for sperm issues. If your washed sperm counts are below 10k, your chance of conception is under 10% with an IUI according to a study I read the other day.

I'm in my third IUI cycle right now with ovulatory issues and no male factor issues. DOR or AMH or low sperm usually get you fast-tracked to IVF in what I've read. Also, my IUI protocol includes progesterone suppositories twice a day and they always check my lining and I'm sure they'd prescribe some estrace or something if it was thin. Low progesterone and lining issues can frequently be corrected during an IUI cycle.

My unpopular opinion: I actually thought Kelly's message was nice and I would've been happy with my mom posting something similar about me. Everyone knows Michael & Brandon are going through infertility and each anniversary and birthday and holiday has a bitter edge as it is one more year without. For me, it's like I'm being seen if someone doesn't ignore this major thing I'm going through. I wouldn't want it shared for all the world, but that's how they live. I think it would be nice to hear someone share: "I know things haven't gone how you planned with growing your family, but your relationship is a strong example for me and everyone and we are hopeful for your future."

[JermajestyDuggar]

24 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

If "My husband has awesome sperm" doesn't become your FJ location line soon, I will have to hurt someone. : )

Sometimes I call it super sperm 

[JesSky03]

15 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

That’s weird since my husband has awesome sperm. He had it tested and the doctor said it was great in all areas. 

Same. 

[QuiverDance]

My husband's sperm is better than all y'all's husbands sperm.  --Kelly Bates

 

 

 

I apologize. I couldn't resist. 

[mollysmom]

On 8/21/2018 at 9:51 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

Sometimes I call it super sperm 

Now I'm picturing a little sperm with a superman cape on!!!! 

[Lemchop]

ok this is cute

[16strong]

2 hours ago, Lemchop said:

ok this is cute

i may not agree with their beliefs, but seeing these two be genuinely into each other is a welcome sight, especially after Jill/D-wreck.

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 hours ago, 16strong said:

i may not agree with their beliefs, but seeing these two be genuinely into each other is a welcome sight, especially after Jill/D-wreck.

I agree. At least they have a strong marriage. I think they will eventually have children (whether it’s biologically or through adoption) and it’s good to see they will bring the kids into a marriage like this and not a marriage like Turd and Anna’s or Jill and Wreck’s.

[ophelia]

This video is so so sweet and I think I never saw them being so into each other. Especially Brandon was more likable and relaxed than I ever saw him before. I have to admit I even found him a little bit hot.

I'm curious to watch the video series they are planning, although it probably will be all about their hateful beliefs.

On a sidenote: It has been mentioned many times that Jill and Derick's wedding is a disaster. I have to say that I don't follow the Duggars that closely anymore, especially not here on FJ since the amount of topics and new messages always overwhelms me and I loose track pretty quickly. Could somebody tell me in a nutshell why FJ thinks their marriage is working? What indicates that? I'm curious to know, because Duggar snark is still something like my guilty pleasure and especially since I dislike Derick so much.

Edited August 29, 2018 by ophelia
edited to add last paragraph.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

11 minutes ago, ophelia said:

On a sidenote: It has been mentioned many times that Jill and Derick's wedding is a disaster. I have to say that I don't follow the Duggars that closely anymore, especially not here on FJ since the amount of topics and new messages always overwhelms me and I loose track pretty quickly. Could somebody tell me in a nutshell why FJ thinks their marriage is working? What indicates that? I'm curious to know, because Duggar snark is still something like my guilty pleasure and especially since I dislike Derick so much.

Did you mean “not working”? There’s a general feeling that Jill’s unhappy. Sam’s birth seems to have had complications that were never explained publicly. I think they did say she had a C-section. So  they probably will not be able to have a very large family. Meanwhile, they apparently were fired from both their missionary work and appearing on Counting On. Then Derick spent a year getting a certificate in ministry from Cross Church, but he doesn’t seem to plan to go into ministry. Now he’s in law school and everyone’s wondering how he’s paying for that.

During this past year both Jill and Derick posted a lot on social media. Jill’s is always awkward and frequently gives us something to criticize about her. Derick was being a jerk on Twitter, most notably in criticizing TLC for its show about transgender teen Jazz Jennings. People are criticizing him directly on Twitter, and he can’t resist responding. He even said he might write a book with his side of the story. Jim Bob definitely doesn’t want that to happen, so there’s a theory that Derick is essentially blackmailing his in-laws to support his professional student lifestyle.

We speculate about their marriage because they both seem lost and unhappy, but it’s not clear that they’re unhappy with each other. There hasn’t been any public conflict.

[ophelia]

@QuiverFullofBooks, thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. I really appreciate this.

Derrick blackmailing JB.. sounds like fundie fan fiction I'd be willing to read

[JermajestyDuggar]

On 8/29/2018 at 6:58 AM, ophelia said:

This video is so so sweet and I think I never saw them being so into each other. Especially Brandon was more likable and relaxed than I ever saw him before. I have to admit I even found him a little bit hot.

I'm curious to watch the video series they are planning, although it probably will be all about their hateful beliefs.

On a sidenote: It has been mentioned many times that Jill and Derick's wedding is a disaster. I have to say that I don't follow the Duggars that closely anymore, especially not here on FJ since the amount of topics and new messages always overwhelms me and I loose track pretty quickly. Could somebody tell me in a nutshell why FJ thinks their marriage is working? What indicates that? I'm curious to know, because Duggar snark is still something like my guilty pleasure and especially since I dislike Derick so much.

I have a personal theory that Derick has some long lasting serious issues surrounding his father’s death and his mom’s cancer (there was a time when they thought she might not make it). He seemed to jump from one thing to another to fix his problems. He became Pistol Pete to honor his dad. Then he jumped into religion and missionary work in Nepal. Then he jumped into marriage with Jill. After that, he quit his stable job and dragged Jill to scary America where she didn’t do well with a new baby. So he came back and tried about three more things that didn’t work out. Now he’s in law school. Which most likely won’t work out either. He needs therapy. Like yesterday. New jobs aren’t going to fix  your lingering grief issues.

[elf1590]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I have a personal theory that Derick has some long lasting serious issues surrounding his father’s death and his mom’s cancer (there was a time when they thought she might not make it). He seemed to jump from one thing to another to fix his problems. He became Pistol Pete to honor his dad. Then he jumped into religion and missionary work in Nepal. Then he jumped into marriage with Jill. After that, he quit his stable job and dragged Jill to scary America where she didn’t do well with a new baby. So he came back and tried about three more things that didn’t work out. Now he’s in law school. Which most likely won’t work out either. He needs therapy. Like yesterday. New jobs aren’t going to fix  your lingering grief issues.

That makes a lot of sense, very well said

[neurogirl]

Michael using Bible verses to find contentment and gratitude. She just seems sad. I want a baby for her, and/or an adoption, but only if she treats that child like the miracle he/she is. Oh they make me feel so conflicted.

 

[LawsonBatesEgo]

11 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I have a personal theory that Derick has some long lasting serious issues surrounding his father’s death and his mom’s cancer (there was a time when they thought she might not make it). He seemed to jump from one thing to another to fix his problems. He became Pistol Pete to honor his dad. Then he jumped into religion and missionary work in Nepal. Then he jumped into marriage with Jill. After that, he quit his stable job and dragged Jill to scary America where she didn’t do well with a new baby. So he came back and tried about three more things that didn’t work out. Now he’s in law school. Which most likely won’t work out either. He needs therapy. Like yesterday. New jobs aren’t going to fix  your lingering grief issues.

I definitely think this is part of it. While Dewreck is Olympic finalist in the sport of "assholery", I also think a lot of his behaviour is motivated be unresolved trauma from the loss of his father and his mothers illness. His behaviour is characteristic of someone who jumps from "distraction to distraction" instead of actually dealing with his issues.

[habert]

4 hours ago, neurogirl said:

Michael using Bible verses to find contentment and gratitude. She just seems sad. I want a baby for her, and/or an adoption, but only if she treats that child like the miracle he/she is. Oh they make me feel so conflicted.

 

Yeah, this being on the edge of the bed definitely feels like thinly veiled “I need to be okay that my sex life with my husband hasn’t lead to godly offspring yet” vibes

[QuiverFullofBooks]

Who needs a child when there’s lattes and Jesus? Poor Michael. 

[Melissa1977]

I think Michael should look for a job or a serious hobbie or voluntary work or come back to college.  Something that took her out of home for long hours. I can't even imagine the insufferable life of a woman who is willing to have a big family and spends most of her day at home. The silence, the thoughts, the prayers. She's even sewing baby blankets! It's not healthy.

If she was working or volunteering or studying some interesting course, at least she would keep her mind far from the babies issue. Days would be shorter and in the case she worked, she could save for the fertility treatments or for the adoption process. 

I'm not fundie but being a mother was my greatest dream. I truly understand Michael and feel for her. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

On 4/15/2018 at 10:11 AM, Palimpsest said:

IBLP must own a lot of property in and around Oak Brook. 

Was stuck in nightmare traffic driving through Oak Brook yesterday...I blamed Gothard the whole time.

15 hours ago, LawsonBatesEgo said:

I also think a lot of his behaviour is motivated be unresolved trauma from the loss of his father and his mothers illness.

This is plausible and a compassionate view point.  When I was in my 20s both of my parents and a baby within 4 mouths...I am very, very glad I wasn't being followed by cameras while coping with that.

[LawsonBatesEgo]

16 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Was stuck in nightmare traffic driving through Oak Brook yesterday...I blamed Gothard the whole time.

This is plausible and a compassionate view point.  When I was in my 20s both of my parents and a baby within 4 mouths...I am very, very glad I wasn't being followed by cameras while coping with that.

Don't get me wrong, he is a major asshole. But I think I think he didn't cope with it properly and made a bunch of impulsive decisions out of grief and not "having his shit together" with his mental health (which is nothing to be ashamed about, but you need help if that is the case and I highly doubt he got it) and made it worse for himself, like rushing into marriage and babies, running away to El Salvador when work got hard (I read rumours on reddit that he was "invited to leave" Walmart), and running his mouth off on Twitter about Jazz when he was apparently angry at TLC for various reasons. I think he is now looking at his life, wife and two kids and thinking ".....shit. What did I get myself into? What have I done?". But there are no takebacks on kids and his culture heavily shames divorce, leaving him stuck.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

6 hours ago, LawsonBatesEgo said:

Don't get me wrong, he is a major asshole

Oh, I agree.  And during my time of loss (sounded more flowery than intended!) I wasn't running around trying to convert people, being homophobic, or minimizing abuse....just saying it's not a time when anyone should be making life changing decisions and it definitely messes with your head.

But def another vote for campasshole over here.

[BeccaGrim]

His brother isn't publicly slamming people on twitter and saying hateful things.  Plus, his mother seems to be RAH RAH GO Derrick. I think he might just be a bad person.  Some people just are...

[Rachel333]

3 hours ago, BeccaGrim said:

His brother isn't publicly slamming people on twitter and saying hateful things.  Plus, his mother seems to be RAH RAH GO Derrick. I think he might just be a bad person.  Some people just are...

What Derick has been through is absolutely not an excuse for his behavior, but I don't think it's fair to compare different people's responses to tragedy. Two people can go through the exact same thing and have very different responses, and just because one person coped better doesn't mean the other person did something wrong by not being able to cope well.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

7 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

What Derick has been through is absolutely not an excuse for his behavior, but I don't think it's fair to compare different people's responses to tragedy. Two people can go through the exact same thing and have very different responses, and just because one person coped better doesn't mean the other person did something wrong by not being able to cope well.

This is the perfect illustration of compassion and accountability.  It's posts like this that make me love FJ.

[LawsonBatesEgo]

On 9/21/2018 at 3:37 PM, Melissa1977 said:

I think Michael should look for a job or a serious hobbie or voluntary work or come back to college.  Something that took her out of home for long hours. I can't even imagine the insufferable life of a woman who is willing to have a big family and spends most of her day at home. The silence, the thoughts, the prayers. She's even sewing baby blankets! It's not healthy.

If she was working or volunteering or studying some interesting course, at least she would keep her mind far from the babies issue. Days would be shorter and in the case she worked, she could save for the fertility treatments or for the adoption process. 

I'm not fundie but being a mother was my greatest dream. I truly understand Michael and feel for her. 

I don't care how much of a fundie she is - at this point, I just want to take the poor women to a REAL therapist and tell her that she doesn't have to keep sweet and content. She can say whatever she wants to this therapist and it is completely OK.