u/Mammoth-Comedian-120

Hey everyone! My wife and I are an interracial married couple from Alabama, and we’re seriously considering moving to Illinois. Bloomington-Normal has caught our attention because we’re looking for somewhere that’s not a huge city, but also not in the middle of nowhere.
For anyone who lives in the area, what’s Bloomington-Normal actually like? What’s the vibe, and how welcoming/diverse is it? Being an interracial couple, one of our biggest concerns is making sure we’re moving somewhere that’s genuinely welcoming and definitely not a sundown-town type of place. 😂
I’m also a veteran, so I’d love to hear from other veterans about the VA healthcare in the area. Is it decent? How’s getting appointments and seeing specialists?
I’m currently going to school for Electrical Technology and am interested in joining the IBEW. If anyone has gone through the apprenticeship around Bloomington-Normal, I’d love to hear what the process is like, how competitive it is, and whether you feel it’s a good career path.
A few other things we’re curious about:
What’s the cost of living/housing like?
How are the property taxes?
What’s the job market like?
How are the schools and neighborhoods?
What’s there to do for fun?
And most importantly… HOW BAD ARE THE WINTERS?! 😂 We’re coming from Alabama, so snow and ice are basically a foreign concept to us. Any advice for surviving our first Midwest winter would be appreciated.
We’re also open to other towns in Illinois. We’re looking for somewhere affordable, diverse, family-friendly, and big enough to have things to do, but not a major city.
If you moved to Illinois from the South, I’d especially love to hear about your experience. What do you love about it, what do you hate, and what do you wish you knew before moving?
Thanks!

This is my first Reddit post, so apologies if I mess anything up.
I’m currently about a week into quitting porn, and honestly, it’s been difficult. The urges can get pretty intense, and there have been nights where I’ve broken down and cried. Thankfully, my wife has been incredibly supportive and reassuring throughout this journey. We’re trying to build a stronger relationship and improve our intimacy, and quitting porn is something I genuinely want to do for myself and for our marriage.
Here’s the situation I’m struggling with:
My wife and I are trying to have a baby. Last year, I had a semen analysis that showed a low sperm count. When I had to provide the sample, I used porn because I wasn’t able to produce a sample without some kind of visual stimulation.
I have another appointment coming up next month, and they want me to provide another sample. The problem is that I’m worried I won’t be able to produce one without porn. The clinic doesn’t provide magazines or anything like that, so I’m concerned I’ll get into the room and simply not be able to do it.
My question is: If I genuinely need some kind of visual stimulation to produce the sample for a medical test, would you consider that a relapse?
I’m trying to completely break my dependence on porn, and I don’t want to use the medical appointment as an excuse to fall back into the habit. At the same time, I obviously need to be able to provide the sample so my wife and I can figure out what’s going on with our fertility.
For anyone who has been through something similar:
What did you do to provide a semen sample without porn?

Are there alternatives I could ask the clinic about?

And would you personally consider using porn strictly for this medical test a relapse, or would you view it differently because of the circumstances?

I’d really appreciate some advice, especially from anyone who has dealt with porn addiction/recovery while also going through fertility testing.
Thanks in advance. I’m just trying to take this one day at a time.