One day post HSG

And the saga continues.

Yesterday was my HSG (technically called Hysterosalpingogram, but don’t worry about knowing that, it won’t be on the test).  As I said in my last post, my doctor warned me it was going to be “unpleasant” and he encouraged my husband to be there in case I needed someone to drive me home.

Now, you may have gathered by now that I’m one of those people who likes to have ALL of the information I can up front, so I spent last week googling the procedure and what to expect. I read a lot of negative stuff (it was the most excruciating pain of my life, etc) and a lot of information from professionals that say it really isn’t that bad.

Regardless, I learned what the procedure was and what to expect, which helped me feel a little better.

I also read some horror stories about mean nurses, husbands not allowed in the room, and uncompassionate doctors. Let me tell you, this was in NO way my experience!

We arrived at the clinic and I had to give a urine sample for a pregnancy test (which we won’t go in to…suffice it to say that I have an extremely shy bladder, lmao).

We were then walked over to radiology (or, as they called it at the clinic, Advanced Imaging…my husband made some lame joke about how we were in the “advance” imaging group and that we skipped right on over basic imaging. So lame, I know, but he always knows how to break my tension and make me feel a little more at ease).

Anyway. We waited for about 5 minutes (enough time to get really invested in some crazy episode of Dr. Phil and NOT get to hear the conclusion!) before we were taken to the back. And I do mean WE. The nurse or tech (I was a little too nervous to mentally record what exactly her job title was) called

my husband the hand-holder, and made sure to get him fitted with a lead vest while I changed into my oh-so-comfortable hospital gown. And let me tell you, he looked ravishing in his purple lead vest with little kittens printed all over it (and yes, he made a joke about being a “kitty” magnet. *sigh*)

There was only one chair in the room, and me being so nervous at this point I was about to faint, got the chair while my wonderful husband stood. We had only been in there about 1 minute, when the nurse/tech lady comes back with another chair and said something like “Well, the Doctor is going to be a few more minutes, and I thought you might like another chair.” I thought that was SO sweet of her. I know it is a small gesture, but it was very thoughtful.

However, in my experience when they bring you another chair and essentially tell you to get comfortable because the doctor is going to be late, it usually means you’re going to be sitting there for an hour. Except that we didn’t. When she said a few more minutes, she meant less than 5. She also stayed in the room and chatted with us the entire time. She made me feel like I was an important patient, and she really made me feel at ease. She talked me through the equipment and a little bit about the procedure.

Then the doctor came in and introduced himself. He was very warm and friendly and honest (all of my favorite qualities in a doctor). He told me the procedure was going to suck (not in those words, of course) and then walked me through EACH step, telling me what I would feel at each point.

He asked if I was ready and walked me over to the table, which, by the way, had a tempurpedic pillow top on it. Had I not been about to have someone digging around in my who-ha, I might have been table to take a nap. It was pretty damn comfortable.

The worst part, I think, about the whole experience was that the table had no stirrups, so I had to hold me legs open the entire time. That kind of sucked.

Anyway. As soon as I was settled on the table, they moved the table into position and told my husband where he could stand (right at my side so that he was leaned over and his face was right there in front of mine the entire time) and he immediately grabbed my hand. He really was the best hand-holder.

The first part was very similar to a well-woman exam. Speculum and all that business, which sucks but is nothing worse than awkward. Then they “cleanse” the cervix, which I mostly didn’t feel. They swabbed the thing down with some gauze to finish the “cleanse” and that was the end of the “fun” part.

Next they inserted the catheter through my cervix. I felt some pressure, but no pain. Then I think they blew some air into my uterus (I can’t tell you exactly, I just know this was the part that hurt a bit). Mostly, it just felt like mild period cramps. Nothing I wasn’t used to, but also not something I would ask to have done to me.

Then they injected the dye. I had heard over and over again that this was the worst part. That it was very painful and that this was “the worst pain of my life.” Let me tell you, it sucked, but it was by no means the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. It just felt like a slightly more intense menstrual cramp. It hurt for less than a second as the dye went in, and that was it. Immediately the little shock of pain subsided. It didn’t even hurt badly enough for me to flinch or cringe.

Within another second, the doctor said “picture” and I got to see the still frame image of my uterus and fallopian tubes, both patent (or open!!!!!)

I was so happy I almost started crying on the table. The doctor removed the catheter (which I didn’t even feel) told me that everything looked great, explained what everything was in the image, told me once again that my tubes are open, shook my husband’s hand, told me to have a great day and left.

The nurse/tech lady stayed there with me and helped me get up off of the table and chatted with my husband and me for a few minutes, answering my husband’s questions about different things in the image (all of which were embarrassing, lol).

In the bathroom where I changed, the nurse had laid out some towels and a pad for me (I brought my own). I thought it was very thoughtful of her. She told me to expect a little bleeding (which I had, just some very light spotting basically) and that the dye would be gross if it dried on me (which I didn’t let happen lol).

As I told the nurse, I wouldn’t schedule one for fun on the weekend, but all in all not the awful experience I was expecting. I even drove myself home afterwards (much to my husband’s chagrin as he took the day off because he was told he would need to drive me home after – not that I think I could have done it without him there holding my hand).

Around bed time last night I started experiencing some bloating, which was pretty uncomfortable. I was having gas-like cramps whenever I moved too quickly. And, as a stomach sleeper, I had a little trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep in. This morning I am less bloated, but definitely still bloated. The gas cramps have subsided, but my lower abdomen is sore. I read one person described it as it being the day after an ab workout feeling, and I would agree with that. However, nothing too awful, and definitely not anything I can’t handle.

So, where are we now? I’m waiting on a call from my doctor so we can schedule a follow up to discuss all of our results (the only thing I’m still waiting to hear back about is my husband’s SA, every other test has been great!) and develop a plan of action. I’m excited and hopeful that, because all of our tests so far have come back positive, treatment is going to work.

I’m keeping my fingers (and my toes and my eyes and anything else I can think of) crossed, and wishing for lots and lots of baby dust. J