Well I had my HSG done last week. It is surprising how long ago it feels. So much has happened in the past 7 days that I almost forgot about blogging about it. But then Crystal asked me about it and I remembered I should blog about it. Ironically enough, the reason I forgot about the HSG is because of Crystal. Last Monday only 4 hours after my HSG we got a call that Crystal was in the hospital. She has quite literally been fighting for her life since then. Thankfully she is doing better and is stable. But I will write more about that situation in another post.
The HSG:
When I arrived at radiology I was really nervous. Tim went with me, but I was still nervous and scared and had lots of anxiety about the procedure, if it would hurt, what the results might bring, how it effects our trying to conceive journey. I had a lot on my mind. Tim tried his hardest to make me laugh, hold my hand, be supportive. He did great and I appreciate his efforts even if they annoyed me at the time. LOL!
We checked in, and the nurse called us back to a smaller waiting room. Not sure why we couldn't have waited in the bigger waiting room, but whatever. She talked to us about the $ end of it, has us sign papers and consent forms and discussed the risks of the HSG. (mostly just risk of infection since they are going up into your uterus) After the proper paperwork we were brought back to the room. It was a big long table that had an x-ray machine thing over it. A different nurse explained where to get undressed, where I would lay, how the Dr would be standing, basically the logistics of the HSG. We asked if Tim could stay with me during the procedure. She said she would have to ask the Dr. She left. I got undressed and redressed in this enormous gown. And that is saying alot about how big this gown was since I am not a small woman. LOL! I swear it was as big as a circus tent! LOL! But I guess that is better than too small.
I came out of the dressing room/bathroom and the nurse was back and said that Tim could stay (yay!). She gave him a lead apron and then helped him strap into it. She instructed me to get on the table. The Dr came in and spoke to me while I was seated. He eased y fears and told me it wasn't gonna hurt. I was nervous about the tube going through my cervix because I had to have a uterine biopsy before Kaleb was born, where they dilated my cervix and it hurt worse than labor! He assured me that since I had 3 babies come through my cervix that it would not hurt. I was so glad that he was right! So after he got me all calmed down I laid down on the table. Then I had to "assume the position". Ladies you know what I am talking about, right? Where you spread your legs open, scoot your butt all the way to the edge of the table and balance your feet on little tiny pegs. Lovely. Thankfully I was covered with a nice warm blanket during all the scooting and subsequent talking and trying to find equipment.
Yes I laid there spread eagle albeit covered with a blanket while the Dr and nurse discussed whether or not they needed the long thingy with the circle on the end (WTF????) It was hilarious because even the Dr didn't know the proper name and admitted it. So the nurse was trying to figure it out and then they called another nurse in to check. LOL! Tim was holding my hand and we were talking about ceiling tiles and counting dots by this point! Needless to say, they did not find the long thingy with the circle on it and it turned out we didn't need it. Honestly I was thankful, because it didn't sound pleasant to have a long thingy with a circle on it going anywhere near my girlie bits! LOL!
Dr then washed me down with iodine. He then inserted the speculum. He asked the nurse to turn the light on. I was waiting for an overhead light to come on. I heard the click and the Dr say thank you, but no illumination from where I could see. Then it occurred to me.... I asked "Dr do you have a flashlight in my vagina?" He chuckled and said yes. Then he click, click, clicked the thing open. Yes ladies the dreaded click click click as you feel your vagina stretching and this ungodly pressure on your rectum.
Then he used a swab and washed the inside of my and my cervix with iodine (I think it was iodine. could have been something else) to prevent introducing infection into my uterus. This is the part that I just hate. I hate it when anyone/thing touches my cervix. It has the weirdest sensation and kinda makes me queasy. I really think that is why your cervix is inside. We were not meant to touch it!
After I was all clean (lol) he put the catheter inside to deliver the contrast dye. The tube felt cold going through my cervix. I breathed a sigh of relief as it passed into my uterus painlessly. I started cramping as the tube entered the uterus. He inflated the balloon that was going to hold the catheter in place. He then click click click released the speculum and removed it from my vagina. He also removed the flashlight as well! (Tim later told me the flashlight was built into the speculum! LOL!) He then had me slide up from the bottom of the table so that I was positioned closer to the x-ray machine. He moved the table below me around and the x-ray machine around until I was in position. He moved the computer screen so that Tim and I could see what the Dr saw and so that Tim could still hold my hand. After everything was situated turned the x-ray machine one. I should say it is a live x-ray where you can watch it in real time. He made a few minor adjustments and then wanted to adjust the actual catheter. He needed the balloon to be positioned at the neck of my uterus plugging the opening of my cervix so that when the dye was injected it would pool and go into the tubes rather than just drain out my cervix. Dr pulled slightly down on the catheter and you could see the balloon on the screen create a seal at the cervix. He slowly injected the dye. It felt cold and made me cramp more. Not unbearable, but certainly like there was something going on it my uterus. Almost immediately we could see the left tube fill up with dye and it spill out around my left ovary. The left side was completely open and functioning properly. Next he had me move around from side to side to get the dye to go to the right side. We could see on the screen where the tube just stopped. A blunt blockage. We tried for several minutes to get the dye to go through the right side, but it was totally blocked.
The Dr was satisfied that we had given it the best effort we could. He deflated the balloon and slowly withdrew the catheter. A bunch of the dye came out with the catheter. It was sticky and thick like syrup. I sat up and the Dr said that even though 1 tube was closed that the left is open and I still should be able to get pregnant.
After that I got up, got dressed and we left. I really didn't know what to think about the whole thing. I needed time to think. Tim & I went to lunch and talked about everything else but the results of the HSG. I think we were both overwhelmed. We ran a few errand and then picked the kids up from my Mom. When we got home Tim started making dinner for the kids and I did what any normal woman does when under stress..... I started cleaning! LOL! I cleaned out my closet, put away all the kids laundry, sorted through my entire wardrobe and even got a bag ready for Goodwill donation. LOL! Tim thought for sure I was crazy. Honestly I think he was more frustrated that he had to cook and feed the kids by himself.
Just as I was finishing up was when we got the call that Crystal was in the hospital and we needed to go to her as soon as possible. So we did. And I honestly haven't given the HSG much more thought. We spent a day or so in the hospital with her and then when we got back it was rush rush rush to get the things done that got delayed, meetings to go to, Tim working extra hours to make up for the time he missed, etc... And honestly when faced with losing a sister, our problems with fertility rightfully took a back seat. We have been focused on calling the hospital for updates, keeping family informed of her status and also supporting Crystal and Diane (Tim & Crystal's Mom) from afar.
So here I am, 1 week later. Crystal is doing well. Diane is flying home tomorrow. Life is getting calmer. And I now have time to think about my HSG and how it will effect my ability to get pregnant. So here is where I should have something profound to say, or definitive. ummm errrrr, ugh. Well I got NOTHING.
We are still trying. We don't know for how long we will try.
We are discouraged. And yes I do know that 1 tube is better than none.
I mainly wrote all of this out so that I wouldn't forget the details. And I know that some of you want to know the gory details. But most of all, I just wanted to let everyone know what the results were and how I was feeling.
Anyone got any insight they want to share?
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