Seeing Myself Inside Out

The fertility testing doesn't end. 

To what lengths have I now gone to try and discover why I'm not a fertile Myrtle?

Well folks, I've had my reproductive organs on the screen a few times now.  The enlightening procedure done yesterday was by far the most invasive leg of our journey through infertility.  And it was not pleasant.

July 10th, at around 9 AM I had an HSG x-ray done.  Called a hysterosalpingogram in medical mumbo-jumbo, it's an x-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes.  Sounds simple enough, right?  X-rays are just pictures taken with a huge really really expensive camera.  Nope.  I had to lay with my knees in stirrups (once again my Hoo-Ha being bared to some random doctor), meet the lovely speculum, and have a catheter inserted into my cervix so they could squirt contrast dye up there.

I'm not gonna lie, it didn't feel good.  They said I would feel pressure as he pushed the tube through my cervix, but it felt like cramping.  A pinching, burning cramp deep inside me and I couldn't do anything about it.  I squeezed the assistants hand as she talked me through it and asked if I was okay.  "Trying to keep breathing" was my reply.  I wasn't going to have the world go dark and mess this up.

After the catheter was in the radiologist removed the speculum.  I took my legs out of the stirrups and the assistant slid me backwards down the table so the radiologist could place the machine over my tummy.  The radiologist then squeezed the dye into me.  I looked up at the screen and watched as he took pictures of the dye flowing through my uterus and out my tubes.  He even had me roll on each side a few times for different angled pictures.  It was all over after about 10 minutes.  As I got dressed the assistant told me numerous times that I did really well.  I told her it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I did take 800 mg of Motrin before hand to ease the pain.  Perhaps it was the adrenaline because after I got dressed I nearly passed out.  She asked if I'd ever had contrast dye before and said that some people pass out from it.  I reassured her that passing out is normal for me as I get anxiety over procedures. I sat for a few minutes and was good to go.

I couldn't believe it.  On that screen I saw with my very own eyes that my fallopian tubes are indeed there and they are open (kinda important for the sperm and egg to meet).  Afterwards, the assistant did advise me that my fertility would be increased for a few months and a lot of patients get pregnant after an HSG.  I've read online that they speculate the dye solution can wash out bits of tissue that block the tube (some say "clean out the cobwebs") or possibly soothe the uterine lining which can increase chances of conception.  I'm all for that.  They'll be sure to get a joyous thank you card from me if I do get pregnant.

Right now, my cervix and uterus are still recovering from the intrusion that happened yesterday. No, having a tube rammed up your uterus isn't a walk in the park.  I'm about to take some pain medication and go to bed.  I hope the organs are ready to make a baby in a few days.  We've got a lot going for us this cycle!  Pray for us please.