I did it!!! I feel so proud of myself right now.... what a crazy and scary experience. Mainly it was scary because I had no idea what was going to happen or what to expect. I didn't really do a TON of googling prior to the procedure because I thought that might help.... I'm not sure if it did or not. I just told myself there was nothing I could do about it, so why stress myself out.
Here's the rundown:
I was brought into the xray room by a nurse.... in the room was my doctor and another woman about my age and the ladies said they were there to be my moral support. Moral support?! - I didn't know it was scary enough for me to need THAT. My husband came with me, I thought that would be enough.
Next, they had me change into a hospital gown and take off my bottom half of clothes. Then I hopped up onto the end of this long xray table and they had me lay down w/ my legs up on the edge of the table. I apologize for the TMI of this post, but I'm going to tell it like it is. I was on day 5 of my period, so it wasn't TOO terrible as far as bleeding. My doctor put the speculum in just like a normal papsmere. Then she said she needed to "clean up my cervix"... mmmm.... so she did some stuff down there for a while. The whole time I was thinking - HURRY UP AND GET THIS OVERWITH! Next, she inserted this catheter. I had a sheet up this whole time so I had no idea what was going on. When she did this, she said I should feel some cramping. I have to be honest, I didn't.... So then I was like, oooo awesome.... this is easy! I figured she was putting the liquid in. NOPE! not yet....
Next, the radiologist came in. Well, my doctor still needed to get the speculum out before I could move to have my photos taken. So she messed around w/ that for a LONG time. I have absolutely no idea what was happening. I'm assuming I was bleeding a little bit or something and she was cleaning that up? Anyway... she finally took the speculum out and the nurses all pulled me up higher on the table while I was laying flat on my back and my legs were down. I could feel that the catheter was still in place. The radiologist then started hitting the button to get pictures of my uterus and my tubes. And then it happened..... the liquid went in. I could feel it..... I have to be honest ladies.... It HURT. Imagine bad period cramps... That's really what it felt like. :( The worst part is that you can't move. When I have cramps, I want to curl up into a little ball in the fetal position and I couldn't do that this time. So I began to grab and pinch my hospital gown. I just kept pinching and grabbing harder and harder. It probably only lasted about a minute at the most, but it was not fun.
Then they got pictures and the fluid just spilled out all over (meaning no blockages - HOORAY!).
Once that's over, they take the catheter out and you get to clean yourself up w/ a washcloth and they give you a pad to wear. I asked what happens to all of the liquid once it is in there and they said the body actually absorbs most of it.
There you have it! That is the HSG experience. Would I ever want to do it again? NO WAY! Was it completely terrible.... no....... Was it painful & unpleasant? unfortunately yes.
At least nothing was wrong... although my husband and I feel 2 ways about that. It's great news, however, we just wasted $3,000 to get that answer. I know it wasn't a WASTE. But dang it, it takes us a LONG time to save up that kind of money. And that would have been money well spent had we used it towards our future IUIs.
Oh well, it is done and at least I don't have any more tests to do. I am officially DONE WITH TESTS!
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