My HSG Story

If you have been following our infertility journey, you know that the HSG (hysterosalpingogram) has been a long time coming. Today was finally supposed to be the day.

Not to be dissuaded by snow and icy roads, we made the trek to the hospital this morning. After getting checked in, I was told to change into hospital gowns. Thankfully, these gowns were modest, because I was going to be in them for a long time.

The nurse did an initial X-ray, then we proceeded to wait for my doctor. He had been in the building early today, so they assumed he would show up. Nope. The nurse called the clinic and everyone tried paging him. Finally, they got him. Apparently, there had been a communication mixup, and he would arrive in forty-five minutes if we wanted to wait. Since this is the only day the procedure could be done this month, we were going to wait as long as needed.

I'm glad we did. My doctor showed up, and I have to say that he was worth the wait. They had suggested trying to get another doctor to perform the HSG, but I'm very glad we didn't go that route. I would guess that the doctor makes a huge difference in the experience. He is very good at explaining things and goes out of his way to make me comfortable, even in the midst of pain.

While this procedure is not a walk in the park, I can emphatically say it was NOT as painful as childbirth. I would describe it as awkward with a side of severe, localized cramping. Thankfully, the most painful part was pretty quick.

You may remember that I was hoping for slight blockage to be removed with minimal amounts of pain. Well, the test showed no problems. While relieved that no problems were found, we were a little disappointed to not get answers. The doctor explained that he is very encouraged to not find problems at the HSG phase, as any problems would be difficult to fix and would likely point to IVF as the only option. So, that makes us feel better.

I also told him about some random weird symptoms I've had. He listened and relieved a lot of my fears. A good doctor sure makes a difference. And so does a sympathetic, gentle, and patient husband. C has been the best today, even treating me to lunch on the way home.

Our next step will be testing hormone levels. Hopefully, we will eventually identify the problem(s).

Thanks for all the prayers! I'm confident that they helped me stay calm today.