HSG Test

On Wednesday morning I had my HSG test scheduled, which stands for hysterosalpingogram (fancy, huh?). For those who are lucky enough to not know what that is, it's a test that checks your uterus and fallopian tubes. They inject a dye into your cervix and take x-rays to show if the dye goes through your tubes. I had been super anxious about this test because I had a feeling that my tubes were blocked. I was 99% sure that my right one was blocked due to my appendix rupturing and my previous ectopic pregnancy on that side. I had been praying that at least my left tube was OK.



An example of HSG test

 My doctor told me to NOT read anything online about it. She said that it wasn't that bad and that she didn't want me terrified. I actually took her advice and stayed away from anything besides medical descriptions of the procedure. Wednesday morning we drove to the hospital and went to the radiology department. I had been started on antibiotics as a precaution, and from what I've read, that's pretty standard procedure. I was also advised to take pain medication thirty minutes before the test, which I did.

They took me into a dressing room and asked me to remove everything from the waist down and then I went into the room. I was blessed by having the nicest nurse and doctor in the world. The radiologist explained everything to me as she went. They insert a speculum first and then put a catheter with a little balloon in your cervix. For me the most uncomfortable part was when they inflated the balloon to help keep the cervix dilated. It felt a little crampy and weird, but for me it wasn't much worse than regular menstrual cramps. When she started pushing the dye in, I didn't feel anything. I watched on the screen and from what I could tell, it didn't look like the dye was flowing into my fallopian tubes. After a few minutes the doctor confirmed my worst fears-- both of my tubes were blocked. I nodded and she asked if I was surprised. I told her that I wasn't surprised and she immediately said, "Don't you worry! They can fix these things these days." I could have hugged her.

Afterwards I got dressed and as we were walking out of the hospital I told Lenny the results. It wasn't the best news in the world, but we both felt better just KNOWING. We sat in the car for a while talking about it and of course Lenny was his usual optimistic self. The unexpected part was that I felt calm. We finally knew and know we could move on to the next step.

Right now we are waiting to meet with our doctor once we finish all of these initial tests. I know I'll feel much better once we speak to her and see what our options are. I've been speaking to friends, family and coworkers and it seems like everyone knows people who have gone through IVF and now have beautiful, healthy children. I hope that we will also have a happy ending.

So for you ladies who have to do this test-- it wasn't that bad for me at all. Afterwards I had the slightest bit of cramping but I went to work and felt fine. The next day I had some residual discomfort but by Friday I didn't feel any differently. Up next-- cycle day 10 labwork and ultrasound.