One of the first steps in our IVF process was to complete a sonohysterogram. For the purposes of our IVF it was used to get a better image of what my uterus looks like as well as check for any anomalies or obstructions. It was done at an ultrasound clinic by our fertility doctor (they're in the same building).
One thing to note is that for this appointment Kyle was not allowed to come in with me. I think maybe its because it can cause distress to the woman which can cause the man to get upset... I don't know, all I know is he had to wait in the waiting room.
For those of you that don't want to know the details, STOP READING NOW! Otherwise here we go:
1 - Preprocedure drugs
Because there is a risk of infection due to the procedure I was put on antibiotics a few days before that lasted until a few days after. I seemed to be pretty good at getting infections with my first two surgeries so this made me a little nervous. But unlike my surgeries, I was given drugs as a preemptive strike so that made me feel better. They also suggested I take Alieve before the appointment to manage the pain.
2 - Initial ultrasound
I'm not going to lie, I've kind of tried to block this whole appointment out of my memory. So I'm not sure if they did an external ultrasound first. The tech definitely did an internal ultrasound to get an initial picture what they had to work with. After that was done she called the doctor in who did the rest of the procedure.
3 - Catheter
The doctor used a speculum to open my cervix. She then inserted a set of tongs with a little wipe on the end and disinfected my cervix. Man did that feel strange!! Then she inserted a catheter and removed the speculum.
4 - Saline solution
The tech then reinserted the internal ultrasound wand so they could see how well my uterus was being cleared. She hooked up the end of the catheter to a large plunger (the kind used for needles but bigger). There was a lot more saline solution that I had thought there would be, I don't know if she used it all, but she sure started off with a lot.
So at this point I'm half naked on a table with one woman holding a ultra sound wand in my vagina and another woman holding a giant plunger attached to a line also in my vagina. I'm still pretty calm but I joke with the doctor and tech that I'm pretty good at fainting when I go through a lot of pain so watch out for that. They say don't worry, it won't last long, and they've never seen anyone faint. Never say never!!
The doctor then starts spraying the saline solution into my uterus. Now, I want to be clear that I've talked to a few women that have had this procedure and the sensation they felt was everywhere from almost nothing to very bad cramping. I also want to point out that when I have my pap done, something most women find uncomfortable but not too bad, I have to take the rest of the day off because of the cramps.
So... that being said... I was ok at first. But at first didn't last very long. It felt like the worst cramp of my life times 10 and was quite concentrated to a baseball sized space located where I now know my uterus is. It went on for what felt like 30 seconds (read:forever), but I'm sure was probably only about 10 seconds. I fought the urge to move away from the pain mostly cause I didn't want to mess it up and force them to do it again. On the initial ultra sound they had seen a small amount of buildup that they were going to try to clear with the saline so I'm not sure if that meant they had to spray a little harder, but wow, it did not feel good.
This is where it gets a little fuzzy. I told them I was going to pass out and so they rolled me onto my side and told me to take deep breaths. I don't think I actually passed out (so their clean streak continues!) but I've never been so close in my life. They checked my heart rate and it was arrhythmic. I got extremely hot and they removed my sweater. Eventually I stopped feeling faint and that's when I noticed everything had been removed from inside me. Once I felt totally fine they let me sit up and have a sip of the juice I had with me and everything normalized.
After the procedure they warn you that there could be some bleeding. I did not experience that for more than a few minutes. The build up they had seen did pass the next day but I definitely didn't bleed. My lower abdomen felt crampy for a couple hours afterwards but I was actually surprised by how quickly it went away.
I think the moral of the story here is that everyone reacts to this procedure differently. Everyone I talked to had a different experience with it. So listen to your body and let it react as it will.
Thanks for reading!!
Taya and Kyle
PS. its important to note that I also have trouble with during my paps so I was pretty sure this procedure wasn't going to feel good.
