The procedure

Well - I'm glad that's over. I hope to never have to do that again! The procedure wasn't quite what I expected.

First - I thought that it would be more like getting a pap test. But no - you just have to lie up on the stainless steel table, heel to your bum, knees dropped to the side. It was more than a little exposive, more than slightly humiliating. So, okay, I'm dealing with the fact that I'm bared to the whole room (at this point there was the doctor and a nurse). But then he pulls out an old speculm - you know - the metal kind. So that was cold. But okay, that happens when you get a pap done (except most places now use the plastic disposable ones that aren't that cold). Then the doctor lifts up this stainless steel rod (about 2.5 feet long and 10mm in diameter!!) - at that point I'm like - what the hell is that for??

Apparently when this procedure is done they insert a catheter into your uterus. Ouch. So when they had stuck everything they needed in, they pulled an x-ray machine over top of my pelvic area and then the other doctor came in (the technician doctor). My doctor (well - my specialist anyway) then injected ink into my uterus via the catheter. It felt gross. I got to watch the screen and saw the ink go up into my uterus. But then it stopped. To be sure there wasn't a blockage they got more ink (it took about 5 mins for them to get the refill). Finally they injected more ink and we saw it go up into my tubes. So there's nothing wrong with them (yeah!). Then we were done. The technician doctor left, the x-ray machine was pushed back and the catheter was removed. Then the doctor cleaned inside me (to remove some of the ink) before taking the speculm out. At this point some of the ink (which was the consistency of syrup) had run down to my butt and legs. Okay - all done. I got walk down the hall (in my paper gown) with syrup dripping down my legs to the washroom. Since all the ink still had to come back out - I was cramping a bit. I was also bleeding a bit from the catheter. They gave me a pad and sent me on my way. I didn't go back to work - I went home and had a very long bath.

I have to call the doctor's office today and make an appt (the doctor said a couple weeks) to discuss where we go from here. Since I now know that it's not my tubes that are the problem, I'm guessing it's a hormonal thing. Hopefully something fixable. For now I'm just relieved to have finished all the tests.