This morning I went to see Dr. M to discuss the results of my HSG. It was pretty overwhelming. I had been feeling pretty good about it since I felt like I prepared myself for many different possibilities, but as I sat in the waiting room I started to panic a little bit. Seth couldn't be there with me today because he's teaching and he's taking the day off to go to another (unrelated) appointment with me tomorrow. Anyway, I survived the twenty minute wait and then one of the nurses took me back to an office where I met with Dr. M.
First he reviewed the ultrasound results from CD2. Everything looked great on there. My uterus is the correct size, shape, and thickness. I have plenty of follicular cysts (14, I think), but no harmful or unusual cysts. No large endometrioma. Nothing to be concerned about. Great!
Next, he pulled up the x-ray film from the HSG. Deep breaths. Dr. M showed me the right tube, how it's long and thin and had puffs of dye pouring out the end. Then he shows me how the left tube starts to fill up like a balloon. You don't see the long, thin line of dye like with the right tube. The black balloon starts to puff up right near my uterus, but you can still see a little bit of dye coming out. Dr. M said he does not believe the tube was blocked. He explained that when you see a balloon like that, it is more likely an abnormal tube. It could be misshapen - wide in some parts, narrow in others - or maybe it's just in a funny orientation, such as coiled up on itself. Either way, he said that because the dye was cleared on the final x-rays, there is no reason to believe that it's not functioning properly! AND even if it's not working perfectly he said it is possible for the right tube to pick up an egg from either ovary. I did ask how they know that the dye didn't go back out the way it came and he said that the tube is too narrow. The only way they get dye to go in to begin with is from the pressure of the injection.
WOOHOO! I am so relieved. I was so sure that the results were bad and that Dr. M was going to recommend surgery right away. That's not what he suggested at all. He believes that it is still very likely that I have endometriosis (the HSG results do nothing to confirm or refute this) but since my priority right now if getting pregnant and not managing the pain, he doesn't think we need to start with the lap.
The first step will be for Seth to have a semen analysis to make sure everything looks good with him. If the results are good, we will just continue doing what we're doing and hope that we're one of the lucky couples who get pregnant soon after an HSG. If there is anything abnormal about Seth, Dr. M recommended that we start trying intrauterine insemination (IUI) with or without a medication that would stimulate my ovaries to produce more or better quality eggs. This would help to increase our chances of getting pregnant if, for example, Seth had a low sperm count.
Either way, I think I'm going to choose to have the laparoscopic surgery in August if I don't get pregnant before then. Since I quit my job, my insurance will be changing in mid-August and I'd like to do the surgery before that happens while I know I still have good coverage (plus I already met my deductible for this year). That still gives us three cycles (including the one I'm in right now) to get pregnant after the HSG like Dr. M and I originally discussed. It also puts us past the dreaded official one-year mark. After August 4th, we'd probably start pursuing infertility treatments even if we didn't suspect I had endo.
Overall, I feel much better than I thought I would feel. Obviously, it's great news that my tubes are clear. It worries me a little bit because, like I mentioned in an earlier post, if they're clear then I'm afraid there must be something else that's keeping me from getting pregnant. I can't worry about it now though. That won't help at all. For now, I'm just going to try to stay hopeful. If it doesn't work this cycle, it might work next month or the cycle after that. If it doesn't work, at least we have a plan. It's kind of bittersweet. I'm happy that we have this plan, but I'm definitely not thrilled about what the plan includes. It's just not that perfect "love, marriage, baby" model that most people assume they'll experience. Such is life.
Showing posts with label HSG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSG. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Time for a Break
Since my follow-up appointment with the RE is on Wednesday morning, I wanted to do a little research to try to prepare myself for what Dr. M might say to me. SURPRISE! Big mistake. After a few Google searches on "partially blocked tubes" and "HSG dye delay" led me to some pages discussing "fimbrial end tubal blockages", I am officially freaked out.
I had prepared myself for that fact that chronic pelvic pain combined with a weird tube might be reason enough for Dr. M to recommend that we move straight to laparoscopic surgery. I had not prepared myself for the news that fimbrial end blockages (which is what I may have) are not always easily fixed - according to Google searches only, of course. Apparently, when the blockage is at the end of the tube closest to the ovary it is harder to unblock or correct than if the blockage is located towards the uterus. The articles I read were not comforting. Sometimes the tube is never able to function. Sometimes the tube needs to be totally removed because it can form a hydrosalpinx (WTF?) which can be embryotoxic.
That all sounds a little scary. I need to keep reminding myself that I still have one good tube. It is most definitely possible to get pregnant with one good tube. I need to stop thinking about this. No good can come from speculation. In less than 48 hours, I'll be talking to the doctor who will likely have some more information regarding my specific situation.
So I needed a break. One of my absolute favorite things to do when I need a break or I'm feeling bummed is to hang out with my dogs. One of their favorite things is to go for a ride in the car. All I have to do is say "Wanna a go for a ride?" and Bear and Binky go buck wild. They just love it, I don't know why. Hopping in the car and heading to Dunkin Donuts has become our ritual. I get an iced coffee and Binky and Bear get a biscuit when we go through the drive-thru. Honestly, as much as I want a baby, I get a little bit sad when I think about how we won't be able to do this whenever we want once a baby is part of the pack.
I had prepared myself for that fact that chronic pelvic pain combined with a weird tube might be reason enough for Dr. M to recommend that we move straight to laparoscopic surgery. I had not prepared myself for the news that fimbrial end blockages (which is what I may have) are not always easily fixed - according to Google searches only, of course. Apparently, when the blockage is at the end of the tube closest to the ovary it is harder to unblock or correct than if the blockage is located towards the uterus. The articles I read were not comforting. Sometimes the tube is never able to function. Sometimes the tube needs to be totally removed because it can form a hydrosalpinx (WTF?) which can be embryotoxic.
That all sounds a little scary. I need to keep reminding myself that I still have one good tube. It is most definitely possible to get pregnant with one good tube. I need to stop thinking about this. No good can come from speculation. In less than 48 hours, I'll be talking to the doctor who will likely have some more information regarding my specific situation.
So I needed a break. One of my absolute favorite things to do when I need a break or I'm feeling bummed is to hang out with my dogs. One of their favorite things is to go for a ride in the car. All I have to do is say "Wanna a go for a ride?" and Bear and Binky go buck wild. They just love it, I don't know why. Hopping in the car and heading to Dunkin Donuts has become our ritual. I get an iced coffee and Binky and Bear get a biscuit when we go through the drive-thru. Honestly, as much as I want a baby, I get a little bit sad when I think about how we won't be able to do this whenever we want once a baby is part of the pack.
 |
| Bear in the back, licking up some crumbs. Binky in the front, staring longingly at the biscuits. |
I love these guys so much. I would've been a complete mess these past few months without them. They're such sweethearts. Whenever they see me cry, they run over to me and try to lick my face. It doesn't matter how I'm feeling, they always cheer me up!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The Results Are In
Sort of.
This afternoon I went in to have the HSG. I've spent the last few weeks researching it and asking questions and worrying. I am happy and grateful to report that it was not nearly as painful as I expected. I'm feeling a tiny bit of post-procedure cramping, but all in all it wasn't too bad!
I went into the x-ray room, pants-less, and the very kind technician helped get me set up on the exam table. Then the doctor (another R.E. at the practice, not my regular guy) came in and explained what was going to happen. As he went through the procedure, he explained what was happening and warned me before he did everything which was great. Honestly, getting every set up was the worst part for me. The doctor inserts a speculum and it clicks into place. That was kind of painful and the pressure is really uncomfortable. Then he cleaned everything of with some cotton balls - again kind of painful and very uncomfortable. Finally, he said something about numbing the cervix and feeling a "mosquito bite" so I'm guessing it was a needle with the anesthetic. That hurt too, but as soon as he was finished the pain went away and I mostly just felt the pressure. I didn't feel the catheter being inserted at all. I was feeling really overwhelmed at this point.
Once everything was in place, the doctor started injecting the dye. I felt nothing! No cramps, no pain, nothing at all. I took two regular strength Aleve pills about a hour before my appointment (which was delayed, so it was probably closer to two hours in advance), but like I said, I think I was very lucky to feel nothing. The doctor explained everything as we watched the dye fill up my uterus. You could see the dye sort of puffing out and fading away on the left side of the screen. On the right, a black ball started forming with only very tiny amounts of puffing.
The doctor turned the x-ray machine off and had me roll to my right side. He said he wanted to give the dye a chance to drain out of my uterus. While I was laying there, he explained that my uterus looked fine and the tube on the left side of the screen (I think that makes it my right tube) was totally clear. He said that the formation of the black ball indicates that the dye wasn't properly draining through that tube. It could be because it's blocked - though probably only partially because we could see a tiny amount of dye leaking - or it could just be a poorly formed narrow tube. This was interesting to me because even though my pelvic pain is generally all over, whenever the pain is one-sided, I feel it on the left.
Next, he had me roll onto my left side for a few minutes and then return to my back so he could take two more x-rays. This time the black ball was gone, which means the dye able to drain. Hopefully that means that the dye was able to push through the blockage, but I won't know more until my regular doctor reviews the images. This doctor did say that it was a good sign that the dye had cleared, though, so that's good news.
So, I guess I sort of got my wish. Right tube was totally clear (scenario #1) but the left tube might have been blocked and cleared (scenario #2). It's entirely possible that the reason I'm not pregnant yet is because I just haven't ovulated from my right side very often. Hopefully, the left tube cleared or I'll ovulate on the right side this month! It's also possible that there's still something going on in there which would require surgery, but I'm not going to worry about that until my doctor confirms that. For now, I still have hope! We still have a chance. Maybe I will be one of the lucky women who are able to conceive quickly after an HSG.
This afternoon I went in to have the HSG. I've spent the last few weeks researching it and asking questions and worrying. I am happy and grateful to report that it was not nearly as painful as I expected. I'm feeling a tiny bit of post-procedure cramping, but all in all it wasn't too bad!
I went into the x-ray room, pants-less, and the very kind technician helped get me set up on the exam table. Then the doctor (another R.E. at the practice, not my regular guy) came in and explained what was going to happen. As he went through the procedure, he explained what was happening and warned me before he did everything which was great. Honestly, getting every set up was the worst part for me. The doctor inserts a speculum and it clicks into place. That was kind of painful and the pressure is really uncomfortable. Then he cleaned everything of with some cotton balls - again kind of painful and very uncomfortable. Finally, he said something about numbing the cervix and feeling a "mosquito bite" so I'm guessing it was a needle with the anesthetic. That hurt too, but as soon as he was finished the pain went away and I mostly just felt the pressure. I didn't feel the catheter being inserted at all. I was feeling really overwhelmed at this point.
Once everything was in place, the doctor started injecting the dye. I felt nothing! No cramps, no pain, nothing at all. I took two regular strength Aleve pills about a hour before my appointment (which was delayed, so it was probably closer to two hours in advance), but like I said, I think I was very lucky to feel nothing. The doctor explained everything as we watched the dye fill up my uterus. You could see the dye sort of puffing out and fading away on the left side of the screen. On the right, a black ball started forming with only very tiny amounts of puffing.
The doctor turned the x-ray machine off and had me roll to my right side. He said he wanted to give the dye a chance to drain out of my uterus. While I was laying there, he explained that my uterus looked fine and the tube on the left side of the screen (I think that makes it my right tube) was totally clear. He said that the formation of the black ball indicates that the dye wasn't properly draining through that tube. It could be because it's blocked - though probably only partially because we could see a tiny amount of dye leaking - or it could just be a poorly formed narrow tube. This was interesting to me because even though my pelvic pain is generally all over, whenever the pain is one-sided, I feel it on the left.
Next, he had me roll onto my left side for a few minutes and then return to my back so he could take two more x-rays. This time the black ball was gone, which means the dye able to drain. Hopefully that means that the dye was able to push through the blockage, but I won't know more until my regular doctor reviews the images. This doctor did say that it was a good sign that the dye had cleared, though, so that's good news.
So, I guess I sort of got my wish. Right tube was totally clear (scenario #1) but the left tube might have been blocked and cleared (scenario #2). It's entirely possible that the reason I'm not pregnant yet is because I just haven't ovulated from my right side very often. Hopefully, the left tube cleared or I'll ovulate on the right side this month! It's also possible that there's still something going on in there which would require surgery, but I'm not going to worry about that until my doctor confirms that. For now, I still have hope! We still have a chance. Maybe I will be one of the lucky women who are able to conceive quickly after an HSG.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)