Picture this.... it's your anniversary and while you dream about spending time with your spouse talking about your life together, laughing, eating and reminiscing about the good times, you are laying on "soft" examination table staring at a drop ceiling beige tile, while white knuckling the "cushion" under you, trying to hold back the tears of pain and repeating to yourself to relax, stay calm and it will be over soon. This is how I spent my 5th wedding anniversary.
My appointment was in the morning and since it was going to take me an hour at least to drive into the "big city" I decided to leave early as morning rush hour traffic is unpredictable! I was nervous. Nervous, about the drive, the appointment, the procedure, the results, the not knowing what was going to happen that day...... and the fact that my bladder was full of water did not help. Sometimes when people get anxious about a presentation, a speech, a big game, a first date....their bodies react in different ways. Sweating profusely, pacing around, deep breathing are things that can occur to help one release the tension. When I am anxious about something... I need to pee. It's like my brain tells my bladder if you just relax and let go....the rest of us organs can settle down (never the case by the way!) So I run to the bathroom 3-4 times before whatever it is I need to prepare myself for in order to relax and regroup. How the heck was I going to do this now? I wasn't allowed to release anything until I did the preliminary ultrasound.
I arrived at the skyscraper and was welcomed by the receptionist who was probably around the same age as I am who informed me that things where running on time and I would be seen shortly. After an hour of waiting... my bladder was ready to burst (it's not that big to begin with!) I approached the counter to ask when I would be seen as I really needed to go to the bathroom. She informed me that the doctor had fallen behind and that I was the next person. And just as the words fell out of her mouth, the U/S tech. called my name. PHEW!! Only 10 more minutes of this bladder-water-baby and I will be free!!
The u/s went great! The tech was really nice and friendly. She did an inter-vaginal scan, a lower abdominal scan and she also checked my kidney's (which I was glad she did as my mother has had kidney issues all her life....not that I was currently having any...but it was good to check!). And I was all done....the first half anyway... A.K.A The easy part.
I went back into the waiting room where one of the receptionists informed me to have a seat and the doctor would come and get me for the second half in about 1/2 hour. PERFECT! I thought. I could have a bite to eat (as it was now lunch time) and take my extra strength Advil. It was advised the I take it about 1/2hr before the SHG test to help with the cramping that may occur. So I ate my sandwich and waited in the reception area....spent my time watching Guy Fieri and Duff Goldman on the food network in mute (they had it muted...not sure why), took my pill and waited. Now I will let you know... when it comes to things like this. I am an "A" personality. You tell me a time...I expect that time. I'll give you an extra 10 mins.... but if you're not sure... don't tell me a time. 1 1/2hours after I sat down to eat lunch... I approached the counter and asked (kindly and not aggressively at all) if I would be seen soon..... after all, it was now early-mid afternoon and I did not want to be caught in traffic going home, not to mention my nerves were pretty much shot at this point. She looked at me blankly and asked me for my name again...typed away at the computer, ruffled through some charts, and finally said.... we couldn't find you, we didn't know where you had gone.
It took everything in me to not yell at this girl. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! I calmly told her (okay...maybe I had a bit of anger in my voice) that I had been waiting not even 20 feet from her desk for the last 1 1/2hr. I did not leave the room even! She went pale... she knew I was right... she was either covering for someone else mistake or hers. I mean the waiting room wasn't even full. There where maybe 3 other people at the most who where there to see the same doctor. Within 10 minutes I was in the doctors examination room getting changed for the SHG procedure. Good thing.... as it gave me time to calm down from the blood that had been boiling inside of me. I took a couple of deep breaths and a lovely female doctor came in and introduce herself... we'll call her Dr. Hart. She explained exactly what she was going to do, and what she needed me to do. Asked if I had any questions... and got started.
She was honest. She did not sugar coat anything... and I appreciated it. Dr. R said it can be "uncomfortable".... Dr. Hart said it varied from uncomfortable to tolerable pain. And that is why they recommend the extra strength Advil (Ibuprofen). She started off by doing another ultrasound again on my lower abdomen to see what everything looked like before inserting the saline-like solution into my uterus. And when she did......... the cramping began. Felt like regular menstrual cramping....uncomfortable... but not intolerable. Again she scanned around looking at different angles... and then.... she braced me for what was one of the most sharp but short painful experiences of my life!!! HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL!!! Not only was it uncomfortable with the syringe moving around my cervix...but I actually felt the saline solution shoot through my fallopian tubes. I gripped the table so hard that the doctor actually rubbed my hand and told me to relax my white knuckles that she needed the exam table for the next client!! I laughed and that relaxed me more! I tell ya if that's not cleaning the pipes, I don't know what is!!
In 3 seconds the sharp pain was over... but the cramping continued. I got dressed, went to my car and spent the next 45mins driving home, waiting for the cramping to end. I crawled into bed and tried to fall asleep but the cramping lingered. Sometime in between there, I fell asleep and my husband came home to ask me how it went. He got me an another Advil, made me dinner, and cuddle with me under the blanket that night while we watched a movie. Made the stress of the day worth it...... and knowing that it will get us one step closer to having our kids. :)
