In Vitro Fertilization - My $75,000.00 Baby Part 2, the HSG Test

To any of you who are new to my articles I'm currently in the testing stages to determine diagnosis for my infertility. So far I have had my initial exam which includes a pelvic exam, a sonogram of my uterus and Pap smear. It is now the time for HSG testing.

The HSG test is a radiology procedure in which dye is injected into the uterine cavity through the vagina and cervix. The uterine cavity fills with dye and if the fallopian tubes are open the dye will fill the tubes and spill out into the abdominal cavity. In this way it can be determined whether the fallopian tubes are open or blocked and whether the blockage is located at the junction of the tube and the uterus or whether it is at the end of the fallopian tube. These are the two areas where the tube is most commonly blocked.

The night before I started a mild antibiotic prescribed by Dr. Bernhisel to help prevent any infection. The prescription consisted of three doses of pills. Each dose contained two pills to be taken together. The first dose was for the night before. The second dose was to be taken one hour prior to the appointment and the final dose was for the following morning. This was honestly the easiest part of the whole process. I hate to take pills especially antibiotics but because the doses were low it was not bad at all.

The day of HSG testing I was very nervous. Hearing many stories about the dye had me feeling a little frantic. This time my husband attended the appointment for support. This was much needed given the fact my hands were shaking so rapidly I could barely fill out my paperwork. After signing in and completing all six pages of paperwork and consent forms I was moved to back waiting area. I was then greeted by a Tech and moved into the exam alone for radiation reasons. I then undressed completely into a gown and laid down on the doctors bed similar to any used in an OB/GYN's office. The next steps were very painful and uncomfortable. There was a clamp used similar to the duck bill clamp used with a Pap smear and a Cervical clamp. The Cervical clamp put me into tears. It has a terrible stretching affect and it was absolutely horrible. Next the dye was injected into my Uterus. It then passed through my fallopian tubes and out of my body.

The good news is you only have to have this test once if the results are positive. In my case my tubes were unblocked and healthy. This was definitely good news. The bad news is the dye used gave me an infection, caused vaginal bleeding and mild abdominal pain. I was prescribed a pain killer similar to Aleve for pain, antibiotics for the infection and the bleeding went away in about two days time.

This testing made me realize that what I'm going through is very real. The initial exam was easy and basically painless. This was the total opposite. I know nothing guarantees me fertility and the road will be long, hard, expensive and emotional but I plan to see it all the way thru. My next step is a prescription fertility enhancer medication. I can't wait to let you all know about my results.