Next steps...Fetility testing

Mid February 2010 my friend was visiting from my home town in NS and she agreed to come to my second fertility appointment. My first appointment was a pelvic ultrasound. Since I had cyst on my ovaries for the past decade, I have had pelvic ultrasounds twice a year since 2000. It's uncomfortable, but not painful. The hardest part is having a full bladder and a technician squirt cold gel on your stomach and press a cold instrument into your bladder. The technician knows how uncomfortable you are and does try to go fast.

Then you get to empty your bladder and return to something no one can prepare you for, so I will do my best to describe it as respectfully as possible. You're given a blanket to cover yourself because you are nake from the waste down. The technician uses a device that looks like a white plastic vibrator, which happens to be a camera. She covers it with a condom and lubricates your vagina. Sometimes the technician describes every step from cover the penis shaped camera with a condom to inserting it and so on. Honestly, I prefer the quiet technicians.

The technician is watching the screen and examining various areas of your insides, taking pictures, she can also measure particular body parts such as ovaries and cysts which have formed on them (to compare from previous and future exams if needed). All in all, this part of the appointment wasn't new for me, therefore I was comfortable going alone.

The next day my friend came with me, I was glad to have her there. She said she wasn't uncomfortable, even though it was a little awkward for both of us. Before this appointment I was told to take Advil for pain, which made me really nervous. It wasn't too bad. I had to strip down from my waist down and lay on a bed with my feet in stirrups (unfortunately for most women this position is familiar thanks to our annual pap tests). A catheter was inserted into my vagina all the way to my uterus, a liquid dye was pumped into my organs as well. This hurt. It pierced my insides and as the dye was pumped in I felt a lot of pressure. The doctor, technician and friend could see my cervix and fallopian tubes as the dye pushed through, they could all see that my reproductive pathway was clear for conception.

The doctor made funny comments which made my friend and I laugh out loud, which reduced the pain as well. I compare the pain to a filling at the dentist. Not the same feeling at all, but the same level of pain. You also know it will soon be over and soon you'll feel better, but it sucks in the moment. I really think the Advil worked, so if I ever need a filling again I will certainly take an Advil before my appointment. Immediately the doctor said "You'll have no problem getting pregnant. You have a beautiful uterus." I had never heard that before and I was so happy to hear it then. My friend and I laughed some more.

The appointment was over and I was ready to move onto my next step. Calling my doctor on my first day of my next menstrual cycle - which will be DAY 1.