Scared to Death About Up-Coming Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)

[Sarah-Jane]

Please can someone... ANYone help me at all? I'm relatively new to the forum and have only really been reading everyone else's posts until now. Im 30 and a half, DP is 35 as of yesterday, and last week we had our first fertility consultation at the hospital as we've been TTC without success for almost 3 years now.
The lovely nurse gave us so much literature about what to expect that i've actually only just sat down to read it all, and i'll be honest.. i'm crying my heart out at the prospect.
I have to have 3 21 day blood tests, a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), an x-ray that I have to ring and arrange on day 1 of my next period, plus other examinations.
I feel so soul destroyed right now.
I don't mean to be a baby, but i'm a big girl and I also suffer horrendous period pains every month, and this HSG examination is supposed to bring on period-pain type cramps aswell as a 3-4 day bleed afterwards.
I am dreading it to the point i'm sick with worry and nerves, not to mention the embarassment of being so big.

I would give anything to conceive, but right now, i'm actually considering putting off the whole thing out of sheer self-pity, and I know that's not right.
No one I know has ever gone through fertility tests like these, so i'm here to ask if anyone on this forum has, and if so, what was it like, how long did it take, was it painful... all the usual questions.

Thank you in advance
Sarah

 

[jenna]

I dont have any experiance in this so cant offer advice, But just want to wish you luck and hope it all goes ok

 

[happy-chick]

Good luck hun, sorry i cant help u!

 

[Hellokitty]

I've not experienced this, but I can tell you roughly what it might be like as I used to be a nurse.

From your point of view its going to be rather like having an IUD inserted, or going for a smear test. These can also bring on period type cramps in some people.

The idea is that they will inject (with a fine tube not a needle) a dye into your uterus. Then they will use and X-ray machine to see where the dye goes and this would show up any blockages in the tubes etc.

Although it will most likely be uncomfortable and a bit undignified, it shouldn't 'hurt'.

Good luck and try and stay positive!

 

[shellbham]

Hi

I had a hsg a month ago, so hopefully i can put your mind at rest.......

When i was told i had to have one, i did a bit of 'research' on the internet. This was the biggest mistake. I found stuff that to me were horror stories! I was so nervous on the day, i considered not going through with it. I am also very shy, so i felt really embarrasses aboutbeing half naked in front of some strangers. But they kept me really covered up, i had a blanket over my stomach and another over my legs and the doctor worked through a small gap between them. So i wasn't lying there with everything on show!

It felt like a smear test test to begin with because i think they use the same instrument. The doctor said i may feel some cramping and to tell him if i felt anything. But i didn't feel a thing!! I felt a pressing feeling just under my stomach as he inserted the tube but other than that, nothing.
I had a really nice nurse in the room, who really encouraged me to relax and i think that really helped. I was so tense at first, mainly from embarrassment and not knowing what to expect. But then i just thought, 'he sees this all the time, who cares', and relaxed!

I had no bleeding, and just had a couple of twingy cramps later that night. But thats the worst it got. And it felt so good afterwards when they told me everything was fine.

Please try not to worry, its not as bad as we build it up to be in heads. We'll probably have to go through a lot worse when we do get pregnan. Just think of it as training for labour and all the check ups before hand!

Hope this has helped you feel better. You can contact me anytime if you want to know anymore or need someone to talk to.

Michelle x

 

[Sarah-Jane]

Thank you for your kind replies.. it's very much appreciated.
Thank you especially to Michelle - for taking the time to let me know your own experiences of HSG.
I'm such a scaredy cat over this kinda thing... just the thought of having a simple 21 day blood test puts the fear of god into me, let alone all the hospital appointments.
I know that the potential end result would be a dream come true (literally), and your post has reassured me so much, aswell as reminded me that im not the first person, nor the last, to be going through this.
Good luck to you with everything, may your baby dreams come true.
Love Sarah

 

[Gem & Leland]

there's a few of uson here having fertiltty tests hun feel free to pm me too

im having my hsg thing on 10th may while im having my dermoid cyst removed and i guess cos im more nervous about that i hadnt thought of the other !

have had about a million cd21 tests too lol ur in and out in no time and i HATE needles so much but its a case of get use to it and just concentrate on finding a reason for u not concieving and hopefully helping u on the way to parenthood

i thought my world had collapsed when i was diagnosed with pcos , then i went for a scan to confirm it and they found a big dermid cyst / tumour in my right ovary ! i thought that was the end of my ttc for ever , but there's loads of success stories which kept me positive.

finding out what was actually wrong is a huge weight off your shoulders i can tell ya , it means u ahve something to work on instead of it just not happeneing . hope your results give you the answers u need


oh and being a bigger girl myself i know what u mean about being half naked , but they give u a sheet to cover yourself with and u just gotta think , i bet theyve seen worse !

good luck hun

 

[Sarah-Jane]

Thank you so much! I guess it never entered my (somewhat self-centred) head that others are going through far worse in their strive to conceive. I think it was just so overwhelming being given such a lengthy list of things that will be done that it just got ontop of me a bit.
I'm a worrier as it is, and i've now even started fretting about whether I have Chlamydia, and if so, has it affected my fertility!!!
I guess at the end of the day, worrying about everything is not going to change the outcome - if anything, the worrying/stress will only add to the difficulty we're having in conceiving !
Grrrr @ vicious circle!!

Actually, there's a question if anyone can answer it.. if someones fertility HAS been badly affected by Chlamydia, is it still possible to have a baby?

 

[susie]

i had loads of fertility tests including the hsg and it really isnt as bad as some people make it out to be, just a bit of light cramping when injecting fluid through tubes but it was over in a matter of minuets and i just had a bit of spotting and slight belly ache after, so as previous posters have said dont read to much on the internet and try to relax(i know its not that easy) and dont forget its one step closer to a baby

 

[KJ]

hiya, just wanted to say, try not to worry too much. The info on the internet can often be more of a curse than a blessing.

Also, see it as practice for when you do get pregnant. I've had 4 blood tests in 2 months already! I just stick my arm out and sat "take it" now, you do get used to it, believe me.

xxx

 

[cloud9]

I had a hsg a while ago...The adivce i would give is relax the best you can. I did bleed afterwards and had stomache cramps but it was no worse than a period. The Dr who did it also tried really hard to get through my tubes and i think i endured more pain than i should.When she asked if it was hurting i just said no as the pain was bearable but with hindsite should of said yes.
My results also said both my tubes were blocked and when I had a lapaoscopy for further investigations one tube was fine and as you can see I am pregnant now after 4 years of trying so don't give up.

I don't know how big you are but reducing you weight is probably the single thing you can do to help your fertility that you are in control of. I lost 1/2 stone the month before I concieved.

good luck