Sonohystogram, Pelvic and Sperm Analysis

Yesterday we had an appointment with our fertility clinic to drop off DH's sperm analysis and for me to get a Sonohystogram (SIS) and a Pelvic ultrasound.  I had done a little bit of online research about the SIS and wasn't really nervous or worried at all.  I had already had an internal ultrasound before so I figured it wouldn't be much different, boy was I wrong.  I went into the exam room and the technician started with a regular abdominal ultrasound which took no time at all.  Then my doctor came in to perform the SIS, they told me I might feel some cramping and asked if I had taken any pain medication.  As per the instruction sheet I had taken 2 advils but I just figured that was for minor cramps after the procedure.  She inserted the catheter into my cervix and I had a very painful cramp which really surprised me.  I have been told by many doctors that I have a high pain tolerance from other procedures I have had in the past but this one I couldn't hide my pain.  They could tell I was very uncomfortable and just kept telling me to breath... I really just wanted to rip the catheter out but I just laid there.  They started to insert the Saline and again I have major cramping and couldn't hold back my pain as I repeated "OUCH!! OUCH!! OWWWWWCH!" over and over.  I tried to watch on the screen in between the cramps but didn't see much.  They finally told me it would be over in a second which it was and I felt immediate relief.  After it was over she told me that everything looked great and my tubes and uterus were clear.  I was almost shaking and felt so disoriented that I had to ask her to repeat herself.  The technician handed me a pad for the saline leakage and told me I could get dressed and go.  I was still a bit out of it but I got dressed and went to meet DH out in the lobby.  When I told him that everything was clear and looked good his immediate reaction was.. "oh great.. that means it's me".. to which I reassured him that it doesn't mean anything is wrong with either of us, that we would just have to wait for his results.  We were told that his would take a couple of days so I will update when I get those results.  We also scheduled our follow up appointment for December 20th.

this is basically what I saw on the screen:

First Clinic Appointment

We had both taken the entire day off and headed over to the clinic.  We walked in and were very impressed with the look of the place.  It was very modern and also very busy which we took as a good sign.  We filled out a bunch of paperwork while waiting to be called. 

After about 15 minutes we heard our names and went up to meet the doctor.  She was very friendly and greeted us warmly. She walked us back to her office and started to go over our paperwork.  I brought my charts to show her and she was very impressed.  She confirmed that I have been ovulating and that I had a regular cycle.  She went over our history and mentioned that because I had a ruptured appendix and surgery when I was 12 that that can be a "red flag" to them because it can cause scar tissue in my abdomen.  I had already read this online so I wasn't alarmed but it was interesting to see her confirm it when I had mentioned it to the student doctor he quickly dismissed it. 

After talking with her for about 15 minutes she started our game plan.  First she gave me a prescription for PregVit prenatal vitamins.  I was already taking an over-the-counter prenatal but these had 5 times more folic acid.  She told us the tests we would start right away which included - blood tests for both of us, cycle blood tests for me, a sperm analysis for my husband and a Sonohystogram (saline-infused ultrasound) for me.  We then went back into an exam room and she examined me to be sure I didn't have any infections.

We left the appointment armed with our test requisitions and feeling really good about getting a plan.

Fertility Clinic and Testing

I thought it would take a while for the Fertility Clinic to call us to set up an appointment, but to my surprise we only had to wait one week.  I scheduled our first appointment for November 12th which was a couple of weeks away because my husband had just started a new job and couldn't take any time off work until then.

I went for some blood tests in the meantime and they seemed to come back normal.  I also went for a pelvic ultrasound which also came back normal with the possibility of a very small fibroid that was labeled "not clinically significant".  So far everything seemed to be coming back good but that was also not giving us any answers.  We were just going to have to wait to see the doctor at the clinic.

Doctor's Appointment

I called to schedule a doctor's appointment with my Family doctor in October.  I went in to see him and as usual I had to see a student doctor.  I wasn't very happy because this was a very personal conversation I wanted to have with my doctor but the student assured me that he would just take my information and that my doctor would come in after that.. but that never happened. 

I told the student doctor all of my history and showed him the charts I had been keeping which he didn't seem to care much about.  He told me he would give us a referral to a Fertility Clinic down the street and that he would send me off to get some blood tests done in the meantime.  I left the doctor's office with a few different emotions.. I was annoyed that I didn't get to see my doctor, happy that we might get some answers, and scared that those answers might show something I wasn't ready to hear.

Trying...

We started trying for our first baby in November 2009.  We were still living in a small condo and thought that even if we got pregnant right away we would be able to get a bigger place before the baby was born.  That was wishful thinking.  For the first couple of months we just didn't try to prevent and hoped things would just happen naturally.  In January 2010 we found a wonderful house and bought it.  We were all ready for that new addition that we hoped wouldn't be far away. 

As the months went on, negative test after test, we were starting to get a bit stressed.  As many couples experience after their wedding the questions had started.. "When are you having kids?".. "What are you waiting for?".. originally I had been telling people we were waiting to move into our house but after March when we have moved in I didn't have that excuse to fall back on anymore so it was getting harder.

As the summer came to an end as did many months of trying, I was starting to think we should make a doctor's appointment.  So we did.

Introduction

My husband and I have been married for a year and a half.  We have both always wanted children and hoped we wouldn't have to wait too long after getting married to start our family.  I am about to turn 30 this weekend and he is about to be 33. 

My biggest fear has always been that we would have problems or wouldn't be able to have children.  Right now I am starting to feel that fear surface.