Cycle 3 - CD15 - My HSG story

Last Friday (CD 12) was very event full. I went to the clinic for my blood draw and ultrasound at 11:30am. This time my veins totally refused to co-operate. After 5 pricks and 3 different nurses, they were able to get enough blood for the estradiol measurement. Before I could sigh with relief I started feeling dizzy and I passed out. They made me sniff ammonium salts and I tried standing and passed out again. So I was instructed to rest for 30min and drink 2 glasses of apple juice. Finally I got better but I was already late for my HSG appointment at the hospital. So they wanted me to come back after the HSG for the ultrasound. I was not allowed to walk and hence my husband wheeled me out to the car and we left to the hospital.

We reached the hospital at 12:45pm and since I had already pre-registered on the phone I was all set for the procedure at 1:00pm. That was when I realised that, in all the blood draw drama I had forgotten to take pain killers for the procedure. It was too late and so I decided to go ahead without any pain killers (read not because I was too brave but I was still lightheaded and was not thinking straight). So I waited in my wheel chair till the nurse called out my name. Since I had passed out they decided to let my husband stay with me for the procedure. I was asked to undress from waist down and get on the examination table. The doctor walked in and told me that since I had already fainted for the day, I do not get to faint again. He explained the procedure to me and was very cheerful and I was feeling a bit relaxed. So first he inserted the speculum and then cleaned the cervix with some antiseptic solution. He gave me a shot in my cervix to numb it. This felt like a pin prick and then the catheter was inserted into the cervix. He asked me to move forward in the table to be directly under the x-ray machine. Finally he started to inject the dye. I felt minor cramps at this point but nothing more than a 2 on my pain scale. The dye flowed easily through my left tube and with some extra pressure it started spilling out beautifully from the right tube too. At this point I felt a sharp pain maybe a 4 on the pain scale but only for a second. Before I could feel relived the doctor told me that everything looked great but the uterus was a little narrow. He said that it could be some muscle pushing on it or a fibroid. Since I was going back to the clinic for my ultrasound he said that he would talk to the tech before the procedure so that she can check for fibroids. The whole procedure lasted 15min and was not pain full as I expected. Either I had a good pain tolerance level or my doctor was quiet skill full. Even after I came home I spotted only for a couple of hours but did not have any cramping.

So with a heavy heart and enough prayers I went back to the clinic. The ultrasound had both good news and bad. Before I talk about the news I have to say that it was very uncomfortable to have a transvaginal ultrasound after a HSG procedure. The good news was there were no fibroids and my uterus looked smooth and even. The bad news was there were no big follicles. So the nurse asked me to continue the clomid (150mg) for 3 more days and come back for blood test and ultrasound today.

So this morning I went to the clinic and I was quiet worried about the blood test. Usually I go alone for my appointments, but this time my husband insisted that he come with me as he did not want me to drive alone to work if I was feeling lightheaded again. Thankfully my veins were happy and I needed just one prick for the blood draw. The ultrasound revealed no big follicles. Bummer. So I get to continue the clomid for another couple of days and go back for US and blood test.

For the past 4 days I've been having terrible insomnia. I am just not able to sleep and because of this I get a migraine everyday and I feel very tired and depressed. My nurse tells me that the increased dosage of clomid could cause insomnia and they want to me take sleeping pills in the night. I am not comfortable taking more drugs cause I have so much already in my system so I am to going try some natural remedy like drinking warm milk and taking a shower before bed. I am hoping that the follicles start maturing soon and I get to stop the dread full clomid. My estradiol values 116 on cd10 and 191 on cd 12. Last cycle with clomid 100mg my estradiol value was 143 on cd10. I am not sure why my body is not responding as well as it did with a lower dose of clomid. I am still waiting to hear back today's estradiol value and then that will determine how many more days I take clomid.

On the whole it was an event full weekend and the part I dreaded the most was the easiest. So I am back to my hot flashes, migraines and sleeplessness.