Tie-Dye

I had the dye test done the other day -- or more officially a hysterosalpingogram. They told me there would be some discomfort. Who knew that pushing a little radioactive dye through a catheter, through my cervix and into my uterus could be so painful?! The worst cramps I have ever had, times 10. But as soon as it was over, I felt fine.

The test showed that, once they really pushed the dye through, my left fallopian tube opened right up. So there may have been some blockage and the dye swept it away. On the right side, the dye went through in a very thin line, indicating that there could be some blockage or that the tube had a spasm from the contractions and cramps.

My choices, as given to me then, were to go ahead with the injectable hormones and if, if three months, I'm not pregnant, I should go ahead and have the laparoscopy. I asked the doctor what she would recommend if I were her daughter, and she said she didn't know, that she could go either way, that it was a personal preference. I knew when she said to "go home and talk to your husband about it" that she wasn't going to help me make this decision.

So I talked to one of the nurse practitioners that I've been working with for the past year. And Jodi said if she were me, if I were her daughter, she would say have the surgery. Why spend the money, why go through the shots, the ultrasounds, the blood work, when we don't know if all conditions are optimal for getting pregnant? That's what I wanted to hear -- someone to give me an opinion. It was the way I was leaning and thinking, but I needed someone with a medical background to validate it.

I'm still waiting for the office to call me to schedule it, but it will be sometime in the middle of June. I go in for injectables training on Tuesday so that when we are ready to do the next IUI, I'll be prepared.

I met with the doctor again yesterday and she went over the procedure and the risks, and what they'll be looking for. When they go in, they'll either see that everything is okay or if it's not, they'll try to scrape off or blow out anything that's hanging onto the tube that shouldn't. And in the rare case that they can't unblock the tube, they'll take it out, and I'll only work with my left ovary and tube to get pregnant.

It's a lot to take in. Even though it's in and out surgery, it's still surgery. But hopefully it's one step closer to getting what I want.