It’s official - my uterus is all pretty now and ready for babies! After our miscarriage in December 2018, we have had 2 SHGs (LINK TO BLOG POST) that showed some sort of abnormality in my uterus. After the first SHG we decided to wait one more cycle and see if whatever it is corrected itself, but that didn’t happen. So after the second SHG we decided the best thing to do would be to have a hysteroscopy done and make sure whatever may be in my uterus that shouldn’t be is removed before we start preparing for our second embryo transfer.
A hysteroscopy is a surgical procedure (thank goodness for general anesthesia on this one!) where a camera (called a hysteroscope) is inserted through the vagina into your uterus to directly see the abnormalities present. My doctor told me that the SHG isn’t 100% accurate so there was a chance she would go in via the hysteroscopy and there wouldn’t be anything there (please don’t tell that to my husband after we just paid the bill for this procedure!). For example, the SHG may have actually been showing a small clot or mild thickening of the uterine lining which could have shed prior to the hysteroscopy. But the hysteroscopy is the only way to be certain that nothing could be in the way to hinder the success of our next transfer (a.k.a. Maximizing the chance of our embryo implanting). Since we had 2 abnormal SHGs, the hysteroscopy was our only way to move forward at this point because waiting another cycle to see if it remedied itself was not an option. We are getting a little impatient over here!
So here’s a breakdown of the procedure itself. It was scheduled while I was on active birth control pills (not on my period). I checked into the surgery center an hour before to make sure all consent forms were filled out, pee in a cup (they have to conduct a pregnancy test before performing the hysteroscopy), and get my IV in. I used to HATE getting IVs or having blood drawn, but now that we have been on this infertility journey for awhile now, it’s all become second nature to me. Cool, right? Anyways....once they are ready for me, I headed into the operating room and was put to sleep through my IV. It’s a really weird sensation feeling the cold medicine run through your arm and into your body (although I’m pretty sure I didn’t stay awake long - I was ready for a nap!). The doctor first places a speculum into the vagina and depending on the situation, they may dilate your cervix to help make the procedure easier. The hysteroscope is then inserted through the vagina, into the cervix and then into the uterus. A fluid, such as salt water, will be used to fill your uterus to help expand it (just like in the SHG). Then the doctor goes through your uterus and removes any abnormalities they find. My doctor removed adhesions/scar tissue (possibly left over from our miscarriage) and what she called a “film” over parts of my uterus. Then that’s it - off to the recovery room I go!
When I woke up from my deep sleep, I had some mild cramping that was pretty uncomfortable but nothing like the pain I had after my egg retrieval (more on that later). I only stayed in recovery for about 30 minutes and then was released to go home. Luckily I haven’t had many effects of anesthesia as an adult (I used to get so sick from it as a kid) so my recovery was all about pain management. For the rest of the day, I had some mild - severe cramps and light bleeding (all of which is normal). I’ll admit though, I was hoping the day after my procedure I would feel a lot better. While the cramps were gone and the bleeding had stopped, I was surprised how sore I felt and that lasted a couple more days later. Thank goodness for heating pads!
So now I take another week of active birth control pills and then we will start all of the preparation for the next frozen embryo transfer. One more obstacle conquered!
**This is not meant to be medical advice. Be sure to consult your doctor with any medical concerns. This is the account of my personal journey through infertility**
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