I sure felt like biting that x-ray tech

I was scheduled for an HSG on Monday.  A hysterosalpingogram.  The secretary from my doctor's office asked if my husband was coming along with me.  I told her he had to work and she responded "....oh.....o-okay."  After I hung up the phone I thought maybe I should do a bit more research on this.  I mean, my doctor just kept calling it an x-ray but the sound in her voice.....

What I find online is a description of the procedure followed by comments from women who have had an HSG.  Most of them were negative.  Then there were those who said it wasn't so bad and you just had to be able to handle pain.  I knew that I would be in that latter category.  I'm no wimp!

Well you know what?  I am a wimp when it feels like I'm being stabbed in the cervix for 2 minutes.  I'm not going to sugar-coat this.  It was horrible.  The doctor inserts a cold speculum, then pushes a catheter through the cervix.  He then injects a dye into the cervix and they take x-rays as it flows into the uterus and up and out the fallopian tubes.  It's done to make sure there are no blockages or cysts in the uterus or tubes.  And it feels like a hot poker is being repeatedly stabbed into the tender tissues of my cervix.

As this is happening, the x-ray tech is asking me if I've seen 'Alice in Wonderland' and starts to blather on about how it wasn't as good as 'Avatar'.  You know what?  How 'bout I bite you?  Is that as good as 'Avatar'?  I just take deep breaths and glare at him.

Some other good info to have before going in:
- you will be made to change into a hospital gown and will more than likely have a "recovery room."  Being escorted to my "recovery room" before the procedure immediately put my guard up.  They should call it something different.
- you may bleed afterward.  I brought a pad with me and it's a good thing because I did have some spotting plus that dye leaks out for the rest of the day and, in my case, into the next day.
- you may have some cramping.  The doctor said I could take Motrin.  I didn't have any cramping but I did feel tender inside for the rest of the day.

This is what I know.