Doctor #2- September 2013-February 2014

After searching for a few months and asking friends if they had any recommendations for doctors, and after getting a list and praying about it, we finally decided on a new doctor.

Our first visit to this doctor went great! He asked us how long we'd been trying (by this point it had been 2 years). He also asked the period pain question, to which I answered, 10. He was like really?, that is no fun especially when you're TTC. I'm going to prescribe you ponstel, which is like ibuprofen but much stronger. He told me to take it at the first onset of cramps, even if I hadn't started bleeding. And that was awesome for me because I felt like finally a doctor was willing to help with my pain. (At this point I had not been diagnosed with endometriosis) This doctor also set up some ultrasounds for me to check my uterus and ovaries.

At the ultrasound appointment not too much later, maybe a couple weeks to a month? The ultrasound tech took the ultrasounds of everything and sent them and the results back to my doctor. She was not allowed to diagnose or clear me of anything while there, just was allowed to do the ultrasounds and be done. Our doctor never called us with the results from this ultrasound :( and knowing what I know now, I should have called to ask for them. Anyways, on with the story!

The next step this doctor took was to see if I was ovulating. As you know our first doctor didn't do any tests but automatically assumed I was not ovulating, so we were very happy that this doctor was willing to do the tests! For this test, they had me come in on day 21 of my cycle. All I had to do was give blood!! So easy for me to do! Just give my blood a voila! I'm done! A couple days later they called me with my results! Yay finally some results!! The nurse said that they usually want the levels above a 10 (I believe they checked my progesterone if I remember correctly) and that I had definitely ovulated since my numbers were at a 16!! This was great news!! I ovulate on my own!! Woohoo!! This confirmed to me that Randy and I had made the right choice in not doing chlomid with the first doctor!

Well, now that we knew I ovulated, my doctor wanted me to get an HSG done. HSG stands for hysterosalpingogram, which is a procedure where the put a dye into the uterus and Fallopian tubes to make sure there are no blockages. I had to take 1000 mg of ibuprofen before the procedure to help with possible pain. Usually the procedure can cause period-like cramps. When I went in they had a nurse who usually performed this procedure attempt to do the procedure but she couldn't get the catheter in. She called a doctor in and this doctor assured me that usually with the time it takes for him to get in there the muscles relax and he usually can get the catheter in. Unfortunately this was not the case :( he was also unable to get the catheter in. This is because he was unable to get the catheter through my cervix! Throughout all of this I was enduring extreme cramping! Ouch!! :( apparently the reason why they couldn't get the catheter in is because I had what is called vaginal stenosis, which is defined as a narrowing of the cervical canal or as a small flap of skin covering the entry to the uterus. The latter part of that was what my diagnosis was.

My next visit to my doctor, he had received these results from the doctor who attempted the procedure. He didn't believe him!! So he checked for himself! Here I am on no pain medication and this doctor is attempting to get a catheter through my cervix. And you wanna know what he said? "Oh, they were right." They were right! Of course they were right! They know what they're doing too!! Ok I'm calming down now. This doctor also decided that since he was already in there he would fix the issue. Now I'm preparing you women, what he did next was extremely painful, and I'm sure as you read it you'll all go OWWUCH! And let me tell you, it was some of the worst pain I've ever felt! He proceeded to SCRAPE with a small plastic tool, where the blockage was! And there I was squeezing my husband's hand crying out in pain because it hurt so bad!! As soon as he finished scraping, he removed all of his tools and told me and my husband that it was now open and that they were going to leave me alone for awhile and focus on Randy.

My doctor sent Randy to get a semen analysis done. So, Randy went and got the test done but we were never given or told any results from it. We waited a year figuring that since we never got told the results it meant they were good. And now that my cervix was clear that maybe we'd get pregnant. We were wrong. During that year we ended up moving and so the doctor search was back on. Also I kinda refused to go back to this doctor again due to the pain and so few results that we were given.

Thank you for taking the time to read this very long blog post :) stay tuned for the next portion of my story! New posts every Tuesday and Thursday!! Baby dust to all of you who are struggling or just beginning their journey to pregnancy!

-Becca