First, thanks to everyone for your good wishes on my biopsy today! Here’s the rundown:
The Good: the biopsy itself took maybe a minute. For some reason, Dr. Uterus thought I had had one before, so I politely informed him that while I had partook of the panolpy of infertility abbreviated procedures (HSG, SHG, IVF, IUI), I had not had the pleasure of an endometrial biopsy (which I don’t think has an abbreviation). But, I’m always one for a new challenge!
The other good: NO MORE BUTT SHOTS!!! Can you tell how excited I am? My tush may never forgive me – my glutes were still sore from the shots in March. Yes, March. But, truth be told, they were only sore when I poked. Which I don’t do often in polite company.
The Bad: As with most things in life, there are more bad than good things to report. First bad thing: we won’t know for almost TWO FREAKING WEEKS if the hoodwinking worked, during which time I will already be popping the Estrace pills. Thankfully, the butt shots will not start up until some time after that.
Second bad thing: I need another SHG (insert collective ‘boo’ here). My first SHG last December before our IVF this spring didn’t go so well. In fact, of all of the procedures I have had where I was not sedated, this one by far sucked the most in terms of sheer agony. In other words, I put the hysterical in sonohysterogram. I reminded Dr. Uterus of what a nasty time I had of it last time and he offered to use a different catheter this time. I’ll take it!
Third bad thing: it feels really, really weird to have the inside of your uterus scrapped. I don’t think I need to elaborate.
Fourth bad thing: CRAMPS! Luckily, they heeded the smack down of the Advil I took when I got home.
And, finally.
The Ugly: I have mentioned before that Dr. Uterus – for some imperceptible reason likely only known to him – shares his office space with a high risk OB. If I didn’t seriously think he was the second coming, I would find me an RE who did not appear to be so insensitive. On any given day, there are very pregnant ladies in the waiting area with their husbands watching as the infertile girls come in and sign in. We are so easy to pick out – looking straight ahead so our gaze doesn’t bounce from belly to belly to belly. No tell-tale bump, and no escort. Most of us go it alone except for those important visits (like the first baby ultrasound or the IUI). It can be so demoralizing when the room is filled with unborn children and their mothers and you walk in, alone and barren as a field after a harvest. The Infertile Freak. I imagine it’s what the perp walk feels like.
What is so frustrating is that you are surrounded not only when you go in – I usually run into them when they are going on the elevator and I. Just. Know. that they are going to this office. Today was particularly bad because I was waylaid behind a very pregnant woman and her husband (who frankly looked like he couldn’t even figure out how she came to be pregnant, let alone which direction down the hall to go). I have to walk behind them down that Long Corridor to his office and then wait behind her while she signs in and then stands there, with her huge belly mocking me. Finally, she realized that I needed to sign in too and moved out of the way. I wanted to run as far away as possible from those bellies. It was like a horror movie.
But, I didn’t. I walked with as much grace as I could muster to a seat that was not connected to any others so one of those bellies could not park itself next to me. I knew that they were all looking my flat stomach and thinking to themselves, “Oh, poor thing, she’s here for the infertility doctor.” And, simultaneoulsy thinking themselves to be so lucky to have a living infant growing inside of them.
I sat down and promptly opened my book, while willing Dr. Uterus’s nurse to come get me so I wouldn’t have to fight the urge to look at what I was missing.
thumbs up: joeltelling, thumbs down: striatic
a.k.a.mrs.x 
Yay for no more butt shots!
After going into a full-blown panic attack at the first HSG attempt (1st catheter fell out, 2nd catheter didn’t want to go in, cervix and brain objected to further man-handling), Valium and I are now BFF and she will be invited to all future procedures.
That’s horrid. Can’t believe that they are in the same office, sounds crazy cruel to me.
I can’t believe your RE shares an office with an OB. What torture.
Ugh, ugh, ugh. You would think infertility drs would be more sensitive — but sadly, I have heard enough similar stories that it’s obviously not the case. 😦 Sorry you had to endure that on top of the biopsy itself. Glad the Advil helped!
Yeah, ask for the Valium. If they’re going to make you do that crap yet again, they better break out the good stuff.
I also HATE going to see my RE locally, where he shares space with the obgyn practice that seems to cater exclusively to hugely pregnant unwashed rednecks–rednecks are fine, the ones that have self-respect–with three snot-nosed, yelled-at kids in tow who like to converse loudly about how being pregnant sucks or how their husband’s volunteered to stay home with the kids from now on so he can watch more TV.
You’d think an RE could afford a private waiting room for us sensitive IFers!
Whew! Glad you’ve at least got that biopsy behind you. I look forward to hearing about the results.
Regarding the preggo-brigade, I experienced something similar back in the weeks before miscarriage #2 — when they thought I might be having an ectopic. I was sent twice to some super-duper ultrasound facility where all the hugely pregnant ladies go at the hospital.
That was excruciating — hanging out in a waiting room, carrying a non-visible pregnancy that I knew was almost certainly doomed. The of course there were baby pics everywhere, stretch mark cream coupons, etc, etc. Total and utter humiliation.
I also hate how pregnant ladies often look so smiley and pleased with themselves — rubbing their bellies and often looking at strangers around them (say, in an elevator) expecting you to smile back and share in their joy. I guess lots of strangers like to pat them and share their wisdom about their own pregnancies. But I totally put up this mental shield and probably come off as the rudest person on earth. Oh well…
Thank you for your sweet words of support on my blog. I look forward to catching up with your updates here (and also seeing how you like WordPress).
Oh, the bellies!
Oh man, I have a sonohysterogram coming up next cycle. The doc told me to take Advil about a half hour before. I hope that will help, and the advil is not just placebo.
the current RE I am seeing also is associated with and OB office. It is sort of obnoxious having a lot of pregnant women with children in tow waiting with you. Especially when they make no effort to control their children. One child spent a lot of time running back and forth across the waiting room. I sort of wanted to smack the dumb kid, and the dumb mother. Oh well. I guess sometimes life ain’t fair.
What is wrong with these REs that share spare with OBGYN’s – do they think that’s inspirational or something?!!!!
That’s just plain wrong to have those two together. That would be a torture chamber for me!
Ah the joys of the Mocking Pg Bellies; I know them well.
Congrats on getting one more IF procedure behind you! It’s always nice to be moving forward.
Thank God my RE moved from the hospital where he practiced. I think that was part of the reason he did. Now me and the other IFs just have to stare at our mags and occasionally glance at each other.