My history...

It all began almost 4 years ago...My husband and I, 24 and 23yrs old, married in Aug of 2005. Yes, we were young but we had met in high school and had been together ever since. We already owned our first home and new that we were meant to be together. We also new that we both wanted children but wanted to wait a few months after the wedding before taking that big step of "going off the pill". By the end of the year, and some minor nagging from me :-), we decided that we would take that leap on Christmas day to throw away the pills and see what happens. I still remember going to bed that first night and being so overwhelmed with excitement, but then wondering, what if I can't get pregnant! That never crossed my mind during any of our conversations about having children, but now that the process has actually started, what if????

So the journey begins... Trying really wasn't a big deal b/c we were still in the "honeymoon stage". We didn't think about it much, we just lived like, it will happen when it happens. I guess a key piece of information that I left out here is that my husband travels for work alot! He works 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off. During the 4 weeks off, he is away at sea. So after about 6 months of trying, I decided to talk to the doctor. I think one of my concerns was that his schedule was affecting our speed of getting pregnant. I mean, what else could it be, I am 24yrs old, and I should be crazy fertile! Unfortunately, the doctor, tells me that my husbands schedule should not affect us b/c we have at least one ovulation period every month he is home, and as he says, a "normal" person of my age should get pregnant within 3 months. Nice, huh? So I leave the GYN, feeling less than normal, and with instructions to using a basal thermometer and a prescription to follow up in 6 more months. He also stated that he would refer me now except that insurance won't pay for anything until a year of trying. I think this is the start to my hatred of the insurance world. :-)

So the "trying" continues. At this point, the fun is starting to wear off, and I am getting alot more nervous about the road ahead. How is it that everyone in my family is so fertile and I am not?? My mother and my sisters got pregnant when they weren't even trying to. The months pass and I make the appointment with the fertility center in my area. I go and get all the lovely tests, blood work and internal ultrasounds, nothing.... My husband gets tested, nothing.... So then they run some more advanced tests. One of which is the die test. If you are reading this blog and you haven't started with fertility or you are just getting started, this is a test that I wish I had been better versed about before hand. Some people have a blockage in their fallopian tubes that blocks the sperm from getting to the egg and fertilizing it. Kind of like a garden hose that has a kink in it. To test for this blockage, they stick a catheter in your uterus and inject die into your fallopian tubes, at the same time they are x-raying your pelvis, to see if the die travels up the fallopian tube effortlessly or not. I was told when scheduling that this test was very easy and I may experience some "light cramping". I was talking to a girlfriend after scheduling the appointment and she starts telling me that she had the test done and she passed out it hurt so bad. Real nice! Why would you tell someone that??? Honestly! So by the time I get to the appointment, I was literally shaking. Of course, my husband was away at sea, so I was there alone and terrified. I would like to clear up this major misconceptions about this test. Here is the truth. 99% of the test is completely painless. When they inject the die, it does not feel good. Its like a pinching but it literally last about 4 to 5 seconds and then the pinch part is over. The pinch is strong, I don't want to lie, but its so fast. And then your fine afterward. I tell you the anticipation was worse than the procedure. Anyway, back to the story. Test, passed. Nothing wrong.... So frustrating.

To be continued....