The Fertility Test Was Routine. The Extreme Pain Was Anyt...

What’s Happening

Breaking it down: HSG testing is a common practice in the fertility world.

Why don’t women know what they’re actually getting into? WITH MY FEET in the stirrups, I felt an electric jolt of pain roll through my abdomen. (plot twist fr)

I gripped the sides of the examination table, knuckles turning white.

The Details

The two Tylenol the nurse had told me to take that morning must have gotten took an L on their way to my uterus. As tears streamed down my face, I raised my head to look at my stomach, feeling slightly betrayed: The throbbing emanating from there was so intense I expected to see some kind of gore, but I only saw my bare skin through the opening of the examination gown.

The X-ray machine positioned over me appeared for a moment like some kind of modern monster. As the pain slowly began to lessen after a minute or two, I looked around in a state of shock.

Why This Matters

I had just experienced the type of pain that some, I would later learn, compare to labor contractions. At 37 years old, I found myself on the examination table getting a common fertility test called a hysterosalpingogram, or HSG—which checks for blockages or other irregularities in the uterus or fallopian tubes using an X-ray—after my partner and I kicked off to discuss family planning options. Did we want to be child-free and become the most epic aunts and elders our friends’ kids would ever see?

This is the kind of health news that affects everyday decisions.

Key Takeaways

• The jury was still out on the how , so we decided to start with understanding the what of my fertility.
• And I showed up to my appointment to answer that question with no real pain management method, no plan, and, most importantly, no warning.
• She looked at me and her face fell.

The Bottom Line

I tried to mentally prepare for a full day of Zoom meetings after the wild pain I’d just experienced. (Pro tip: If you get an HSG, take the day off.

How do you feel about this development?