Transvaginal Ultrasound Scan

What is this?
Transvaginal  - cos it is via your vagina. It is invasive
Ultrasound - The machine uses sound waves to form images.

Why do this?
For people wanting to attempt IUI/IVF, we do it to
1) Check on abnormal stuff like cysts, fibroid. This is also how a polyp is discovered. In this way, you can rule out infertility because of this causes
2) For me, it was also done in addition to the abdominal ultrasound scan - to give the sonographer and doctor the best picture of your reproductive organs.

How is this done?
1) You do NOT need to drink up. You need to have an empty bladder. I did the abdominal scan first, followed by this scan. The trick is to pee. Wait. Wait till you have 1-2 more gushes of pee. You need to be really empty. If you do not wait, you will notice that your next pee will come pretty soon.
2) Once in the room, you will need to remove your panties. You should be given a towel to cover up :)
3) Sonographer will wear condom for the probe! Funny! This time, the probe is in a stick form. She will then add gel on top of the condom. For the first time, you might want to ask the sonographer to add more gel. Apparently it helps.
Note: My advice is targeted at the first timers like myself. 
4) You will lie down, with your knees bent (soles are faced down on the bed). You could get a cushion to be placed under your butt so that it helps.
5) The sonographer will then insert the probe via your vagina.
Note: Do not tense. Your thighs and butt are usually the ones that gets tensed. When you are tensed, the sonographer cannot get the probe in. 
What helps?
-breathing in and out
-coughing (yes!!! it helps) But becareful. At certain spots, she needs you to be still.

How long?
About 5-15 mins? Depending on the needs for the scan.

Any pain?
It is not painful. It is just uncomfortable. Once the probe is in, it is ok in most regions. It is uncomfortable once in a while when she moves over certain regions.
Note: The probe looks almost intimidating. But actually, only a small part of the probe is inserted. 

Who is a sonographer?
This is the professional name for the person who does the ultrasound for you. In hospitals, it is mainly done by a sonographer. In a private practice, the doctor does it for you.
The only difference is that when done by a sonographer, you clean up the gel on your own!
With a private doctor, his/her nurse will clean up for you! :)

Cost in 2013:
1) Gynae at Raffles Hospital (Fertility clinic) - $96.30 (just abdominal scan)
2) Sonographer at KKH  - $127.33 (please note that this is for abdominal and transvaginal scan)

Abdominal Ultrasound Scan

What is this?
Abdominal  - cos it is non-invasive and the scan is just over the area just above your bush.
Ultrasound - The machine uses sound waves to form images.

Why do this?
You definitely do it when you are pregnant.
But for people like us who are waiting for the stork to drop, ultrasound is done for a number of reasons:
1) to check on your uterus lining, number of follicles.
2) Checking on the development and when is the best time to do IUI/IVF
3) For me, it was also done in addition to the transvaginal ultrasound - to give the sonographer and doctor the best picture of your reproductive organs.

How is this done?
1) You need to drink up. Yes, drink till your bladder feels really full and you need to go to the toilet. When you lightly press just above your bush and you can feel that urge to pee. That should be just about right. Do note....everyone is different. I have done this through trial and error. I start drinking 2 hours in advance of my appointment. In this way, I can take my time and not have to gulp down too much in a short space of time. Water becomes yucky when you have too much and too fast, even ribena!
2) In case your bladder is too full and you cannot wait for your turn, just go ahead to pee. But you will need to start drinking again. So give it another 20 - 30 mins to build up again.
3) Okay, if I am not clear about this. You need a full bladder to perform this scan. Without a full bladder, the sonographer cannot see anything.
4) You will lie down, there is no need for any special actions. You just lie there! Easy!
5) The sonographer will squeeze this gel thingy on your belly. Most times it is warm and a hand-held probe (something like your computer mouse) and she will just move around the top and try to get some images on her screen. The sound waves will create the image.

How long?
About 5-10 mins? Depending on the needs for the scan.

Any pain?
This really should not have any pain at all. I am super sensitive to pain and it is not even pain for me. There might be a slight discomfort when she presses the probe down harder, but that's it.

Who is a sonographer?
This is the professional name for the person who does the ultrasound for you. In hospitals, it is mainly done by a sonographer. In a private practice, the doctor does it for you.
The only difference is that when done by a sonographer, you clean up the gel on your own!
With a private doctor, his/her nurse will clean up for you! :)

Cost in 2013:
1) Gynae at Raffles Hospital (Fertility clinic) - $96.30 (just abdominal scan)
2) Sonographer at KKH  - $127.33 (please note that this is for abdominal and transvaginal scan)

My Virgin Transvaginal Ultrasound Scan

Wow! It was mind blowing.....I have fallen behind in blogging about my KKH experience, but I need to blog about this to get it out of my mind. I just had a transvaginal ultrasound (TU). Let's call it TU for short. What is  TU? It is a probe (a stick) that enters your body via your vagina to look at a woman's reproductive organs like womb, uterus, ovaries, cervix.

Many years ago, I have rejected the TU because, well...I do not like the idea of that stick in me. 

no no NO.

Why you need to do a TU? The sonographer (the person that does all the ultrasound) needs to reconstruct a picture of your womb for the doctor. Don't ask me what is this for....why reconstruct? I will ask the doctor when I next see him. But I guess it's also to check if you have any polyp, endometriosis, any worrying sign for infertility etc.

The sonographer was soooo nice. She had that stick in me for 20 mins. I guess she could have completed it under 12 mins, but cos it was my first time and I kept on tensing up (thighs and butt), she went very slowly, gently and followed my pace. She will stop once in a while to check on me and to let me relax. Wonderful sonographer.....Jia Yun from KKH. The funny part was I had already spoken to doctor and he agreed to just do an abdominal scan but when she found out it was for IVF, she told me it is okay if I do not want to do it, but it's really useful and important. Some people are like her....she makes you feel comfortable, she earns your trust. In the end, I did the scan cos I knew I can trust her, that she will be slow and follow my pace and not pressure me. She was very comforting and patient ALL THE WAY....I am so glad I met her today. Gosh....I think I spent about 40 mins in her room? For the abdominal and transvaginal scan. 

To those who have not had and have to do TU, fret not. It is really not that bad. Pain is definitely not an  apt adjective. There is some discomfort cos there are parts she touch that will feel weird (like your bladder) and some other motions. But generally, once the probe is in, it is good. The worst is to be tensed as once you tensed up, the probe cannot go in. 

Oops....this post is too long. I will continue in another post on the how-to for a TU.
Abdominal Ultrasound Scan
Transvaginal Ultrasound Scan

But even with this blog.....I really hope I do not need to do another scan. I am feeling damn damn damn sore.....and there is no pain when I brush my hand across my vagina (from the outside). I guess it's more of a memory thingy..... 

I have decided

The previous post was written 2 weeks ago, but I only managed to post it yesterday. While I was deciding if I wanted IVF or not, I actually made an appointment with KKH. You know....just to talk to the doctor and see if I am comfortable with IVF and of course, the doctor. I did some research online and I chose him cos he was described as being patient and nice. True enough, he was! In any case, I had a very good impression of KKH and .....

I have decided. I am moving on.

He said something that makes sense to me. If I am going to decide "maybe 2 years later", I might as well do it now. There is no point to delay an action that you want to put forward. 2 years later, my chances of being fertile will be even lower than today. He made me feel very comfortable and he made me feel that this is all about me - What I am comfortable with and why I want to do it. At that point in time, I knew I wanted to move forward. Time is not on my end and I know I really want to have a baby. So there is no point to drag my feet around it. H is right (again). We just have to move on.

Success rate is 32% for my age bracket. So there is an even higher chance of me not pregnant. But....let's focus on the 32% chance and be glad that I even have 32%. Some people might not even have that kind of % due to other factors...

I shall blog about the treatment I had at KKH in my next post. Total opposite of what I would expect!!!

4 failed IUIs and I want to move on

It has been 3 weeks after my last heartbreak and honestly, I still do not know what I want, or can do. I don't know if there are many people who are like me. I took the easier and cheaper way out by going through IUI. But to progress from IUI to IVF seems more than just 1 baby step over the tiny stream. It is a cliff jumping step.

Before the 3rd IUI, H says that we have no choice. We just have to move forward - meaning IUI after IUI. However, after the 4th failed attempt, doctor has advised us that going forward with IUI is no longer an option. She advised us to take a break, make a decision if we want to move on to IVF and come back 3 months later.

And yes....honestly, I have no option. I need to move on to IVF. But am I even ready for it? I really don't know. I have made an appointment with another doctor. A doctor that seemingly has a high hit %. Let's see how this goes.....