Pre-lupron Sonogram

Today, I received the sonogram necessary before starting lupron. I got it a couple days early since I am going to Ireland and will be there on day 18 when I start taking the shots. The sonogram was fine and I got my box with the vial of lupron, syringes, and alcohol wipes.

Sonograms

I didn't really describe this process before. You'll get a lot of sonograms as part of the egg donation cycle. The process is pretty simple. You are positioned the same way you would be for a pelvic exam. The doctor will have a wand connected to a computer with a monitor. The wand is about 12" long and very thin - only about an inch on the skinny part. At the top is a bulb. The bulb extends from the top of the wand about 2" down. It has the diameter of about an inch, and it's rounded. In a sense, it looks kind of like a big capsule. At the bottom of the wand is a cable/wire that connects is back to the computer.

The bulb of the wand is covered with a gel, and a latex covering goes over that. I'm pretty sure this is just an unlubricated condom, but it may have a more medical friendly euphemism as a name. The doctor will put some gel on the bulb on top of this, and the bulb part is inserted into your vagina. The doctor moves the wand around and, basically, can see what the bulb is pointing at. It is not really uncomfortable. There is occasionally a little pressure, but that's it. As a frame of reference, it is nothing like a pap smear - the sonogram is orders of magnitude more comfortable.

The doctor will usually look at the uterus and ovaries, take measurements, and print some pictures. The whole thing only takes a couple minutes. By this point in the cycle, you will have had a couple sonograms already.