Dino's fertility story: part two

The doctor tried to do a mock transfer on me - that is when they try to put the catheter through the cervix to check that it's possible. It wasn't. I have a lot of scarring on my cervix from surgery I'd had some years ago. He recommended that I have a hysteroscopy (a look inside the womb) to prove that the uterus was accessible. I planned to have it done at the UK clinic when I got home, but this proved difficult to arrange. Martin suggested going back to Spain and getting it done there. It meant another holiday - who was I to complain?

In the meantime, the clinic contacted me to say they had a donor. We planned to have the treatment in mid-April. An Easter egg.

I started my Synarel, a nasal spray, which I had to sniff twice a day. It closes down the ovaries and creates a mock menopause (as if I needed any help there). It smelt vile, but I got used to it. It caused a few night sweats but nothing too horrendous.

March 2003: Problem
When I came round from the hysteroscopy (which was done under general anaesthetic), I was told they'd found some 'indefinable matter' in there and had performed D&C (womb scrape). They would have the results in five days time. If it turned out to be something that 'needed treatment' it would delay the treatment for up to six months. I was upset that the treatment could be delayed and terrified that the indefinable matter meant cancer.

Those were the longest five days of my life. My mind was reeling with all the possible outcomes of the results. It seemed so ironic - just as we were planning to create a new life, I had to face the possibility of my impending death. Finally, I got an email from Seville. The results of my D&C were normal. We were both so relieved. Strangely, I think I was less concerned about having cancer than delaying the DE process. We were going ahead as planned in two weeks time. I started the oestrogen patches that day (they prepare the womb for receiving the egg).