"Women should know this procedure isn't painful for everyone"

I was referred by my GP for a hysteroscopy procedure for abnormal uterine bleeding. I have never delivered a baby (naturally or otherwise) and having read so many stories from other women about negative experiences and how painful it was for them, I became a nervous wreck! I ended up having a meeting for an informal chat with a specialist nurse. She explained in detail how she performs the procedure herself in order to minimise the pain as much as possible - no speculum, no tenaculum to hold the cervix in place; no injections in the cervix either as that can be painful; a low pressure for distention (using saline I think) and a small hysteroscope. I think this is known as the "no touch" approach. She also said that if for any reason, the procedure couldn't be completed, then I would be brought back in under general anaesthesia. She asked me if I wanted her to do the procedure to which I said yes. It had to be re-booked. I left feeling a lot better but I was still a nervous wreck up until my appointment day which was two weeks later.

When I got to the appointment, the nurse reiterated that if I felt faint or sick or found it too painful, all I needed to do was to say so and she would stop the procedure. I was so reassured.

I was not given any anaesthetic - I just took 2 paracetamol 4.5 hours before my procedure; two ibuprofen two hours after that i.e. 2.5 hours before the procedure; then another 2 paracetamol half an hour before the procedure. I also took a 2mg diazepam to calm my brain but now that I have been through it, if I had to go through this again, as long as it would be done using the no touch approach as the nurse had done, and I could have a chat with the doctor or nurse before hand, I would not be as nervous about it as I have been.

I wanted to put this information on here so that other women in a similar situation (especially those who have never delivered a baby) can know that this procedure is not painful for everyone - there are some women who do find it excruciating but everyone is different. It really helps if you can go and talk to the person who will be carrying out the procedure. If you are due to have this procedure, please don't automatically think that it will be painful for you as it has been for some other women. I think half the battle is the anxiety of the unknown.

When the nurse started the procedure, I couldn't even feel the water pressure at all and I felt a bit crampy at a point which I assume was the hysteroscope going through my cervix because the next thing the nurse said was that she was in the uterus! She took a look a around, removed a small polyp which was painless (the nurse said they don't have nerves) and then she asked if I was okay for her to continue with the biopsy (take a sample of the uterine lining). She did have to use a speculum at that point - she did tell me what she was doing through out the procedure and I was okay with that.  She had told me that this is usually the most painful part and I think she used a pipelle - she didn't do any scraping. I did find this part uncomfortable and very crampy and I really had to concentrate on my breathing. Again, before I knew it, she said she was finished and she had managed to get a good sample as well!

I have been in touch with the hospital to give them praise and positive feedback. I think that we tend to remember bad experiences but positive ones don't always get mentioned.