Hi cheerful,
Have you had it done yet? I don't know where they're getting the hour and a half. I just went in, they did the test, and then I could pee. The whole thing took about 10 minutes. Just in case you don't know the particulars.......you just lay on a bed with your legs bent at the knees, and they use a probe in your vagina for just a little while, to visualize the uterus. They do a few measurements on the machine, and that's it. Then I believe they check your ovaries too. It's not painful or anything. I don't think it's going to be as bad as they told you! I was never in any discomfort. And I've had about 4 or 5 of them. Good luck, and let us know what they find.

Catherine, the way they explained it to me was this: my appointment is at 9:30 this coming Tuesday. At 8:00, I have to empty my bladder, then between 8 and 8:30 I have to drink a quart of water, then hold it until my 9:30 appointment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can hold it in that long!

Cheerful,
I honestly don't think you need to follow that exactly. If you think you're going to have trouble holding it, I would drink it on the way to the appointment. If you're like me, it will go through you real fast, and it will be where they want it to be at appointment time. Good luck.

Catherine: I had my sonogram this morning, and everything looks good. Oddly, the technician asked me if I was really in menopause since my ovaries are still functioning, and she could tell I was ovulating at that moment. I'll wait until I hear from my doctor and discuss this with her.

Hi Cheerful,
Glad to hear it all went well! I'm glad your lining isn't too thick......which is a problem many women have in perimenopause. Perimenopause and menopause can last a long time. I've had several transvaginal ultrasounds over the past 7 years, and sometimes I would be "ovuluating", according to the ultrasound. But it's my understanding that many times, those "cysts" are empty, and don't really have a functioning egg in them. The hormone cascade that happens after ovluation I think can be on-again-off-again, based on if you ovulate, if you ovulate an "empty" egg, etc. I get the feeling from what my OB/GYN has said that you just can't say you're absolutely IN menopause, or not, because it's usually such a slow process. My perimenopause has lasted since l997 so far. I think it's finally winding down. YAY!!!
I haven't had a period since around April of last year, but I know I still occasionally ovulate. Sometimes I know it's a "live one", because I get a migraine, GI problems, etc., that I always used to get right around a period.
Anyhow.......I'm glad your procedure went well!

Catherine, thanks for all the support.

I too have a weak or small bladder. I drink lots of water. And I go to the bathroom about every three hours. I know the location of every restroom in the state. HAHA! When I have needed sonograms, I drink half the water they require, and during the testing I have asked to go to the toilet to release some urine if I get uncomfortable. The techs/doctors say that's okay. So don't worry about wetting yourself if you can't "hold it." Good luck with the test. I have had several trans vaginal sonograms and they are painless. Just try to relax. Concentrating on deep controlled brearthing helps a lot, better than in natural childbirth, which I had twice.

Thank Heavens for this Forum! The timing of this post for me is like a blessing. I went for my yearly Pap on Oct 12th. (No results yet) My Gyn. was concerned about my having a longer than normal period and so I THINK she wanted me to have this test to see if I'm shedding the uterine lining properly.

Of course, I am imagining the worst case senario, even though she didn't leave me with that impression. The nurse said it was called and "8 Day" test/ultrasound. Is that the same thing as the sonogram you are all talking about? I am hoping they just want to check the plumbing in and around in there?

I've been having "weird" periods for the last 1-1/2 yrs. I missed three months after my 50th birthday and was hoping that was "it". No such Luck. They resumed but seemed lighter, but more "dragged out" than before.

I have also been getting migraine-like headaches especially the day before or day of when my period starts. I've been taking Excedrine Migraine and I wonder if that has something to do with longer bleeding because it might act like a blood thinner? Any opinions about my "theory" about that??

Anyway, I am scheduled to have this done next week on Wednesday AND then my Mammogram on Thursday. Talk about a stressful week. When I get nervous I have to pee every few minutes--doubt I could hold anything back then too.
Sorry, TMI.

Any volunteers want to hold my hand too? I HATE this stuff, but know it's necessary. I'm only 51, but man, this getting older stuff is really a .......bear! LOL

TIA ~~ katclaws

I get a really bad headache the day before my period. It's possible that the Excedrin is aggravating the bleeding. I don't know if my sonogram was the same as yours. Mine was called a trans-vaginal sonogram. They checked outside the abdomen, then went inside to check the "plumbing". When they told me I had to hold a quart of water for an hour before, I thought they were nuts, but I managed to do it. Just hang in there, you'll get through it. Consider all of us holding your hand at the same time.

Hi Katclaws,
I'm wondering if they called your sonogram "Day 8", meaning that on day 8 after your period starts, they check to see how much you got rid of? That would make sense. They want to see if you're retaining too much of your lining, after you've shed whatever you're going to shed.
It doesn't hurt, so try not to worry about it. I don't think Exedrin would increase your bleeding that much. If it did, I think your gums would bleed when you brushed your teeth. I use "Exedrine Free", which has acetominophen instead of aspirin.
I'm soooooo familiar with cycle headaches. Alot of women with migraines have hormonal migraines, and they're a real pain to deal with.
I just realized that you had your sonogram today. How did it go?
I'm 55 and have been dealing with this for about 9 years now. I hope your's is shorter!!

Having 2 sonograms tomorrow (pelvic and trans-vaginal); my cycles are all whacked out. Had a mammogram last week (it really hurt this time; felt light headed afterwards). Isn't it great being a woman?