I posted my story on the old board, but thought it was about time to update everything.
I am 33 at the time of writing, but will be 34 in a couple of weeks. DH and I threw the contraception away 5 1/2 years ago. I didn’t think I’d get pg immediately, but after 6 months I got fed up and went to see my GP.
I managed to nag him into carrying out a day 21 progesterone test to see if I was ovulating and a test for my dh. The results weren’t encouraging, so we did the tests again. After those results we were referred immediately to Guy’s Hospital in London for IVF.
On our 4th cycle, I felt a lot more positive and strangely optimistic. I say strangely, because there was no particular reason to feel optimistic, I just did! Anyway, we had our best ever embryo transferred, and I thought my optimism was well founded. You can imagine how devestated we were when on day 12 of the 2ww I started bleeding. I almost didn’t take the pg test 2 days later, and I just could NOT believe it when the second blue line appeared on the test kit to say I was pregnant!
DH and I rang our result into the unit, but I asked them to ring back as I was bleeding heavily and wanted some advice. I was told that I was probably having an early miscarriage and to take another test in a week’s time and phone that result in. I took the test a week later and the positive result was even stronger than before, so I phoned that in.
I had an 8 week scan scheduled at Guy’s, but they couldn’t find anything in my uterus, and suggested that I’d miscarried. I asked them to repeat the test as I’d bled for 2 days, and I had not bled for 5 days prior to taking the repeat test. Unsurprisingly, the pg test they performed that day was positive.
I knew by now that I had an ectopic. I wasn’t in any pain, and the nursing and medical staff were in a bit of pickle, but they sent me for a blood test to monitor my hcg levels to see what treatment they could offer. I was told to ring in for the results the next day.
I went to work the next day and rang for my results at my desk. The doctor told me to stop work and come in immediately, and rang my dh at home for me. I got to Guy’s after buying some PJs at Marks & Spencers (!) and was scanned and prodded some more and asked to list my pg symptoms (they couldn’t believe that they couldn’t see anything on the scan). I was then sent to the Emergency Gynae Unit at St Thomas’. It was quite odd that I ended up at St Thomas’ as my Grandfather worked there as a Professor of Public Health in th 1960s - so it felt as if he was stepping in to look after me.
I have to say that I had great treatment at St Thomas’ hospital. I had a Consultant who was really sensitive to my situation and came to visit me 5 times in the 36 hours I was in hospital. I also had really great nurses who kept an eye on me. I had one slightly odd Junior Doctor who said, "dont let the ectopic spoil your weekend " which I think must be in the running for innapprorpriate saying of the year 2004, but that was the only thing that anyone said that was off! I know that I was very well looked after, particularly after the experiences of some of the ladies on the board, and I’m in debt to Mr Kelleher, my Consultant, and the ace nurses in the Gynae Ward at St Thomas’ in London.
After another bfn through IVF dh and I decided to call it a day.
We are now starting the adoption process here in the UK. We believe that we have a good home and a loving and secure relationship to offer a child that hasn’t had the best start in life. DH and I hope that something positive will come out of what was a sad situation for us.
Lots of love to all you brave ladies out there.
Joanna