Hi Ladies,
I have recently joined and was pleased to see we can share our stories, advice and learn about one another’s experiences of their Ectopic Pregnancies. I’m really hoping that joining this forum will help me get over what has been an overwhelming experience both mentally and physically. I hope you don’t mind, but here’s my story:
At the beginning of this month we found out that after taking 5 tests that were positive we were pregnant! Excited but always nervous we had predicted that I was around 5 weeks pregnant. A few days after finding out this happy news it began to change as that weekend I started spotting, so much that we had to go to A&E. After explaining the issues and being asked about previous contraception (for me was Cerazette- has anyone else been on this pill and had an Ectopic? as I have researched and discovered that this can be a side effect.) In summary I was sent home with the thinking that this was imbedding bleeding and to come into the EPU that following Tuesday for a blood test and the Wednesday for an Ultrasound. The bloods came back positively showing that the hormone levels were increasing well. During the scans the Sonographer had discovered that there were two sacs in there-one of which was a shape that would be a correct size for such an early stage and as there wasn’t a yolk sac seen I would be better to come back the following Wednesday which would be 6 weeks 2 days. I must mention that at this scan I had slight tenderness on my right side.
The traumatic experience began that following weekend as on the Saturday I had excruciating pain, contraction like and this eventually passed to a dull pain that I could ease with painkillers and a hot water bottle. This was not the case the following day- it was awful so a weekly visit again to A&E. The negligence we suffered here was awful as I was suffering in pain saw two doctors within a 10 hour wait and from 4:50pm until 2am the next morning a Gynaecologist examined me and after my husband questioning the possibility of an Ectopic (as my dull pain was all down my right side) he shook that idea off due to my previous Wednesday scan. (This proved to be wrong and misdiagnosis) As sadly on the following Tuesday we managed to get the scan brought forward a day and here a competent Sonographer confirmed our worries and concerns that there was a large mass near to my right ovary. This was devastating as I was then rushed up to EPU where they took bloods and told me that it was likely that I would have to be put to sleep and have an operation- it was too late for me to have the drugs and I was at high risk of rupture. Unfortunately, they were right and within an hour I was signing consent forms and being prepared for surgery-devastated! I had keyhole and had my right fallopian tube removed. I understand that the pregnancy never would have been able to continue, but the distressing part is that I visited the hospital over numerous visits and the Ectopic was missed- even though I was providing these professionals with symptoms continually.
A week on now I am pleased with my physical healing, the stitches seem to have healed really well. I do however still feel exhausted (I should say I have a beautiful, demanding two year old little boy which could be why too), I am signed off for another three weeks but I am scared to go back to work with the demand and pressure my job entails too. Here come the questions: Did anyone else feel this way? When did you start lifting-e.g. hoover, lifting my child in and out of his cot. I’m scared I will cause internal damage,-adding to the worry of having more children. Did anyone else feel a slight pain when passing urine at times too? (I did have a catheter through operation and day after so maybe it’s still a tad tender.) When did you have sex again? Did you go to the GP for a check weeks later? it seems mad that we don’t get a post op check- as you do with C-Sections-Emergency C-Section is something I experienced two years ago.
Sorry for my long story but I have found this really helpful and I hope to learn more from all of your experiences,
Thank you xx 