I'm New Here! Ectopic surgery 2 days ago

Hi my name is Kianna. I’m 26 and I live in California, USA. :sunflower:

I’ve unfortunately had two miscarriages in the last year (Dec 2021 and April 2022). :broken_heart:

I found out I was pregnant again in the ER November 15th, 2022. I was having sharp abdominal pain on my lower right side. Nothing was found on my ultrasound. But blood work showed my HCG (pregnacy hormones) was at 560. We were shocked but happy we were pregnant again! Then they said it’s possible I could have an ectopic pregnacy since they couldn’t find the embryo. The pain slowly decreased and they released me telling me to follow up with my OB/GYN.

OB rechecked my HCG that week and found it went up slowly. I asked him about the chances of an ectopic pregnancy, he said I was a very low risk since I didn’t have any of the risk factors.

I was having some vaginal spotting so they put me on bedrest as another week went by. By then my HCG went up to 700 something. But it wasn’t doubling like they would’ve like to see in a normal pregnancy. I had been having backache and bloating (not unusual for a pregnancy). But the whole time I was having a tightness in my abdominal muscles like a “charlie horse”. My abdomen was feeling very tight like my muscles were being stretched out from the inside.

On November 28th I was told my HCG dropped over 100 points. The OB called me and told me I was miscarrying. We were absolutely devastated, losing another baby.:broken_heart: My OB said it wasn’t necessary for me to have another ultrasound. He instructed me to wait 2 weeks and do a home pregnancy test. He expects it to be negative. On December 3rd the brownish spotting changed to bleeding bright red (to be expected with a miscarriage), but notably I had very few clots. I also never had any cramping or contractions like my previous miscarriages.

Two weeks later, on December 12th, it’s still positive! So I called the OB office, had my HCG rechecked, it was at 420. Going down, but very slowly…

At this point, that stabbing pain in my lower right abdomen was coming back. It would come and go. Come and go. I was also starting to get a pain in my right shoulder that radiated up my neck. I thought it was from stress. But over a few days it was getting worse. :persevere: I found the shoulder pain was worse when my bladder was full. Very odd. I was also feeling a pressure in my rectum, a lot like hemorrhoids. And when I emptied my bladder for a brief moment I would feel pain. (Later I found out a lot of this was from bleeding internally).

My gut feeling was telling me something was wrong. I explained to my doctor how these symptoms were VERY different from my first two miscarriages. He decided I should get another ultrasound done within the next week to make sure everything including my ovaries looked okay.

It took me 3 days to get an ultrasound appt. And when I finally got the appt, it wasn’t until next week!!! I couldn’t wait that long. So I called the OB office & they found me a same day appt an hour drive away. I didn’t care, I knew something was wrong and I needed to be seen.

I drove the hour to the appt. After it was done the ultrasound tech told me, “let me check with the radiologist to make sure it is safe for you to go”.

I knew she saw something concerning as they’ve never told me that before :face_with_monocle:(and I’ve had a bunch of ultrasounds done in the past). The radiologist said they found a 7.6cm mass near my right ovary (the size of an apple:apple:). :scream: Again, 1 month prior in the ER they saw nothing on the ultrasound! To the radiologist it looked like it could be an ectopic pregnancy. Fortunately he knew my OB and had his cell phone number. He said my OB wanted to see me immediately.

At the office, the OB said he still didn’t think it could be an ectopic pregnancy because my HCG (pregnancy hormones) were too low to have a growth that size. He thought it was more likely I had an ovarian cyst or a large blood clot unrelated to the pregnancy. He gave me the option of waiting it out or to have an investigative laproscopic surgery. :grimacing:

Trusting my gut, I chose to have the surgery. The doctor was able to schedule my surgery for 3 hours later, I went straight to the hospital to get checked in.

It was the scariest thing having an unplanned surgery. But it was a good thing we did, because that 7.6cm mass was fetal tissue and there was a lot of blood in my abdomen from the fallopian tube rupturing. I was really lucky.:pray:

Right now my body is healing. I’m learning to maneuver in a body that’s not at it’s normal capabilties and that’s hard.:persevere:

I’m still in shock. I’m still processing everything that happened the day of the surgery and the last 3 months leading up to it. I’m hoping to connect with others who can relate.:point_right::point_left::pleading_face:

My IG: @remembering.riley

Hi Kianna,

My heart goes out to you, it really does. You are so incredibly strong. This was our first pregnancy and it’s ectopic, currently on day 19 post methotrexate. At the moment I can’t imagine being able to survive the pain of losing another baby, I don’t know when I’ll be able to try again. So my heart breaks to see this is your third loss this year.

Im a little worried today, I’ve just started bleeding heavily again after 10 days or zero blood, zero discomfort, finally feeling physically myself. And today I am bleeding heavily, and I have stabbing pains (probably only 2/3 on the 10 scale but they’re still noticeable and uncomfortable). It just feels like I’ve been shot back in time 3 weeks and im going through this all over again.

Im here for you if you ever need to talk. And sending baby dust to you for when you can start trying again, you were made to do this and I cannot WAIT for the day I see pics of you holding your newborn.

Sending my love from London x

Dear Kianna,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and losses. To experience one loss is difficult, to deal with multiple losses is heartbreaking and my heart truly goes out to you.

When we experience ectopic pregnancy, we are suddenly faced with a life threatening emergency and it’s treatment, possible reduction in fertility and the loss of our babies. Experiencing any one of these is an ordeal, putting them together is immense and my heart truly goes out to you.

You have had so much to process in such a short time frame. Generally speaking, you should take it very easy for about six weeks after surgery. Your body will be using its energies to heal internally. It is normal to feel physically and emotionally exhausted during this time so please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others. One day you may be okay and the next you may be in discomfort or more emotional. This is perfectly usual and the healing process will go back and forth in this way for however long you need. It is important to listen to your body signals. Pain and feeling tired are your body signals to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy diet drinking lots of water and resting.

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Above all be kind to yourself and allow time to grieve and to heal both physically and emotionally

We will be here for you for as long as you need,

Sending much love,

Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust Registered Charity Number: 1071811 **************************************************************************

If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising? Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653 The latest EPT newsletter is out now! You can take a look at the Winter edition and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters Detailed medical information can be found on our website. Please remember online medical information is NO SUBSTITUTE for expert medical advice from your own health care team

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Elephant+1,

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. One thing I’ve learned, is if something doesn’t feel right, like something could be wrong, keep trying until you get answers. I never had the opportunity to take methotrexate, so I’m not knowledgeable on how it’s supposed to work. But if you’re having increase in that stabby pain, I’d definitely consult your medical provider asap. Sending you all the love and healing energy as well :pray:

EPT Host 20:
Dear Kianna,

I am so sorry to hear of your ectopic pregnancy and losses. To experience one loss is difficult, to deal with multiple losses is heartbreaking and my heart truly goes out to you.

When we experience ectopic pregnancy, we are suddenly faced with a life threatening emergency and it’s treatment, possible reduction in fertility and the loss of our babies. Experiencing any one of these is an ordeal, putting them together is immense and my heart truly goes out to you.

You have had so much to process in such a short time frame. Generally speaking, you should take it very easy for about six weeks after surgery. Your body will be using its energies to heal internally. It is normal to feel physically and emotionally exhausted during this time so please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others. One day you may be okay and the next you may be in discomfort or more emotional. This is perfectly usual and the healing process will go back and forth in this way for however long you need. It is important to listen to your body signals. Pain and feeling tired are your body signals to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy diet drinking lots of water and resting.

I

Above all be kind to yourself and allow time to grieve and to heal both physically and emotionally

We will be here for you for as long as you need,

Sending much love,

Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust Registered Charity Number: 1071811 **************************************************************************

If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising? Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653 The latest EPT newsletter is out now! You can take a look at the Winter edition and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters Detailed medical information can be found on our website. Please remember online medical information is NO SUBSTITUTE for expert medical advice from your own health care team

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Thank you so much Karen for reading my story. I really appreciate the insight as this is all new territory for me. I’ve defintely had moments of fatigue or movements where I feel sudden pain, I try to back off what I’m doing. I’ll try to rest.

My doctor said I need to take a minimum of a week off before returning to work. At this point physically there’s no way a week is enough! I just today was able to use the toilet by myself without assistance. And after 3 days, finally had a bowel movement! Those pain meds are no joke. I defintely have to drink lots of water. (Also so my body can make up for the blood I lost).

Transferring is hard, like getting in & out of bed, using the toilet or anything that squishes my tummy. But I’ve learned to widen my knees to let my stomach hang down when I sit. At this point I can’t bend over and touch my toes/put on socks. I’m sure it will take time.

I’m relieved to hear that I’m not expected to just be all better in a week. Taking it easy for 6 weeks feels like a lot less pressure on me and my body. Emotionally I think it’s going to take me a long time…

Thank you again for the insight and helping me feel less alone in this whole difficult situation. I am incredibly grateful I found the EPT.

-Kianna

Dear Kianna,

I really wouldn’t rush to get back to work and no, a week off work is absolutely no where near long enough.

Surgery is an immense ordeal for the body to go through. In general, after about six weeks you should be able to return to most jobs from a physical point of view. However, if your role involves manual handling, we suggest that it would be sensible to have a phased approach, gently building up to the usual extent of activity. I would suggest avoiding a rapid return to strenuous activities as it is important to build up strength after recovery. A few options may be available depending on the role: might there be an opportunity to work reduced hours, increasing them slowly over a few weeks? Perhaps there are certain tasks that you could take on which may entail a change from your usual role or a series of reduced tasks initially? I am not sure whether this is appropriate in your circumstances, but is there anything that you could action from home (which may be different from your usual role but still be of use)? Many women experience pain after surgery and this can be the case weeks or months after the trauma. Pain is the body’s sign to rest and it is important to be guided by this and taking it easier if you experience discomfort. In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that experiencing ectopic pregnancy is a very frightening experience and many women need to take time to help them deal with the psychological/emotional impact of the loss of their baby, being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition and undergoing major surgery. Please speak to your GP about having further time off work if required.

Sending much love,

Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1071811

Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards


If we have been able to help you, are you able to help us with a small donation or by volunteering or fundraising?

Further information is available at ectopic.org.uk

Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk

We provide a call-back helpline service: 020 7733 2653

Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list here: https://mailchi.mp/986bdd6091ee/ectopic-matters

Detailed medical information can be found on our website. Please remember online medical information is NO SUBSTITUTE for expert medical advice from your own health care team