Have sat several times looking at screen not knowing where to start my story! Still unsure but here goes:
It started one month today when we discovered I was pregnant, we had decided to start trying for our 3rd, and i had been tracking and monitoring my cycles for a few months. on the morning of Sept 23rd the test showed a faint positive and we were thrilled, in fact we tested several times and was getting stronger lines each test, unfortunatley 11 days later at 3pm I went to the loo to find fresh red blood. We phoned the oncall doctor who explained that i should rest drink plenty and see my normal gp in the morning as i was not experiencing any pain, the bleeding continued with each trip to the toilet but had changed to a prune coloured discharge by the next morning. I was convinced i had miscarried and was shocked to get a positive test the next morning when we went to gp’s, he was very supportive and immediatley phoned and got me booked into the epu clinic for a scan the following morning and signed me off work on bed rest. The gp explained that it was possible that i was miscarrying but he was not certain as sometimes bleeding is normal in early pregnancy.
The next morning we arrived at 8am at epu and was mt by a lovely nurse who ushered us to a seluded spot to fill out some forms and explained i would be having an internal scan as only at the 5week mark, the sonographer barely spoke throughout the scan and after explained that she was unable to find anything in my uterus so therefore i had miscarried at which point our world came crashing down, we sat outside for what seems an eternity surounded by pregannt women awaiting scans, before the nurse came and took us to her office, she explained that the scan was unable to detect a pregnancy in the uterus but it could be 1 of 3 things; an early pregnancy that is too small to detect, a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. I had blood taken and was told she would ring later with the results, and was sent home with a leaflet explaining the 3 possiblilties. Just after lunch she rang to say my hormones levels were back which were a little on the lower side of normal and i would need to have them repeated 2 days later but it may indicate a miscarriage. My bleeding was still alternating with the prune juice discharge and 2 days later i had another blood test, and at lunch i found my levels were increasing although not the desired 60%. So we spent the rest of the week having bloods taken every 2 days to monitor the levels. My levels continued to increase and at one point even doubled the required amount. So we started getting our hopes up, although the nurse (she has seen me at each visit, and is increadably supportive) explained that my hormones were not increasing normally and they wanted to re scan once my levels reached 1250, so 8 days after our first scan we went for our second scan, a different sonographer scanned me and done both external and internal scan and after he very kindly explained he was unable to detect a gestational sac in my uterus or my fallopian tubes, again our world crashed. We waited to see the consultant who explained that as they were unable to find the pregnancy and it should be seen by the level of my hormone, i had a pregnancy of unknown location or an ectopic pregnacy, and because of the seriousness of it i would have to see if my bloods showed a decrease otherwise i would need treatment, and he proceded to explain about the operation and the methotrexate injection. Several hours later i recieved the call telling me i need to go to A&E as i was now a risk of rupture my levels were increasing, so off we travelled to A&E.
We sat waiting for nearly an hour dispite them expecting me, and the dr there ushered me in explained that they were going to give me the injection, that they had to keep me in as pharmacy was closed till the morning and i had to have a bed so to guarentee a bed i had to go to the ward that evening. 15min later i was on my way to the ward. Once on the ward the nightmare began; i didn’t see any staff member till 10pm when we were insrtucted to get bed clothes on, and light went out at 11pm, i had obs done and off they went, i had had nothing to drink or eat and nothing offered, so all night i tossed and turned, sobbing myself to sleep on several occassions for only a few moments and at 5am they came and took my obs again and disappered for a couple more hours till they bought tea and toast at 7:30, a dr came round at 9 to consent me for the injection and explain the side effects and actually talked to me for 5 mins, although i prob scared him off in my floods of tears, i was then told to shower by a nurse and at 10 the sister asked if i minded waiting in day room for my injection. and thats where i sat forgotten. My mum arrived at lunch as we were told i would be going home at lunchtime but i still had not had my injection, so she wen and spoke to the nurse who said it had not arrived from pharmacy, so she asked if i could have some lunch, an hour later we still were waiting for lunch and the injection so she went and got me something fom the cafe downstairs, at 2:15 they finally gave me the injection. and after an hour of monitoring (i didn’t see anyone i finally escaped.)
i had to return to the ward 4 days later for my first bloods and the pregnant dr took them and explained she would ring with the results later, that eening she rang to say my levels had increased but this was normal i had to have my next bloods on day 7. I was called on the next moring by my nurse from epu to see ho i ws as she hadn’t heard from the hospital, so i explained everything and she said i could come and she would take my bloods, so on day 7 we went to see her on arrival she gave me a hug and appologised for the treatment i had recieved and explained it was normal to have increased levels on day 4 and they were looking to see if there was a 15% decrease between day 4 and day 7. she asked how i was feeling and if i had any concerns/questions. She explained she had a meeting at lunchtime so would ring early afternoon with my results but if there was not the wanted decrease i would need another injection, she randg at lunch before her meeting to explain my levels had started decreasing and had decreased the desired amount, i wouldn’t need another injection and would now only need a weekly blood test which she would do till my levels reach 0. That was 3 days ago.