Recovering from surgery

Main Board
1

Me and my fiancé have been trying to get pregnant this year and both times it’s ended up being ectopic. In the space of 7 months it’s happened twice. The first time I got it managed with methotrexate and a few days later I had terrible abdominal pain and shoulder too pain, we went to a&e and waited there for 9 hours to be seen. Luckily it turned out to be bad side effects but 9 hours for a potential rupture seemed outrageous to me.

When I found out I was pregnant again last month I was so scared I knew I had to contact the EPU but I was so scared so I put it off and when I walked in for that appointment I had a feeling, I’d had spotting but I hoped it would be implantation bleeding. They did the scan and spent ages doing it that’s when I knew for certain the doctor then said she’d call in the on call consultant. They explained to us that it was a live ectopic pregnancy, saying it had a heart beat and would not be able to reabsorb its self back into me so I’d need the surgery and due to how far it was they have to take my left tube as well. They explained taking my left tube would also be best for future pregnancies as both ectopics happened on my left tube indicating an issue on that side.

Luckily I was able to come home the next day after being rushed to surgery the same day of my first scan. I feel absolutely terrible within myself right now, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to return to work again or proceed as normal. I’m only 19 have one tube I don’t feel like other people my age anymore, going out all night, drinking till I can’t remember and being stupid just doesn’t appeal to me at all right now.

Im only 5 days post op I’m having terrible abdominal cramps and the clots I’m passing seem huge has anyone else had this happen?

Just looking for some support and someone to talk to that understands, my partner is trying his best however it just doesn’t seem right coming from someone who can never have one of their tubes taken from them and doesn’t feel their pregnancy symptoms slipping away from them.

Thank you for reading

Elz xx

2

Dear Elz,

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

Experiencing an ectopic pregnancy is a huge ordeal and you are in the early stages of recovery. Your body needs time to heal from your surgery which is in itself a gruelling task. You have also had to process the loss of your baby and been through an immense rollercoaster of emotions - all of this will take time to come to terms with.

You should take it very easily 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 and please do be kind to yourself. Recovery can take time and some days will be better than others, one day you maybe ok and the next you maybe 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’s signals and pain and feeling tired are your body’s signs to tell you to rest. We suggest keeping a healthy balanced diet, drinking lots of water and resting. Once your wounds have healed, very gentle exercise such as a short walk can help, but please do take this slowly.

Whilst you may not want to hear this must now, this is not the end of the journey for you trying to conceive. Generally, when a person has only one fallopian tube and both ovaries, they are still able to get pregnant from an egg at the opposite ovary as an egg from one ovary can travel down the tube on the other side. The fallopian tubes are not attached to the ovaries and, at the point of ovulation, some very delicate structures called the fimbriae begin to move gently creating a slight vacuum to suck the egg toward the end of the tube it is nearest to (like lots of little fingers waving and drawing the egg towards it). So, if you have only one tube then there is only one set of receptors working and one set of fimbriae creating a vacuum and so the egg is much more likely to find its way to that tube, whichever ovary it is produced from. Conservative estimates suggest that an egg produced on the tubeless side manages to descend the remaining tube around 15 to 20% of the time. While generally it is possible to conceive after an ectopic pregnancy, the amount of time it takes varies from couple to couple. Factors include age, general health, reproductive health and how often you have sex, among other things. It may be comforting to know that 65% of women are successfully pregnant within 18 months of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and some studies suggest this rises to around 85% after two years.

It is important for you to know, that the feelings you have are valid and normal for you to experience just now. 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

The EPT is awarded the PIF TICK as a Trusted Information Creator, the UK-wide quality mark for healthcare information

If the information provided here or through the EPT website has helped you, you can donate towards our support services, volunteer, or fundraise to raise awareness.

Further information is available on our website.

Email us: ept@ectopic.org.uk

We provide a call-back support line: 020 7733 2653. We are able to provide support in multiple languages including British Sign Language.

Take a look at our newsletters and subscribe to our mailing list.

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

3

Hello Elz, I’m so sorry you are going through this horrible time. You are not alone, I am in pretty much the exact same situation as yourself- however I’m a lot older- 35! I’ve had 2 ectopics within six months- the first treated with mxt and the second treated with surgery on Friday. Both on the right side and my right tube now removed. The doctors reassured me in the hospital that it is entirely possible for me to get pregnant again and actually, I have a better chance at it working next time as my remaining tube is healthy. I assume yours is too as they took your other one away like mine. So, take time to heal emotionally and physically. I am not going to rush into trying again too soon until my husband and I are truly ready. You have all the time in the world, so please look after yourself. I am also bleeding like a period after my op- docs said this would happen. I have also passed some clots- scary but again, this is normal. If paracetamol isn’t easing your cramps then get back in touch with the hospital.

Wishing you all the best for the future.