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, unfortunately 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 immediately 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 met by a lovely nurse who ushered us to a secluded 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 surrounded by pregnant 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 possibilities. 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 incredibly 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 gestation 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 pregnancy, 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 proceeded to explain about the operation and the methotrexate injection. Several hours later I received 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 despite 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 guarantee 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 instructed 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 occasion’s for only a few moments and at 5am they came and took my obs again and disappeared 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 that’s 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 from 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 evening 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 mooring by my nurse from epu to see ho I was 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 apologised for the treatment I had received 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 rang 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.
Update from 23rd October 2010.
Went back to EPU for day 14 blood results weds 27th, results returned later that day showing that my levels were still coming down as they would expect and I would return a week later. Woke Thursday 28th with mild pain in my pelvic area like a period, as the day progressed the pain remained increasing slowly with intensity till teatime when it became really uncomfortable, so I phone up the ward I had the injection who told me that it does cause some discomfort but because I was able to stand upright to take paracetamol and use a hot water bottle, so I did and tried to distract myself by catching up with emails on the computer till became dizzy. I went and laid with my feet up for sometime and started feeling less dizzy. I went to the toilet and that’s the last I remember till I came face to face with 3 paramedics who my OH had called out when I collapsed. My blood pressure was 50/? As machine could not read the lower figure and I was taken via blue light to A&E, where I was given morphine for the pain but they had to stop injecting it as my blood pressure started dropping again. They put several needles into my arm to ensure they could push as much fluid into me over night. (My mum later tells me that she was warned I may not make it through the night.) I was kept in a small bay next to A&E over night and was taken to another scan the morning of 29th where they finally found a 2x3cm mass near m y left fallopian tube and free fluid in my abdominal cavity, I was taken back to the ward and changed before arriving at the theatre 15min later where I signed to say they could do a laperoscopy +/- procedures. I awoke after the surgery to find I had lost my left fallopian tube as it had ruptured and I had lost nearly 2 pints of blood.
I am now 6 months post op, wounds healed well with minimal scarring and am 12 weeks pregnant. I bleed early on with this pregnancy but at 5 weeks they found a gestation sac in my uterus and bloods came back showing progesterone 52.5 BHCg 3290, bloods 2 days later showed an increase of 64% at BHCg 5393, and third blood test showed BHCg 19,281and a second scan showed I was 7 weeks 5 days pregnant and baby had a heartbeat.
I have been seen by my midwife and I have a dating scan on April 21st when I will be 13 weeks. I have also heard the baby’s heartbeat at 11 weeks 4 days using the Doppler machine we have at work.
Now hoping to have a continued pregnancy. Good luck to all in your journey. xxxx