Ttc post ectopic 2023/stories of hope

[Babafarmer]

Hello,

Just wondering if there is any one here post ectopic who is wanting to share experiences.
I only just had methotrexate last Friday but it appears to be working. Still will have a 3 month wait before we try again and that's if I can mentally face it. Me thoughts are filled with fear and doubt. I have read through the previous ttc after ectopic pages but there hasn't been any activity since 2022.
I'm already very lucky and have a 2 year old which we conceived quickly and had a straight forward pregnancy. We have decided that we wanted another and we got pregnant 2nd month of trying. But my line progression was so slow and my hcg not really increasing but then I bled and it dropped. They initially thought miscarriage but my hcg plateaued for 2 weeks and the finally found a suspicious area that they suspected ectopic as the pregnancy couldn't be found else where. They continued expectant management for a bit longer as it slightly dropped but then rose again. My anxiety was terrible so they said ti go down the methotrexate route.
I am so gutted and apart from being 37 don't have any risk factors. I hate that my future is now filled with fear and if we do try again the happiness of that positive test has been robbed and filled with worries and what if's. I feel like I can't talk to anyone as I just cry. I obsessed with google which obviously makes things worse. But I can't get my head round that I have been that unlucky 1% and now I'm a 10-15%. How will I ever be able to face the fear, next time I might not be as lucky.

Hey @Babafarmer
Ill tell you about my experience, sorry if its long 😅
I got pregnant on our 3rd cycle Trying this which was in Feb and like you started bleeding a week after getting our bfp. went into epu to be told I had a miscarriage after my hcg had dropped 48 hours later from 77 to 23 and was told to retest in 2 weeks and should be clear. 2 weeks later and was still getting positives but was being given the brush off as they said I could expect positives upto 3 weeks+ after. I Insisted i knew my body and they was something not right and the doctor saw me and repeated my bloods i even said i was worried thatnj maybhave an ectopic pregnancy but she said ectopic do not follow this trend and it would be highly unlikely. Hcg had increased so they gave me a scan for retained tissue and nothing. Followed my hcg for a while and gave me 2 more scans over following weeks and they saw something near me tube after i had complained of niggling pains but then 2 consultants both said its not an ectopic and that it was static bowel. Hcg still increasing so they gave me an mva. Hcv still increasing after, scanned me again and the mass they saw near my tube was still there so it was not static bowel and it had grew in size. Was then given methotrexate but it didn't work so i had to have another injection which thankfully did work. So from starting to bleed on the 15th of Feb and being seen in the epu it took until almost the end of March to have my second injection and with ljnv they took to diagnose me with an ectopic it definitely could of been alot worse for me. It was a rough time and I completely understand how you feel, it's so tough and draining but you will get through this and if they is any questions you want to ask or just have a chat you can private message me. We are now able to ttc again and you will soon get there xx

Hi @Naomi2023 that sounds very similar to mine. I got a bfp about 16 dpo on internet cheapies but didn't really progress and took ages to show on a clear blue digi. Phoned gp who agreed to do hcg would have been 4+3 hcg was 11. Because it was so low and on a Thursday they wanted to recheck on the Monday it an increased to 159, 48 hours later my test was darker and then got lighter on the Thursday and I started bleeding on the Friday (5+4). Bloods taken on the Monday hcg dropped to 70, I was still just spotting so they did an abdominal scan on the Thursday said vaginal wasn't necessary and said it was a miscarriage. I requested repeat bloods as my test hadn't change and should have been getting lighter. Came back at 75. And they wanted a repeat on the Monday and another rise 79. Niggling pain started so they agreed to scan again the following day. Vaginal scan sone by registrar and second opinion from sonographer showed a suspicious area in my right tube but was small. The said to come back the following day for bloods and to speak to the consultant for a plan. Which then showed another rise to 85.
With my levels being so low they have said they would support expectant management but on light of them not decreasing and plateauing over the last 9 days they would also allow me to have methotrexate.
I was to go back on Friday for repeat bloods and they said they can order the injection for that afternoon if they hadn't dropped.
So Friday came now would have been 7+4 and hcg dropped to 77 so methotrexate put on hold by the consultant, at this stage I didn't know what by preference was but I was sick of the waiting and nothing really changing. So was asked to go back on the Monday which showed another drop to 69, but then the Wednesday showed an increase back up to 81. Methotrexate then ordered for the Friday I requested hcg so we had an accurate figure for the day 4 and 7 results.
It had dropped to 60 so it may have gone down but then again showing it's pattern it may not. Day 4 was 57 and day 7 yesterday was 36. So now on weekly monitoring as it was 36% so well above the 15%. I feel the last week was wasted but I see why they thought it may have dropped. I am grateful that my body had tried to sort it itself and there wasn't a huge mass and big increases but now still puts me in the high risk category. And it's been a long drawn out 5 weeks of worry and stress with a lot of trips to EPAU.
Numbers in order.
4+3 18/5 = 11
5 22/5 = 159
6 29/5 = 70
6+3 1/6 = 75
7 5/6 = 79
7+2 7/6 = 85
7+4 9/6 = 77 methotrexate cancelled
8 12/6 = 69
8+2 14/6 = 81
8+4 16/6 = 60 methotrexate given before result
Day 4 19/6 = 57
Day 7 22/6 = 36

Hi @Babafarmer @Naomi2023
So sorry to hear about both your experiences, physically and mentally exhausting.
I’m 4.5 week post ectopic surgery where they took my left tube.
It was our first pregnancy, I’m 36 and anxious to start trying again soon.
Would you mind updating me on where you are in your journey post ectopic?