2 years ago today I had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Since then I've had 2 miscarriages and am now 24 weeks pregnant with my second daughter. (Eventually there will be a 4.5 year age gap between my two ).
I wrote my story down after it happened and this is that story. Every year on this day I remember what could have been...
I hope this story can give some hope to you who have or are going through similar. It doesn't mean the end.
Today is the 2nd August 2016. It is 22:35. Exactly one week ago to the minute I was lying in the A & E department at the QA hospital in Portsmouth.
I was lucky to get there in time.. I arrived at about 9:30 barely able to stand and unable to sit straight I begged to be able to lie down. I was in excruciating pain from my stomach. I had a fever and was sweating and was certainly not myself. My husband had driven me to the hospital.
We called 999. (This first time he had ever called that number) when the pain started very suddenly at about 8:15 that night. They asked many questions to him and me. They said the call was out to the ambulance and then asked me a series of questions. Was I bleeding. Had I been sick or did I have diarrhoea. No no no. We had explained I was 7 weeks pregnant already. He said that he would have to go now to take another call. OK I said. My husband stood by the door waiting for the ambulance to arrive. My step mother arrived to watch our daughter. I laid on the sofa in pain but suffering less if I didn't move.
At 9:00 my husband called 999 back. They said that the call had not been put out to the ambulance..... I did not hear any more. He passed the phone to my step mother. Who pleaded with them to come. We decided that my husband should drive me to the hospital. I got to the car and on trying to get in (which was agonising) I was sick repeatedly. I think it was the pain that made me sick.... My step mother was still on phone to the paramedics. They said that I was not priority. That if the situation changed then we should call them again as it may be unsafe to transport me! I do not know how it could change other than I pass out. And that would not be helped by husband pulling over to call them.
We sped to the hospital. Not speaking much and without the radio on.
Parked in a consultant space and staggered into the hospital. We went straight to the desk. My husband passed the details and I was told to sit down as I looked 'a bit peaky'.
I tried to sit down amongst the drunks and physically wounded people. Not many seats and many relatively cheery people.
I sat for a few seconds. I really wanted to lie down but could not here. I got back up to go to my husband and then we managed to get a wheelchair. I went straight through to triage. They asked some questions. I got hotter and hotter. Feeling dizzy and begged to lay down. They took me to a bed and then wheeled me to bed 6 in the a and e.
I was offered paracetamol. And I took them. I can't remember much from here but the doctor came. She felt around my stomach and then moved me up to bed 1. They stated taking blood. The doctor from gynae ccane to see me. He asked some questions. I got hot and faint again. I was feeling sick. He explained that they thought it may be ectopic. He did a physical exam, it hurt. I started to realise I would not keep this baby. And that I was in danger. Another doctor appeared. She said she was going to need to take blood in case I needed some for a transfusion. Quite a surprise I did not know why that would be. I then got moved to resus. The doctor tried to take the blood. It really hurt. Not normally the case. She swapped from elbow to wrist to other wrist. I know now it is because my blood pressure was so low that she could not get to the veins.
This was most confusing. Surely I did not need to be around the people who were dying and needed resuscitation! Shortly after a ultrasound scan was done which seemed to show nothing in the uterus. No baby in the womb and what looked like a cluster of something to the side. They decided I needed an operation. To remove it. The anaesthetists arrived. I signed a consent form. I was whisked up to the surgery area and was put under. By this time it was about midnight.
I woke up about 1:20. I had received 2 litres of blood. I didn't realise that I was bleeding internally. They had removed my left Fallopian tube. And the 'pregnancy'.