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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

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Original poster

waiting for erpc

21 replies

shyla01 · 01/09/2009 18:25

hello all. i have recently had my 4th mc.
i was told at a scan last week that lo had no hb.

as i have had 2 quite horrific mc's in the past i have opted to have the eprc straight away. i have been told that this can only be done as an emergency. this means i have to call the hosp at 7 am every morning to see if there is a bed avail. when i called on sat i was told that yes there was a bed avail and to come is asap. after waiting in the hosp for 3 days i ended up discharging myself.

i just cant understand why it is so difficult to get this pocedure done? i cant be the only person in my area who needs this done?
last time i needed it i only had to wait a few days but that was because someone had cancelled their op at the last min.

how does this compare to what anyone has experienced?

OP posts:

Original poster

shyla01 · 01/09/2009 18:26

*procedure

OP posts:

BayeauxT · 01/09/2009 20:15

Hi Shyla01, sorry to hear you've had to wait - don't know why as surely it's not called an "Emergency" Removal of Products of Conception for nothing! With me, they went to see if I could be put on the end of the regular scheduled list (ie, not emergency per se), and luckily I had it the day after my mmc was diagnosed. Hope you don't have to wait too much longer.

Original poster

shyla01 · 02/09/2009 07:15

thanks. just phoned them again and they are too busy. i'm starting to get really angry now. i doubt they are even trying to get me on to a scheduled list anymore. think i may have to start complaining. it such a shame thats the only way things seem to get done.

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PolarBear74 · 02/09/2009 08:10

Keep trying Shyla, hopefully they will be able to fit you in asap. Complaining is always a good move and keep calling as you will get somewhere.

Have they given you a non-emergency date so at least you are fitted in somewhere? Also is there another hospital you could maybe try?

Thinking of you

ruddynorah · 02/09/2009 08:15

it's 'evacuation of retained products of conception.'

when i had one it was explained to me that they basically do one woman a day. so they book you in and you've to be there for 8am, and could be there until 10pm. you aren't treated as an emergency, you just have to wait to fit in between other booked surgery. i was seen day after my mmc was diagnosed.

your hospital keeping you hanging about for over 3 days is dispicable. can you speak to your gp about it? have you an EPU in your hospital? who referred you for the erpc? i'm very cross for you

PolarBear74 · 02/09/2009 08:26

They can do more than one a day, when I went in for mine last week there were 3 other women booked in for our morning session alone.

Definately you need to complain. Go to your nearest EPU, they were fantastic for me and got me slotted into a list much earlier than I thought.

Original poster

shyla01 · 02/09/2009 17:18

thanks for the replies.

i did phone and complain this afternoon, it didnt get me very far tbh.

all they would say is that they are still trying to get me added on to a scheduled list and to keep trying daily.

its all so frustrating!

i have to go nil by mouth every day from midnight, which isnt so bad if they give an answer at 7 am, but everyday its 'can u stay nbm and call back at 10 please?' than again at 10 they ask to call back at 2. it's a nightmare.

it is my local epu that are dealing with this for me, but tbh they are a bit rubbish! when i went for an early scan at 7 weeks the receptionist accidentally cancelled two consultant appts that i have been waiting over 6 months for!

i'm just sick of dealing with these people and want it all over with!

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waspylady · 02/09/2009 18:05

Oh you poor thing shyla01 that sounds awful being messed around like that. Is there any other hospital you can go to?

I'm waiting for my mc to happen naturally (after mmc picked up on scan) otherwise I'll have to go through the erpc too. I can only imagine how stressful this is for you.

Sending big hugs and really hope they get their act together soon.

Original poster

shyla01 · 02/09/2009 18:13

hi wasplady i am trying to get on a list in 2 different hospitals at the moment still no luck.

sorry to hear you are going through this aswell.

good luck with letting it happen naturally. i have tried it myself and have had 2 quite bad experiences but for the vast majority of people it goes fine. my problem seems to be that my cervix is a slightly odd shape and the 'product' (sorry for using that awful phrase) cant seem to get out unaided. this has prev resulted in loads of pain and very heavy bleeding.

mc is such an awful thing.

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mishmash24 · 02/09/2009 18:21

I can't believe they think it's acceptable to treat you like this Shyla01!

It's bad enough that you are being left in limbo and especially NBM all day, but given your past experience of MC, it's just unforgiveable.

I can only imagine how frustrated you feel when there doesn't really seem anywhere else to turn - I wonder if you can go further up the hierarchy at the hospital to try and push things forward? Or would your GP be able to help out? The EPU should have your corner and be supporting you through this, instead it seems like they've let you down.

How awful for you, it's so wrong that you're being left in this position, everything crossed hoping they get you in first thing tomorrow so you can start trying to move on. xx

dee0468 · 02/09/2009 18:23

That is awful. I had a missed miscarriage between my dd and ds's birth. I bled for a couple of day before being offered a scan on the Friday. I went for a scan and I was told baby had died at about 9 weeks. i was 12 weeks at time. Was sent home to let nature take its course but given ward number to ring if things got worse. By the Sunday I was in alot of pain and was quite sick so I went to hospital. After being examined I was given option of letting nature take it course, being given tablets or an ERPC. I chose ERPc and had it that day. I think I couldn't have let nature take its course as i don't seem to be able to give birth naturally. Think my cervix is a funny shape too.

MmeLindt · 02/09/2009 18:27

I am so sorry to hear about your mc.

This is awful. It is simply not acceptable that women are being left for days for a ERPC.

MN were doing a bit of campaigning on this issue, it might be worth having a search on here to see if there is any advice to be had.

I would be writing to the Hospital board and my MP tbh. Sometimes you have to create a bit of a stink about things like this.

MmeLindt · 02/09/2009 18:30

MN Miscarriage Code Of Practice

Not sure what is happening on the whole campaign thing at the moment.

Original poster

shyla01 · 02/09/2009 18:34

hi dee

my 1st mc was very similar to yours. but i didnt have time for the erpc as was bleeding so bad. they just put me on a bed and removed it with small forceps. was one of the worst things i have ever experienced. the 2nd was alot better but i was only about 5 wks gone. and the 3rd was a nightmare from start to finish, opted for the medical management. had the pesiaries at abou 9am and only had very light bleed. hospital could not have cared less that i had such a bad experience the 1st time. i was just sent home to lose it naturally. of course after spending 2 days in pain and bleeding i ended up passed out on my bathroom floor at 4am. and the worst part is that my 5 year old daughter was the one who found me and had to go and wake up dp. she still gets really upset about it because of the amount of blood she saw.
ended up having the eprc any way as it hadnt all come away!
i havent started to bleed yet, but as soon as i do i will be staight up the hosp and will not be moving until they do the eprc.

sorry for the long post! but i cant reallly discuss most of these things with people in rl!!

all your support is much appreciated

OP posts:

dee0468 · 02/09/2009 18:43

I know what you mean. I hardly told anyone at the time. I was discharged from hospital by a nurse. I ended up making an appointment to see my GP as I had lots of questions. Women really deserve better treatment than they get at this sad time. Incidently 6 months later I was pregnat with my ds and on my notes the midwife wrote "missed abortion". Just what you need to see.

Original poster

shyla01 · 02/09/2009 18:52

thanks mmelindt i just really tired of it all right now, its been a looong year!

i am in the process of writing a letter of complaint but i am a bit wary as i am relying on these people to sort out the mess they made of my consultant appt. dont want to pee them of incase they put back to the bottom of the waiting list. and it isnt helped that the epu and emergency gynae are practically the same dept in my local hosp.

cant help but feel that the hosp are making me wait in the hope that i mc natuarally instead.
xx

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Rissalou · 03/09/2009 06:27

Dear all, I am just reading some of your posts and just wanted to share that I was told i'd had a missed mc on friday at my 12 week scan and they have booked me on for an ERPC but i have to wair 12 days!!!!!!!!!! I am now 6 days into the wait and feel worse every day, I just want it over. I have had no bleeding or anything and still feel pregnant, I took 2 years to conceive this time and I just want to feel normal again.

PolarBear74 · 03/09/2009 08:42

Hi Shyla

I'm sorry that they have been so pants and that the EPU is not as supportive as it should be.

I hope that you have more luck today and get an appointment. With a history as bad as yours I am shocked that you haven't been admitted straight away.

Fingers crossed you get in today

CakeandFineWine · 03/09/2009 08:54

Hi Shyla

I'm so sad reading your post.
I'm going in at 12 today hopefully for my ERPC but my experience has been shocking to as I dared to miscarry on bank holiday sunday
I hope you get yours soon sounds like you need it, can your ring and say you are experiencing alot of pain to try speeding things up?

Original poster

shyla01 · 04/09/2009 18:30

hello all. thank you for the messages just to let you know that i went into hosp yest morning at 10.30 was kept in on the emergency list until 8.30 this morning when they finally managed to squeeze me in! it has been such a frustrating time and i am just really glad that it is all over.

the good thing is that due to my history and the fact that i had my consultant appt cancelled they have done all of the necessary blood tests, so when my appt comes around the results will be ready (hopefully)

although they took so much blood i have come away with a huge egg shaped lump on the back of my hand. small price to pay i suppose.

thanks again and really sorry to anyone else in a similar situation.

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CakeandFineWine · 04/09/2009 20:15

I'm glad its all over for you know at least Shyla xx

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