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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Desperate for help...had ovary removed yesterday

38 replies

babylily · 12/01/2010 20:31

Does anyone out there have any experience/ knowledge on this?
I am 10 week pregnant and yesterday had my right ovary and fallopian tube removed due to a twisted cyst (indescribable pain, untouchable by huge amounts of morphine. No choice in the matter,) and it wasn't until the surgery (keyhole) that they realised the torsion meant they'd have to take the ovary and tube as well).
So now I have to have progesterone pessaries every day for the next 6 weeks...but in 2 weeks time I will be scanned to see if they have worked or not as the removal of the ovary took away the progesterone that the baby needed to grow.
They sent me home today, I asked what the chances were - and they didn't know. They wouldn't even let me have another scan as it 'wouldn't help at all' So not only did I not get to see my baby for what could be the last time, I have no idea if this method ever works or not...just 2 weeks to get through before we go to see if the baby is dead or not>
I can't seem to find any info online about this. I'm still in horrible pain from the surgery, haven't even eaten since monday as I'm so distraught and feeling sick with pain.
I hate myself for being stupid enough to call NHS direct in the first instance (on saturday - they said it was probably my kidneys, and no need to see a doctor until Monday...(which i did via a rupture and an ambulance trip).
Just hoping for any hope? It took us 15 months to get pregnant. DH has a sperm count of under 500000 so fertility clinic had said it was unlikely to happen naturally. And then I end up here.

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thisisyesterday · 12/01/2010 20:35

oh babylily :-(
i have no advice really as have never heard of this happening before, but just had to post for some kind of moral support or something!

i think they're very unkind not letting you have a scan

vitapulchra · 12/01/2010 21:04

I have no advice, either, but wanted to say I'm sorry for all you've suffered so far, and hope, hope, hope that it goes well for you.

midnightexpress · 12/01/2010 21:07

Oh how appalling for you babylily, so sorry you're having to go through this. Is this your first baby? I'm afraid I don't have any advice for you either, but be kind to yourself.

BigBadMummy · 12/01/2010 21:09

I, too, have no experience or advice. I just wanted to give you a very un-MNet hug.

What a dreadful position to be in.

Everything is crossed for you.

almondfinger · 12/01/2010 21:16

Neither do I, you poor old thing, Hopefully they can give you as much progesterone as your body would make itself.

It sounds like they have left you a bit in the dark. Call your GP to have a followup and the procedure explained.

In the meantime try to relax and just send your little baby positive vibes. It took you a long time to get there so its a determined little foetus.

Original poster

babylily · 12/01/2010 21:24

I'm sitting here sobbing. I still can't find anything anywhere about first trimester pregnancy continuing after surgery like this.
I was in so much pain I only just managed a quick glance at the scan that showed my baby yesterday morning, and wish I'd demanded they give me another today just so I could have a picture to keep. But part of me also wonders if they expected the baby to be alive after the surgery/ and why didn't they bother checking? Progesterone is usually used to treat PMS and PND so I truly wonder if it's really going to save this baby?
We already have 2 children, which i am so grateful to as otherwise I don''t know what I'd do.
Just composed a huge complaint to NHS direct, regarding their handling of severe abdominal pain in pregnancy. The woman said to me on the phone - it won't be ectopic...yet the hospital were convinced it was until they scanned me and saw baby in the right place. If I'd gone to A & E on saturday they would have been able to remove the cyst on its own and the baby would be fine. Didn't really know until this morning what it all meant as nobody had mentioned the possibility of the ovary needing to be removed before surgery.
Sorry to go on and on. Just don;t know what to do with myself and don;t want to talk to anyone in RL.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 12/01/2010 21:39

babylily, i found quite a lot on google about progesterone being used for people with fertility problems who don't produce enough themselves and it seemed to have good results

i don't know how this compares with your situation obviously, but am keeping fingers crossed for you

i would ring your GP, or midwife tomorrow morning and just beg them for a scan

DollyMessiter · 12/01/2010 21:43

Oh sweetheart
I think it's dreadful that you've been sent home with so little information.

Is there a midwife that you know well from your previous pregnancies?
If so, please contact them and ask that they give you some more details and support.

I hope everything works out for the best for you.

BettySuarez · 12/01/2010 21:46

BabyLily, I am so sorry that you have been through this but I just had to post because I went through an almost identical experience a few years back.

At 13 weeks of pregnancy (with twins), they discovered that I had a massive cyst and they had to do a full laperotomy (basically an incison from my tummy button to my pubic bone and they removed my overay and fallopian tube.

I also had to have hormonal therapy (suppositries for me though) to support the pregnancy and then endure the long wait until my next scan.

It was a horrible wait but everything was fine, the pregnancy survived and I also went on to have another sucessful pregnancy two years later.

I know that every situation is different but I just wanted to reassure you in any way possible that you have every chance of being ok.

Betty x

soontobefatnat · 12/01/2010 21:46

Hi Babylilly, you hang in there. I think Almondfinger is right, call your GP first thing and get an appointment to answer all the questions you have. There's so much useless, scary and unhelpful info around online and I'm not sure it'll help because it sounds like you're exhausted right now. Try and rest up. Big hug. You can find out more in the morning.

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 12/01/2010 21:48

it's not the same but i have a friend who had a laparoscopy during her pregnancy to remove one ectopic twin, and the other baby made it through fine.

BettySuarez · 12/01/2010 21:50

I also think that it is disgusting that they have sent you home with so little information

Please contact your gp for some proper pain relief and also get in touch with your midwife as soon as possible for support.

Do you have someone there who can look after you?

Original poster

babylily · 12/01/2010 22:15

DD just came in and gave me a big hug and told me not to cry... DH sleeping downstairs as I need bed to myself.
Think I'm going to try and get some sleep/lie in the dark and cry instead.
But...Betty thankyou for posting your positive outcome. It does make me feel a bit more hopeful...
It's just those two weeks longer until the placenta kicks in (as someone said to DH) that are just going to be so decisive.
Going to try and get midwife to talk to me tomorrow. Tried today and they got an on-call doctor ro ring me back (who didn't really get it either...) I must just be unlucky with medical staff at the moment.
Codeine and paracetamol at the ready.
Thankyou everyone for your kind words. Dont feel so alone now. everyone i know has hadcharmed pregnancies and no problems... whereas we already went through a huge trauma and had a 2nd trimester loss a few years ago. Just can't face talking to friends who are sympathetic but won'e ever really get it.
I'll shut up now. apart from anaesthetic I've been awake since 5am monday morning Goodnight.

OP posts:

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 12/01/2010 22:23

goodnight to you. it's funny you say that everyone has had charmed pregnancies... i had two ectopics (so just one fallopian tube here too) then two tricksy pregnancies to get my dds. i think of them as the charmed ones. here's hoping for you too. people get lucky all the time, don't they?

BettySuarez · 12/01/2010 22:26

have a lovely sleep babylily, I hope that you get plenty of rest. Please try and get some expert advice tomorrow and let us know how you are getting on x

Original poster

babylily · 13/01/2010 08:53

Another day. Pain much better but as for the rest of it...still not getting anywhere. Just spoken to my midwife, she made sympathetic noises and said she has neve heard of anything like this before and maybe my GP will know more. I asked about another scan and she said that if the hospital said no yesterday then I would just have to wait 2 weeks for my viability scan. Meant to have my 12 week scan the day before..midwife 'not sure' if there is any point in me attending that.
My GP doesn't work today so i'm waiting for a locum to call me back. I'm not going to get any answers am I?
I'm meant to be back to work tomorrow. This is such a mess.

OP posts:

Geepers · 13/01/2010 09:15

I had an ovary and cyst removed at 14 weeks pregnant so a bit further along than you are. It was a large abdominal incision from belly button to pubic bone, but the outcome was perfect. Baby was born at term, healthy as can be at over 8lbs.

I've since gone on to have four more pregnancies and am currently pregnant with twins - all with one ovary!

LaCerbiatta · 13/01/2010 09:20

Wouldn't your remaining ovary produce enough hormones? Women with only one ovary conceive and have babies with no problems.

Fingers crossed for you xx

Skegness · 13/01/2010 09:25

Oh sweetheart. Where do you live? There are walk-in early pregnancy units in many of the big teaching hospitals.
Don't go back into work if you're not feeling up to it.

rainbowdays · 13/01/2010 12:55

tugamommy - it it the corpus luteum that produces the progesterone, and that would have been removed as the cyst. The other ovary would not be producing the progesterone.
Progesterone taken in whatever form can help support a pregnancy, but I think that the hospital are being very cautious in not giving too much hope, in case the op subsequently leads to a m/c. It is not possible to predict either way about this pregnancy. And more importantly as Betty and others here are witness to, it is very possible that everything will be ok. It is important to try to think positive and trust that this baby will make it through. Get yourself signed off work and rest if you need to, this is not a time to be pushing yourself back to work too soon, you need time to emotionally deal with what you are going through too, be kind to yourself.

rainbowdays · 13/01/2010 13:00

Sorry I did not phrase that very well, really wanted to try to be supportive and give you some hope. I hope that you get some better help from your gp locum later too.

Original poster

babylily · 13/01/2010 14:11

back again...
GP was good - she said if I wanted a scan she would arrange for me to go to the EPU...but advised that a positive result today may not mean it's okay tomorrow. I've decided not to go. It would mean my DH taking more time off work, and i'm trying to take the positive route of thinking the little person i saw on monday is still going strong until absolutely proved otherwise. GP also advised 2 weeks off work while I wait for the outcome, instead of pretending all is well and carrying on as normal.
Pregnancy symptoms not very apparent any more, but guess that may be because my body is trying to heal the physical wounds (and the pain killers have destroyed any appetite I had and no food has meant no nausea).
hopefully.
thankyou for the supportive posts. it really has helped me through the last day. now just need the next 2 weeks to pass.
B

OP posts:

DollyMessiter · 13/01/2010 14:27

I'm glad your GP was helpful.
Keep posting, babylily.
Rest up and be kind to yourself

bearcrumble · 13/01/2010 14:51

I'm so glad to hear that you are getting another scan now and not in two weeks time.

I'm so sorry for all the worry and pain you've been in. You'd have thought they would be more sympathetic at the hospital.

Good luck, I really really hope that baby is ok. I should think the progesterone pessaries will compensate for the loss of the corpus luteum (I take it the ovary that was removed was the one that you ovulated the egg that became this baby from).

bearcrumble · 13/01/2010 14:52

Oh sorry - you decided not to go. I hope the next two weeks pass quickly for you.

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