Desperate for help...had ovary removed yesterday

[babylily]

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.

babylily, after 2 IVF m/cs I was given large doses of progesterone to get me through the first trimester of my 3rd pg and it worked. It was obviously not complicated by the surgery, but that's why you're taking the progesterone. Really hope it works out for you - what a terrible trauma to be going through .

Glad to hear that you are getting some support babylily. I also sat at home and worried because I couldn't work out whether I till 'felt' pregnant or not.

I think that in many ways though, I felt a lot better because the damm cyst had been removed. I think that I managed to confuse the dissapearance of cyst related symptoms with the loss of pregnancy related symptoms. It is very easy to do and it is only natural that you will focus on things in minute detail.

I know that you are not going to be able to truly relax until your scan but try to focus on the positives for now.

Babies are amazingly resiliant and you ARE having hormone therapy, so there are lots of reasons why this will all work out OK.

Do take some time off work as has been suggested and let us know how you are getting on

Babylilly, I can't comment on the the loss of the ovary and the success of this pregnancy but I can tell you the following, which might help:

I only have one ovary, had to have one removed when I was in my early twenties because I had an enormous cyst on it. My other ovary has also had cysts on it - I've actually had 3 removed! THat ovary is as a result smaller than usual. My last surgery was in May and the consultant told us that we should get cracking if we wanted another child and I was pregnant a month later with DC2. So it should have no impact whatsoever on any future attempts you might make.

It is very painful to have a cyst removed any time, and it is often hard to feel well for a while, so take care of yourself!

I also think that this is a cast-iron excuse to see and speak to a consultant, who I really think is the only person who is going to be able to answer your questions effectively, both about what went wrong with the initial misdiagnosis and what your current diagnosis means. The sorts of things that cause ovarian cysts and the impact of removing ovaries are really beyond the ken of GPs and midwives, as they simply don't see enough cases to know (not that they're not great, it's just that obstetricians have also been trained as gynaecologists and WILL have seen this before and WILL have answers).

If you can't get a fast referral and you can bear it you might try the EPU, as you will probably get to speak to a consultant there.

I'm no expert but I think it should help that you are at 10 weeks now, rather than 6 or 7, when the corpus luteum would have been playing a more prominent role!

Hi there, just posting to send good vibes... I've been on progesterone pessaries in two pregnancies (because of wonky hormones due to PCOS)and they do work! Hope it all works out well for you and please don't go back to work too soon but try and get some rest to recover from the surgery!

Thankyou thankyou thankyou again.
Feel much more positive today as I feel really sick, and very hungry. i think that means progesterone levels are high and that must mean that baby is getting some too.
B

Thank you for the explanation rainbowdays .

Good luck with the next two weeks babylily!

Babylily, I also have a friend who had a premature baby ds and second time round was on progesterone to try to keep ds2 in longer. It worked and it will work for you.

Glad you're feeling more positive. Let us know how it goes in 2 weeks.

Will be thinking of you.

Hi again.
Well, had my scan today. and some good/some bad.
The baby is still there, strong heartbeat, lovely and wriggly. So the progesterone has worked so far. But...I have to go back again next week for another scan (as the lovely midwife sonographer said we're 'not out of the woods yet'
Baby is only measuring 11 weeks exactly. By my dates (and the fact that I temp charted/ and know when we conceived) I am 12+1. When I was scanned to see if it was ectopic I measured 9+2, but that was done very quickly while I was writhing in agony so wasn't surprised it measured 'wrongly'. But even going by that I should be 11+2, not 11.
Not sure if baby's not grown enough due to the trauma of operation, the half stone in weight I dropped while on painkillers...and this extra week before the magical 2 week placenta taking over point...It's an extra week where this baby is at risk of dying from the lack of natural progesterone.
So hoped to be posting good news today and that the wait was over.
Have to praise our hospital this time though, there was no messing about with normal antenatal questions, or bloods - they got me straight in for the scan, and then out and back in to see if baby had moved at all and would measure any closer to dates.
B

Great news and thanks for the update! Keeping my fingers crossed but I am sure baby is fine. My scans always put me a week ahead of myself for no obvious reason (and I had treatment so knew exactly when the deed was done!)so I guess babies don't necessarily grow to the sonographer's schedule...

babylily - my heart goes out to you - you must be worried sick. I know nothing medically but wanted to say I temp charted/OPked for my current baby and they have put me a good 5 days ahead of where I think I should be. Try not to read too much into their scan dates as they are often a week out. There are real positives here to concerntrate on - you're 12 weeks with a strong heartbeat! If you have the money could you consider going for a private scan just for peace of mind in the next week or so if there is anywhere around that does these. I've done that twice with previous pregnancies and costs about £80 - not cheap but worth every penny.

Babylilly all my thoughts are with you. Like Giraffes and Jojo, my scan dates did not correspond to my ovulation tracking and were off by about a week. So great that you saw a wriggly baby and a strong heartbeat two very good signs.

Hang in there and do please keep us posted

All the very best....

Hoped to have good news to post.
baby has survived and measured 12 weeks,
but screening tests have given us very high risk for Downs, Pataus and Edwards syndromes. We previously lost a baby with Downs and if it had been just that we could have coped and carried on. But instead we are going for CVS tomorrow, as both Pataus and Edwards are pretty catastrophic, survival-wise.
Devastated after all we have been through, it just feels that this baby, despite the fight we have had, is just not going to be.

Oh Babylily So sorry to hear your news- it's just not fair after all you've been through.

Sending good vibes for your CVS tomorrow and hoping the result is not what you fear.{{{{{}}}}}Take care