My Ectopic Pregnancy Story « George & Eunice Adventures

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I had an ectopic pregnancy at 4 weeks. No one ever expects to have an ectopic pregnancy. I sure didn’t either. I endured four weeks of suspected bowel issues before I was admitted to the hospital just in time. My ectopic pregnancy resulted in a salpingectomy, a blood transfusion and a three-day hospital stay. Here is my ectopic pregnancy story.

My Symptoms

I’d been getting weird cramps and achy pains on the left side of my abdomen all month. Occasionally, I got these “flare-ups” where my cramps would get so intense that it’d put me to bed for a few hours or once, even a few days.

I felt drained and exhausted all the time.

I thought I was deconditioned from not exercising and I felt disappointed in myself for not keeping my body fit. One night I decided to get active by doing some stairs in my condo stairwell. It couldn’t have been a more terrible idea. I went up a few flights and felt so exhausted and dizzy that I went to bed straight away.

The Emergency

On Sunday night, I went to bed with another cramp. I thought I had gotten my period – nothing Tylenol and a heat pack couldn’t fix. But the cramps intensified and reminded me of my labour pains from a few months back. I squirmed in bed all night.

That night the pain spread all over my abdomen.

I’d later find out it was because I was bleeding into my abdomen.

I hope you never experience the feeling of internally bleeding into your abdomen (or anywhere else for that matter!). The blood caused an irritating and stinging kind of pain particularly along my rib cage. It hurt to breathe because my diaphragm felt so irritated. My liver and whatever else is along the right side of my ribs felt like it was disintegrating.

I endured until early morning. I finally acknowledged that this was more than just period cramps. I pleaded for George to call 911 as I writhed in pain. By then I was gagging and trying to throw up. I had chills, I was dizzy and I couldn’t stop shaking.

At The Hospital

I got seen by the Emerg physician fairly quickly. I was immediately hooked up to IV painkillers which gave me some relief. We were still adamant that I was having bowel issues so I was taken for an abdominal x-ray.

I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next 5 hours or so. The world was spinning every time I opened my eyes. I kept on thinking if this is what dying feels like, it’s not so bad.

I’m thankful for my hubby. His outspoken nature comes in handy during times like this and he is not afraid to badger. That definitely sped up the process even just a little bit. At least we weren’t waiting idly.

The Shocking News

The physician finally stopped by and announced I was pregnant with a gentle smile on his face. He said the x-rays for my abdomen came back clear. Nothing was wrong with my bowels. I’d be getting a pelvic ultrasound soon and was told to sit tight.

Wait what? Wait WHAT?

I was trying really hard to process all the news. It all came way out of left field. It did not make any sense.

On one hand I was relieved nothing was wrong with my bowels. For the past month, I’d been cutting out foods, limiting my portions and envisioning worst case scenarios like colon cancer. To hear that nothing was wrong with my digestive system was absolutely freeing.

But pregnant – what? I felt a whole mix of emotions. Oh no, it’s too soon – Annie’s still my baby. Oh but another baby – wow what a blessing. Actually I can’t wait – this is perfect. Let’s see – February to March, April, May… it’ll be a November baby! But wait, this isn’t possible. Something’s not right. It’s not going to work out if I’m feeling this pain. Something is really not right.

We talked in circles for a bit before I was taken for my ultrasound.

The ultrasound was quick. The screen was turned away. The technician was pleasant and calm but she didn’t say much. Near the end, she called an OB to ask for some advice. They had a vague conversation but it was obvious something was wrong. “Look, I can’t even see the left ovary”

I spent the next few moments obsessing over my left ovary. Where in the world did it go? What happened to it? I only have one ovary?

The Verdict

The OB GYN team met me immediately afterwards and finally unveiled the news that we had been dying to know all this time.

You have an ectopic pregnancy. There is a huge mass on your left fallopian tube. We’re going to remove it. We’ve bumped you up. We need to take you to surgery right now.

Everyone was so calm and friendly. But if you listened to their words, you could sense the urgency of the situation.

The Surgery

I have had enough exposure from my previous surgeries, watching surgeries in my past field trainings, and of course, copious amounts of Grey’s Anatomy to feel safe in the operating room. I was just glad that I was finally being treated.

My poor hubby though. Unfortunately, Grey’s Anatomy only made matters worse for him. All he could think about were those episodes where a patient goes in for a routine procedure and the doctor walks out saying “there were some complications. We’re so sorry.” I had a good laugh when he told me afterwards. I didn’t envy him at all.

My laparotomy was supposed to be a quick 30 minute day surgery which meant the original plan was to go home right afterwards.

But no one was aware of how much blood I lost until they opened me up. The GYN team was shocked to find half of my blood volume in my belly. The surgery took over 2 hours and I ended up staying three days.

What saved my life? This huge 10cm clot that had formed around my ectopic pregnancy.

You saved your own life when you came in when you did, the resident said to me. They did not think I would’ve survived another day.

It’s surreal when you realize you were so close to death.

My hemoglobin was 52 after my surgery (when it is normally above 100). Although I was wide awake and alert, I could not sit up or stand for the next while. I had a blood transfusion the second day and extra rest on the third day before I was finally allowed to be discharged home.

Some Thoughts

An ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency. The gravity of my ectopic pregnancy story continues to hit me every now and then. Here are some thoughts.

Make your health a priority. In the midst of motherhood, I am guilty of neglecting my body – being wary of how much I move or what I eat and responding to any health concerns I have. I obsessively played back the situation in my head and I believe I could’ve spared everyone a lot of grief if I had dealt with my symptoms more proactively. It took me a while to forgive myself.
Life is filled with experiences that are out of our control. My ectopic pregnancy was one. The on-going COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences are another. We need to live in light of the truth that we are simply not in control. We need to always and continually look to God to sustain us. And we can find comfort in knowing that He knows when He will take us. Sickness, accidents, disasters and the sort cannot harm us unless ordained by Him. “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12