Miscarriage/Pregnancy Loss
MSU_Girl1202
member
My D&C Experience (warning, long)
MSU_Girl1202
member
Hi ladies,
If you read my intro post, you'll have seen that I was getting a D&C today. I just wanted to share my experience, because pre-D&C, I was an emotional trainwreck and wanted to read as many stories of these as possible.
This morning, I went for one final ultrasound with my RE. I had this mainly because I was in denial...and I knew I was in denial, but needed to make sure one last time that I was making the right decision
We got there and they went to put an IV in me and surprise, surprise: they couldn't do it. They basically told me I had the veins of a heroin addict, and I had to explain to about six people that I *was* an easy stick...and then I started infertility treatments, and every other day betas, and progesterone draws, etc.
So the short of it, is that I got stuck eight times, by three nurses (two working on one arm while the other was on the other arm), trying to get an IV. During this whole debacle, I just couldn't hold on anymore, and the pain from the IVs was really my tipping point...and so I started sobbing. Not just light tears, but legitimately sobbing. All the nurses and CRNA thought it was because of the IVs, but I kept explaining to them, it's the whole situation...the fact that I was miscarrying, and losing my baby. The CRNA kept trying to give me oral Versed (sedative), but I kept refusing, saying that it'll make me sleepy, but it won't make the pain of losing this baby go away.
They finally got a much smaller IV than they planned on one arm (I now look like a beaten woman), and we went back. I don't remember much of it, just getting on the OR table, getting strapped down, and talking to my Dr about how everyone should shower after surgery and that it's crazy that a lot of people apparently wait until their postop visits to shower (crazy right?).
I remember waking up in the postop area with a very sore throat, to find out they had put in a breathing tube during the procedure and they couldn't do it just with IV sedation as planned (not sure why). So, from the perspective, I've just had a bad sore throat and hoarse voice since surgery. I realized the finality of it, and started crying again, realizing that my baby was really gone. My Dr came to talk to me and kept telling me that the baby was already gone. I don't know if that made it any better, but I don't know if anything would have. My husband was allowed to come back at that point, and I fell asleep crying for a little bit. I vaguely remember the nurse saying something to him along the lines of "it's going to take a while for her to get the anesthesia out of her system".
I woke up the second time and had a very big urge to pee, but when I got wheeled to the bathroom, I sat for literally half an hour feeling like I had to go so bad and I couldn't! Not a drop. It was the most horrible, uncomfortable, painful feeling. I tried for 15 more min and then the nurse bladder scanned me and said I had 600ml in my bladder. She paged my doc who wanted me to walk around and try to urinate on my own for another half hour. I basically did slow laps around the postop area with my husband, stopping by the bathroom every time I passed it, without being able to urinate. They said I had urinary retention from anesthesia. At this point, I was begging the nurse to straight cath me. Never in my life did I think I would ask for that, much less beg for it. She finally agreed to do it, and I evacuated about half a liter. The straight cath itself was somewhat painful, not when it was already in, but the going in part, but the immediate relief I felt was worth every ounce of pain. The nurse basically told me that if I went home and couldn't urinate, I would have to come back to the ER in 6 hours.
We went home, and I've basically been lying on the couch since then. My bladder is starting to "wake up" from anesthesia and I've been able to void a little bit at a time, so holding off on going to ER. Doesn't feel like I can totally empty right now, but I think it's getting better.
Otherwise, physically, not having too much pain, just a little bit of cramps and some moderate flow bleeding.
Emotionally, I'm just in disbelief that this little being that was growing (and then not growing) inside me is really gone. I feel empty.
I'll update when I'm further out postop, but just thought I would share my experience with those who have had / will have D&C.
If you read my intro post, you'll have seen that I was getting a D&C today. I just wanted to share my experience, because pre-D&C, I was an emotional trainwreck and wanted to read as many stories of these as possible.
This morning, I went for one final ultrasound with my RE. I had this mainly because I was in denial...and I knew I was in denial, but needed to make sure one last time that I was making the right decision
We got there and they went to put an IV in me and surprise, surprise: they couldn't do it. They basically told me I had the veins of a heroin addict, and I had to explain to about six people that I *was* an easy stick...and then I started infertility treatments, and every other day betas, and progesterone draws, etc.
So the short of it, is that I got stuck eight times, by three nurses (two working on one arm while the other was on the other arm), trying to get an IV. During this whole debacle, I just couldn't hold on anymore, and the pain from the IVs was really my tipping point...and so I started sobbing. Not just light tears, but legitimately sobbing. All the nurses and CRNA thought it was because of the IVs, but I kept explaining to them, it's the whole situation...the fact that I was miscarrying, and losing my baby. The CRNA kept trying to give me oral Versed (sedative), but I kept refusing, saying that it'll make me sleepy, but it won't make the pain of losing this baby go away.
They finally got a much smaller IV than they planned on one arm (I now look like a beaten woman), and we went back. I don't remember much of it, just getting on the OR table, getting strapped down, and talking to my Dr about how everyone should shower after surgery and that it's crazy that a lot of people apparently wait until their postop visits to shower (crazy right?).
I remember waking up in the postop area with a very sore throat, to find out they had put in a breathing tube during the procedure and they couldn't do it just with IV sedation as planned (not sure why). So, from the perspective, I've just had a bad sore throat and hoarse voice since surgery. I realized the finality of it, and started crying again, realizing that my baby was really gone. My Dr came to talk to me and kept telling me that the baby was already gone. I don't know if that made it any better, but I don't know if anything would have. My husband was allowed to come back at that point, and I fell asleep crying for a little bit. I vaguely remember the nurse saying something to him along the lines of "it's going to take a while for her to get the anesthesia out of her system".
I woke up the second time and had a very big urge to pee, but when I got wheeled to the bathroom, I sat for literally half an hour feeling like I had to go so bad and I couldn't! Not a drop. It was the most horrible, uncomfortable, painful feeling. I tried for 15 more min and then the nurse bladder scanned me and said I had 600ml in my bladder. She paged my doc who wanted me to walk around and try to urinate on my own for another half hour. I basically did slow laps around the postop area with my husband, stopping by the bathroom every time I passed it, without being able to urinate. They said I had urinary retention from anesthesia. At this point, I was begging the nurse to straight cath me. Never in my life did I think I would ask for that, much less beg for it. She finally agreed to do it, and I evacuated about half a liter. The straight cath itself was somewhat painful, not when it was already in, but the going in part, but the immediate relief I felt was worth every ounce of pain. The nurse basically told me that if I went home and couldn't urinate, I would have to come back to the ER in 6 hours.
We went home, and I've basically been lying on the couch since then. My bladder is starting to "wake up" from anesthesia and I've been able to void a little bit at a time, so holding off on going to ER. Doesn't feel like I can totally empty right now, but I think it's getting better.
Otherwise, physically, not having too much pain, just a little bit of cramps and some moderate flow bleeding.
Emotionally, I'm just in disbelief that this little being that was growing (and then not growing) inside me is really gone. I feel empty.
I'll update when I'm further out postop, but just thought I would share my experience with those who have had / will have D&C.
Married 07/2006, TTC since 2010
08/2011: Clomid 50mg, IUI --> BFN ,
10/2011: Clomid 100mg, IUI --> BFN
04/13: Clomid, IUI BFP --> MC at 6w1d
05/13: Femara 2.5mg, IUI --> BFN , 08/13: Femara 2.5mg --> BFN
03/14: Femara 5mg, IUI --> 1 follicle @ 27d --> BFP! EDD 12/02/14--> blighted ovum, missed MC 6w6d --> D&C
4/23: D&C...starting over again, with a little part of my heart broken off
08/2011: Clomid 50mg, IUI --> BFN ,
10/2011: Clomid 100mg, IUI --> BFN
04/13: Clomid, IUI BFP --> MC at 6w1d
05/13: Femara 2.5mg, IUI --> BFN , 08/13: Femara 2.5mg --> BFN
03/14: Femara 5mg, IUI --> 1 follicle @ 27d --> BFP! EDD 12/02/14--> blighted ovum, missed MC 6w6d --> D&C
4/23: D&C...starting over again, with a little part of my heart broken off
5/31: Femara 7.5mg --> cancelled cycle, no follies
7/14: Femara 5mg + brevelle + menopur + IUI --> converted to IVF, ER 7/28 --> ET cancelled due to severe OHSS.
9/20/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP--> EDD 6/6/15 --> MC at 5w3d
10/16/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFN
2/6/15: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP --> MC at 5w4d
3/20/16: PGS-tested Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP, Living Child born 12/1/15
6/6/17: Fresh IVF Cycle --> Severe OHSS, 5 PGS-tested embryos frozen
2/23/18: PGS-tested FET --> BFN
3/30/18: Cancelled cycle due to lining 4.2mm
7/14: Femara 5mg + brevelle + menopur + IUI --> converted to IVF, ER 7/28 --> ET cancelled due to severe OHSS.
9/20/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP--> EDD 6/6/15 --> MC at 5w3d
10/16/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFN
2/6/15: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP --> MC at 5w4d
3/20/16: PGS-tested Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP, Living Child born 12/1/15
6/6/17: Fresh IVF Cycle --> Severe OHSS, 5 PGS-tested embryos frozen
2/23/18: PGS-tested FET --> BFN
3/30/18: Cancelled cycle due to lining 4.2mm
6/21/18: PGS-tested FET --> BFN
This discussion has been closed.
Re: My D&C Experience (warning, long)
DH: 45
BFP #1 3/19/14 EDD 11/29/14 MMC D&C 4/24/14
BFP #2 12/4/14 Beta #1 218 at 12dpo Beta #2 1055 at 16dpo
Saw heartbeat 12/29. Please be a rainbow.
All welcome
My Ovulation Chart
MMC April 2014 at 6w2d, D&C at 9 weeks
MMC August 2014 at 9w1d, D&C at 12 weeks
CP October 2014
My Ovulation Chart
Postop day one (today), I'm just still feeling kind of fuzzy from anesthesia and getting dizzy whenever I stand up...glad I took the day off work. Also having some slight cramping and bleeding. Emotionally, it's hard to explain...it's like I keep forgetting that my baby is really gone , and then remembering, and feeling this overwhelming wave of sadness all over again.
My dr called to see how I was doing physically and emotionally, so that was nice.
08/2011: Clomid 50mg, IUI --> BFN ,
10/2011: Clomid 100mg, IUI --> BFN
04/13: Clomid, IUI BFP --> MC at 6w1d
05/13: Femara 2.5mg, IUI --> BFN , 08/13: Femara 2.5mg --> BFN
03/14: Femara 5mg, IUI --> 1 follicle @ 27d --> BFP! EDD 12/02/14--> blighted ovum, missed MC 6w6d --> D&C
4/23: D&C...starting over again, with a little part of my heart broken off
7/14: Femara 5mg + brevelle + menopur + IUI --> converted to IVF, ER 7/28 --> ET cancelled due to severe OHSS.
9/20/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP--> EDD 6/6/15 --> MC at 5w3d
10/16/14: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFN
2/6/15: Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP --> MC at 5w4d
3/20/16: PGS-tested Frozen Embryo Transfer --> BFP, Living Child born 12/1/15
6/6/17: Fresh IVF Cycle --> Severe OHSS, 5 PGS-tested embryos frozen
2/23/18: PGS-tested FET --> BFN
3/30/18: Cancelled cycle due to lining 4.2mm
TTC #1: February 1, 2014
BFP #1: 2/21/14 EDD: 10/31/14 (my birthday!) MMC: discovered 3/31/14 (blighted ovum) D&C: 4/3/14 at 9w6d
TTC #1 (Round 2): May 16, 2014
Names | Blog | Chart
"Everybody wants to be happy. Nobody wants to feel pain but you can't have a rainbow without the rain."
DD 15.07.2012
BFP #2 01.18.2014, MMC 04.10.2014 15w5d
BFP #3 07.18.2014, MC 07.31.2014 5w6d
DX: RPL due to submucosal uterine fibroid. Hysteroscopy 12/16. All clear!