full of disappointment :(

ashleymarie1726

On april 2nd, i went into the ER with sharp sharp pelvic pain. I hadn't slept in two nights because of discomfort and extreme pain. They did some blood tests and surprised me by telling me i was pregnant (i thought april fools, right?) so they did a transvaginal u/s and said they didn't see anything, but i was very early, so don't be concerned. Although they told me my hCG levels were at 6600.

They sent me home and told me to take tylennol for pain, and had me come back in 78 hours for a repeat pregnancy test. The levels had gone up to 7100. I never got a call from the doctor, and the pain had subsided a little, so I just assumed everything was okay. I had questions, of course...why is my hCG level not doubling? Why are the levels that high and you can't see anything? They also told me they didn't see anything in my fallopian tubes so I shouldn't worry about an ectopic. So I called my ob/gyn to set up an appt and they wanted to see me April 24th.

Friday, April 13 the pain was back..in full force. I called my ob/gyn and told them what was going on. They had me come in immediately, did an u/s, and said they didn't see anything in my uterus and that they saw my right fallopian tube on the u/s. which was bad news. So i went in for emergency surgery that night and they confirmed an ectopic pregnancy that had already ruptured. They, needless to say, couldn't save my right fallopian tube.

Its been two weeks since my surgery, and i'm still just having the hardest time dealing with everything. I was so excited for this "baby". Tuesday was especially hard, considering I should've been listening to the heartbeat...

I wish there were something to do to prevent all these losses. It sure isn't fair...

2009lovebirds

I'm so sorry for what you have endured!  It just doesn't seem fair...  I miscarried on April 15 but my experience was more sad than painful.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery and please know that you are in my thoughts!

geminiways

goodness...so sorry for all that you've been through!

krisztina33

So so sorry for your loss and the physical pain you had to endure on top of the already excruciating emotional pain.

 <<hugs>>

PSU Export

I am so sorry for your loss. I had a similar situation in 2010. Didnt know I was pregnant but figured it out when I was bleeding mid cycle (or so I thought).  Went to er. They also found nothing on u/s, but quickly determined ectopic and did methotrexate. This is certainly none of my business, but it sounds like medical negligence based on follow up hgc numbers and your symptoms they should have addressed the problem sooner. 

Best wishes for a quick recovery.  

killian09

I am so sorry for your loss.  It certainly isn't fair, and it's horrible that you had to go through this.

 As the PP said, it is none of my business, but I have a serious concern about medical negligence with regards to the care and followup you received from your ER visit.  I went back-and-forth about posting this, because I do not want to cause you any more pain after all you have been through.  And I do not take the suggestion of medical negligence lightly.  But I talked it over with my DH this morning, who is a doctor (though please don't take any of this as medical advice--these are just my personal thoughts not his medical opinion), and he was very concerned, and encouraged me to reply to your post.  

Here is my understanding: your hCG was not rising enough over 72 hours to be consistent with a viable pregnancy.  Also, at those levels of HCG, it would be typical to see something in utero on ultrasound in a healthy pregnancy.  Combine all that with your symptom of abdominal pain, and your doctors should have had a high degree of concern about ectopic pregnancy.

[I had a very similar pattern of symptoms without the abdominal pain--nothing in utero on u/s, slow rising HCG that started around 8000, and my doctor absolutely insisted that I come in the very next day for a biopsy of my uterus to see if there was any pregnancy tissue there.  They requested the biopsy results stat, and when they found no evidence of intrauterine pregnancy, they immediately prescribed methotrexate.  The whole thing was treated with great urgency.]

While I'm very glad that you made it through and are okay, ectopic pregnancies can be life-threatening.  I am shocked that your doctors did not order an immediate workup within 1-2 days after the 2nd HCG draw, rather letting you schedule an appointment 3 weeks out.  I think it is possible--though no one will ever be certain--that the tube would not have ruptured with earlier intervention, and that they could have prevented the need to go to surgery and remove it.  

It is also possible that I have misunderstood something, and this is off base.  But I would urge you at a very minimum to write a detailed letter to the physician staff AND department chair or hospital leadership who provided treatment to you in the ER and who ordered the repeat HCG detailing what happened.  Whoever ordered that repeat HCG test had a responsibility to ensure that you received appropriate followup care. Another potentially reasonable option would be to contact a lawyer.  

Even though neither of these options can take away your very sad and distressing experience, maybe it can help prevent these doctors from making the same  mistake again.  (If indeed a mistake was made, which is my best guess, though I obviously can't say for certain.)   

I am very very sorry for your loss.  And I'm very sorry if I added to your stress. I wish you all the best for a full recovery.  

Actingdiva09

I'm so sorry for your loss... {{hugs}}

I have to agree with killian on contacting the proper entities about your situation... My doc wanted me to come in to rule out ectopic even though my number had doubled. The issue ended up being a slowly developing embryo, but for you it's possible they just couldn't see it yet.