D&C Complications - anyone dealt with this?

Tussie Mussie

I posted last week for advice on using cytotec. The stories I recieved were wonderfully supportive and very much helped me. Unfortunately, the cytotec did not work so I decided to go in for a D&C. After a long day of waiting at the hospital on Friday, they finally got me in that evening.

I will just give the short version here (but if you want/need more details for any reason I am willing to share). I woke up from what was supposed to be a 30min surgery - 5 hours later. There had been a ton of bleeding, and when they went to stop the bleeding a weak spot in my uterus punctured and one of the arteries got knicked. I was bleeding into my stomach so they cut me open to find where the bleeding was coming from. They called in many different surgical teams because they didn't know exactly what they would find. There was a large hematoma in a cavity of my uterus, and once they carterized the artery the bleeding was under control. I was lucky that they cut along my C/S scar and did not have to do a vertical incision. I was in the hospital over the weekend and got to come home on Monday. 

The physical recovery is familiar since I had a C/S in December. DH is off work to help, and my mom got on a plane as soon as DH told her about the complications. 

Emotionally, I thought i was doing well. I believe that this happened for a reason. I was no longer crying or getting angry when I saw pregnant women and babies, but now the reality is starting to set in and I'm so conflicted inside. With the regular D&C I would have been cleared to start trying again after the first cycle. Now I can't even lift my baby for 6 weeks let alone DTD. I really really wanted my children close in age (15-18months apart was my ideal), and it's setting in now that that's not even a possibility anymore. I'm afraid that my body won't be able to handle another pregnancy, and DH is frightened as well. He is terrified that if we try again (even into the future), that something bad is going to happen to me. I did not have any easy C/S, and now this. I'm heartbroken that I may never have another child again. They said that my uterus is fine, and that it can support a pregnancy without the artery they had to carterize. I was worried about scar tissue just from a D&C though, and there is bound to be more of a risk with this surgery. 

I guess I mostly just needed to let this out, and see if any women have been in my situation. I felt so supported and understood when the miscarriage was happening and suprised by how many people IRL and on TB helped me with their stories. Now I feel very alone.

eggmankate

Oh my goodness. I'm so so so sorry to hear this. I'm not understanding all the medical jargon you said, but was the "hemotoma" the reason for all these complications or is there no real reason why this happened?

I just had a D/C this morning and so far everything is going OK which is why my heart is breaking for you. I know you are worried and feeling a huge wave of all sorts of emotions, but I really think that you WILL be able to have another baby. Our bodies have the amazing capacity to heal and your body will heal despite the missing artery. Your body knows how to compensate for a loss and it will figure out how to adapt without that artery. I really truly believe that.

I know this isn't the same thing, but my sister had a baby on the same day I found out my baby didn't have a heartbeat last week. My baby stopped growing at 8 weeks. The whole family was so excited that the cousins would be 7 months apart (I was due in MarcH) and once I learned last week that my baby no longer had a heartbeat there was a huge sense of loss that unless I get pregnant again right away, I too, am disappointed by the age gap that will be between the cousins now. I know it's not the same as siblings, but I just wanted to tell you that your thoughts are normal.

Tussie Mussie

eggmankate:

Oh my goodness. I'm so so so sorry to hear this. I'm not understanding all the medical jargon you said, but was the "hemotoma" the reason for all these complications or is there no real reason why this happened?

I just had a D/C this morning and so far everything is going OK which is why my heart is breaking for you. I know you are worried and feeling a huge wave of all sorts of emotions, but I really think that you WILL be able to have another baby. Our bodies have the amazing capacity to heal and your body will heal despite the missing artery. Your body knows how to compensate for a loss and it will figure out how to adapt without that artery. I really truly believe that.

I know this isn't the same thing, but my sister had a baby on the same day I found out my baby didn't have a heartbeat last week. My baby stopped growing at 8 weeks. The whole family was so excited that the cousins would be 7 months apart (I was due in MarcH) and once I learned last week that my baby no longer had a heartbeat there was a huge sense of loss that unless I get pregnant again right away, I too, am disappointed by the age gap that will be between the cousins now. I know it's not the same as siblings, but I just wanted to tell you that your thoughts are normal.

I'm sorry for your loss, but glad your procedure seems to have worked well. I wish you a speedy recovery. Having a new baby in the family must be both a blessing and a curse right now.

 A hematoma is just a big blood clot. They called in a GYN cancer doctor because they thought I had some sort of mass, but thankfully it was just the blood clot. I had a drain put in that took care of the excess blood from that and it got removed right before I left the hospital. The bleeding was unexplained, and the puncture they think was from a weak spot in my uterus from my CSection. It's just one of those things that CAN happen, but doesn't usually. Before the procedure they play down the risk because it doesn't happen very often, then after of course they are like "Well there was always a risk".  

eggmankate

....and even though the risk is rare, it's 100% when it happens to you

Shanpan4

I don't have any advice but I am so sorry what happened and wish you a speedy recovery!