What my life was like at that time.
Three weeks after my D&C with miscarriage #4 I was rushed to the Emergency Room!
During those 3 weeks between the D&C and Emergency Room visit I had experienced many strange symptoms. My pains and aches had been diagnosed previously as “gas bubbles” so I thought the discomfort was digestive trace issues. I had researched and implemented gut healing foods, but no resolution yet. I just kept thinking I needed more time to recover and heal my gut.
Two days before my Emergency Room visit, I was attending a church finance group discussion. When suddenly I felt a very uncomfortable and noticeable ache in my lower left abdomen. The ache started like a mild irritation that I brushed off by moving around in my seat. Then grow to be a more uncomfortable. I left the room and walked the halls. I tried to use the bathroom, lay on the floor, and drink water all failed attempts to stop the growing ache. I made it as far as the couch, before feeling so dizzy walking became hard, and I felt faint.
As I lay there I had so many thoughts racing through my mind. How am I going to get home? If I lay here long enough I can drive myself home? But just trying to sit up I was quickly given my answer… I needed help.
Not long later a couple came walking by and was an answer to prayer. The wife drove me home and the husband followed in his car. They helped me inside and brought me dinner the next day. Did I mention I had never met them before? I will forever be grateful for their kindness.
My wonderful husband wanted to take me to the Emergency Room that night but I told him I know what the problem was….. “gas bubbles”. Well I felt exactly the same as I did last time I experiences the symptoms (Miscarriage 4 Part 1) and the doctors told me it was “gas bubbles”. So, I sent my husband for the strong stool softeners and waited.
It was another long night of waiting to have a bowel movement. The lightning bolt should pain began again. My husband held my hand at one point, very concerned, but again I reassured him I would feel better soon.
Thursday I slept a lot and took it easy around the house and the pain simmered a bit that night. During the early morning hours I remember feebly walking up and down the halls thinking once I have this bowel movement I will feel so much better. Ha
Friday morning I had success with a bowel movement and I did feel a little bit better. I still didn’t have much of an appetite, felt yucky, and tired. I called my doctors office and described my discomfort. They told me to monitor my food and bowels with a journal then call back in a few weeks. I called a gastro-intestinal doctor and they couldn’t see me without a referral. I was trying to solve this mystery pain?
Around noon I was walking into my room when, boom, I was hit with sever pain in my lower left abdomen, became very lightheaded, and weak. As I slowly hobbled past my bathroom mirror I will never forget the reflection starting back at me. A white ghost, hunched over, and a face full of pain. I said to myself “something is definitely not right.”
I called my husband and told him my symptoms had worsted and he needed to take me to the Emergency Room.
As I laid in pain waiting for my husband the 3 year old began to climb all over me. I tried to tell him mommy had an owie and to not touch my abdomen. If you a have kids you know they love to jump on you as soon as you lay down. I face-timed my mom to update her and have her entertain the 3 year old. She kept asking me if I was conscious. I never lost consciousness but I was focusing on working through the pain and just waiting for help. (Symptoms in that moment: intense abdomen pain all over, the beginning of lightning bolt pain to my shoulder, weak, lightheaded, and a little nauseous.)
Soon help arrived! My husband scooped me up and carried me to the car. A family member arrived to tend the 4 kids I was leaving at home.
Once in the Emergency Room they began asking me many questions, taking a blood sample, and putting in an IV (about 3 pokes to get my IV in). From the blood work results the doctor ordered an ultrasound.
The ultrasound tech was very friendly and experienced. He asked about the baby. I said there is no baby and told him about my D&C 3 weeks previous. He grew quiet, scanned my abdomen, asked a few more questions, then in an urgent voice said I need to speak with the on call OB I will be right back.
Not long later the OB came in. He began to push around on my abdomen and wanted me to tell him where it hurt. Well once he pushed on my lower left abdomen I almost jumped out of that hospital bed!!! Ouch!!! That’s when he told me the OFFICAL diagnosis.
My OFFICIAL diagnosis, that was not “gas bubbles”, but a Hidden Ectopic Pregnancy!!! Crazy!
YES, a Hidden TWIN?!?!?!
(I like to call that baby a trouble-maker.)
How was the Ectopic Pregnancy missed? I had had 3 ultrasounds, 1 X-ray, and all the pre-symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. We are still puzzled.
My doctor clarified my diagnosis to the fancy title of Heterotopic Pregnancy! That’s the presents of multiple gestations with one being present in the uterine cavity and the other outside of the uterine cavity. This happens naturally in about 1 in 30,000 pregnancies.
Guess what the symptoms are: abnormal vaginal bleeding, bloating, dizziness, fainting, mild to sever abdominal pain, nausea, pain in the side, and shoulder pain. Hum… they solved my gut problem!
How I dealt with the physical loss. (Emergency Surgery)
Prepping for emergency surgery I was poked several times before an IV was successful. This was to get the second IV in. They said two IV’s are needed for Emergency Surgery.
Surgery took 2 hours!
(My husband said it was the longest 2 hours of his life.)
The doctor removed 1 Liter of blood from my abdomen. My left fallopian tube was destroyed. There were several blood clots meaning I had been bleeding for a while.
The next 12 hours after surgery I slept a lot. My doctor asked how I was feeling. I told him the yucky feeling in my body was gone, even though I had to recover from surgery I felt better than I had in weeks. It was a long time with a lot of yucky going on.
My hemoglobin was at a 6, so low I was given 2 blood transfusions in order to be above the minimum limit of 7 the hospital would allow for discharge. (Thank you for blood donors.) My doctor wanted to prescribe me at least 2 more bags but couldn’t due to the supply of the small town I live in. This added to a longer physical recovery. (Discharged with hemoglobin of 7.6, yes I felt very fatigued!)
Funny story. When I was being discharged my husband came to pick me up from the hospital, I asked him where are my clothes?
In the crazy hustle of the Emergency Room entrance my clothes ended up in a bag at home. So he bought me a new comfy outfit, which I ended up wearing a lot the next few months.
The recovery from this event was very, very, long!
First, I want to give a shout out to my mom and mother-in-law who did all that they could to take care of our family during that time! Flying to stay with us for over a week. Then flying my kids to their home for 2 weeks while I healed. The grand parents, dad, father-in-law, siblings, friends, and community that reached out with kind words, meals, childcare, gifts, and any gesture of love. I am forever grateful!
I was happy to be back home. My body was very fatigued working overtime to replenish the blood loss, heal the incision sights, and mentally process what had happened. During this time I slept a lot, ate high protein foods, stayed hydrated with electrolytes, and researched the needed vitamins to help replenish.
Walking was slow and thought out. My balance was okay only with slow motions. Sitting in a chair my head would spin if not resting against something, so my handy recliner became my best friend.
At one point I tried to read a book and the metal effort to focus on the words was exhausting (crazy I know!), so I watched lots of movies.
6 weeks post-recovery my incisions had healed, my internal inflammation went down, the pelvic pain was all but gone. Small accomplishments but worth the mention! During this time I remember finishing some task around the house and becoming overwhelmed with fatigue! I began to cry thinking, “How long will it take for me to recover my strength?”
Looking back now I can say after loosing 1 Liter of blood and receiving 2 blood transfusions, my body took 4 months (February to May) to recover physically. When I say recover I mean I could do my normal activities without feeling overwhelming fatigue.
My GIFT from GOD
I was gifted this succulent during Miscarriage #4.
Over the next few months of my recovery one long arm grew, then one flower, then two, then three.
Then to my surprise the last small arm split revealing two flower buds!
These flowers matched my miscarriages perfectly (to that point in my journey). I knew God was aware of me!
How I dealt with the emotional loss.
By May I was physically back to my normal energy levels, but my emotional recovery was still ongoing.
How do I explain my struggle?
It was quiet, a lingering feeling of sadness, like a dark shadow still hanging over me. No one could see. I was back to full activity, but my emotions regarding this miscarriage where still processing and weighing heavy on me.
I cried, prayed, wrote in my journal, looked for the good, talked to others, reflected on the entire experience, and kept busy to allow time to pass…
One.Day.At.A.Time.
As mentioned in Miscarriage #4 Part 1 these tools helped me process…
- It okay to ask why?
- It’s okay to be sad.
- It’s okay to talk about it.
>>> Access this FREE download that will walk you through simple, repeatable, practices I personally used during my 5 miscarriage recoveries.
Just like the phrase “live like you were dying” I went into summer ready to live. We traveled, visited friends, and spent time in my hometown. I lived. I found happiness in my relationship with others and celebrating life together.
My dark shadow dimmed. I could now wrap up miscarriage number 4 healing beginning to end, December to June.
Yes. The hurt is still there, but not hanging over me. Just a part of me.
- Journey Of 5 Miscarriages
- Miscarriage #1
- Miscarriage #2
- Miscarriage #3
- Miscarriage #4 Part 1
- Miscarriage # 4 Part 2
- Miscarriage #5
Hello Friend! I’m Chantell…
Wife, Mother of 5 earthly & 6 heavenly babies, and love God. I blog about Motherhood. Read More