Ectopic Pregnancy – A Woman’s Worst Nightmare Became My Reality
An ectopic pregnancy is a nightmare that many women experience but rarely speak about, making it something which is often misunderstood.
No one imagines that one day you discover that you are pregnant and then you are rushing to the emergency room with a life-threatening condition. Especially, when you’ve had a normal pregnancy and delivery before.
Ectopic pregnancy is a condition that most people do not realize they have as the only way to find out about it is when you have extreme cramping with bleeding. Only an ultrasound can reveal it in the early stages, but as most women are not recommended one in the early weeks of pregnancy, there is really no way to find out. Also called an extrauterine pregnancy, it is caused when a fertilized egg grows outside a woman’s uterus, somewhere else in her belly and most commonly in the fallopian tube.
My experience of ectopic pregnancy was no different. Life was mundane until I found out that I’m pregnant through a home pregnancy kit and then via blood work for confirmation. It was like a ray of hope after almost a gap of 9 years. I started dreaming about the baby. The very idea of having a baby after such a long wait was in itself exciting. I was being extra cautious at all times.
It all started around the sixth week of my pregnancy. I had severe cramping on my right side. Shortly after that, I started bleeding and ended up in the emergency room. An ultrasound was recommended as my blood work showed a normal pregnancy.
As soon as the results came in, the doctor informed me that it’s an ectopic pregnancy and we have to remove it as it’s life-threatening. I did know about this condition and had never imagined that something like this would happen to me. I was in a state of shock and could barely talk as my eyes welled up. I saw all my happiness change into despair, confusion, and nervousness. I thought about my ten-year-old son who always wanted a sibling.
Preparations were made for the surgery as the gynecologist had explained that it was the better option. Taking methotrexate injection is a very slow process without confirmation that the ectopic pregnancy will be terminated.
Before the surgery, I was a totally different person. Now, I think we should never ever take our health, our family, and all the time we spend with them for granted. It made me realize that every day we complain about minor things in life that don’t even matter, but when you are in the emergency room and waiting for a surgery to be done, all you want is to be healthy and walking on your own feet again, hugging your kids and family and being grateful that you’re alive to see another sunshine, another day, and a ray of hope that everything will get better soon.
That was all that I wanted when I was in the hospital, waiting for discharge. Nothing else mattered anymore. Though the loss will be there with me forever, it will always make me a stronger person who would see things more positively rather than complaining about minor things in life.
To all the women out there, I would just say, always monitor your symptoms in the first few weeks of your pregnancy even if it requires a couple of more visits to the doctor. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition and can happen to anyone, even if you’re healthy and have had a normal pregnancy before.
Women are stronger than we think. No matter what happens we will always be strong for ourselves, for our kids, and our family. It’s still a long way to recovery for me, not just physically but mentally too. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed and never losing hope and positivity ever.
