An ectopic pregnancy with complications

23 Jan 2025 | By Kerri

After having my children relatively young, more kids were never really on the cards, but it was also a “never say never” situation. I had various contraceptive implants for almost 15 years which meant my periods could often go from being regular and then erratic. I had a period at the beginning of May, then didn’t have one until the end of June, but in between that time, I experienced painful bloating that subsided after a few days.  

In July, we went on a two-week family holiday to Florida. Two days in, after coming off an amusement ride, I had a pain in my stomach and felt like I needed to go to the toilet. I very quickly felt sick and dizzy and broke out in a sweat. I thought I was going to pass out. The pain was excruciating but subsided relatively quickly. I was uncomfortable for most of the day, and at night I had a strange pain in my shoulder (I even Googled heart attack symptoms in women). I went to sleep, and I felt generally unwell for the next few days.  

As the holiday went on, I became extremely constipated, but with an American diet, I put it down to this and the heat. The stomach pains would come and go, but I linked this to being constipated. I decided I would call the doctors on my return from the holiday after the weekend. I returned to work and felt okay.  

During my second day at work, I started to get a sore stomach, and it wasn’t going away. Within 30 minutes, I was doubled over in agony, retching and sweating. I called the doctor, who advised me to come in. She examined me and did a pregnancy test, which was negative, but as my stomach felt tender, she sent me to the hospital in case it was my appendix.  

I went to the emergency department and had tests done, I was extremely shocked to be told the pregnancy test they did was positive. They wanted to check my hCG levels (a hormone produced during pregnancy) and do a scan. A level of urgency suddenly ensued.  

The scan showed a 6cm mass outside the womb, but they couldn’t see what it was attached to, and the texture did not seem right. They weren’t sure what this meant. They checked my blood for tumour markers, as there can be a tumour that secretes the pregnancy hormone, so they wanted to rule that out. At this point, the doctors weren’t sure if it was an ectopic pregnancy, as I was on the implant, had a period, and no bleeding or other symptoms. The pain once again had gone, and I was left bloated.  

After three nights in hospital, multiple blood tests, scans, and lots of worry, the doctor decided the best thing to do was operate to see what was going on and remove the mass. She knew there wasn’t a pregnancy in the womb but was concerned that I was having an ectopic pregnancy plus something else. At this point, I felt okay and was not in pain, but the doctor called me “a conundrum.”  

I have never been so scared in all my life. The operation ended up being three hours, as it was a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in my left Fallopian tube. It had been bleeding and clotting (the doctor thinks it initially ruptured in Florida), and my bowel had wrapped itself around it (hence the constipation and 6cm mass showing on scans). They had to get a bowel surgeon to unwrap this before removing the pregnancy, the ruptured Fallopian tube, my left ovary, and my other Fallopian tube due to future risk. This means I will never be able to naturally conceive should I want to.  

The doctor said my bowel encapsulating the ruptured Fallopian tube meant I had been able to continue my holiday in America and avoid needing surgery there – or even worse. The doctor advised this was a chronic ectopic pregnancy, and she had seen a similar situation six years ago.  

It’s a very strange feeling to be pretty sure your family is complete, to then find out you’re pregnant, and then also not be, with a test for cancer in between – as well as having the ability to conceive naturally taken away. I have been so unlucky in some ways and incredibly lucky in others.  

The “what ifs” and emotional healing have been tough. I can’t bear to think about what could’ve happened in America. It has really made me think twice about going to the doctor and listening to my body when something isn’t right.  

I don’t know anyone whom this has happened to, so this has been quite a lonely, isolating experience. I hope that someone gets comfort from this story, as I have from reading others. 

If I could say one thing...

Take your time to process and heal the physical and emotional scars. It’s easy to focus on the physical recovery, but it’s ok to feel sad and mourn the loss of an unplanned baby or your fertility.

Thank you to FD for sharing her experience. If you would like to share your experience of ectopic pregnancy, please visit our guide for more information.            

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