Adrianna's story
In 2021, I suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. It was traumatic and scary. At the time, I didn’t even know what that was, what my body was doing, or the fact that I was minutes away from dying. I had found out I was pregnant the night before, very happy in my world. But something seemed wrong. I had a niggling pain in my side that I ignored for a few days because ‘it wasn’t that bad’. When I knew I was pregnant, I called 111 (an urgent medical help and advice line in the UK) and explained the pain I was feeling. They said that I would be okay and to take paracetamol – when I did that, all hell broke loose.
I felt a pain I couldn’t explain, my belly started swelling, every breath I tried to take became more difficult, and I started to lose my vision. We called 999, and because I am very strong-willed and was AWAKE and TALKING, I was not a priority. It would have been a seven-hour wait for an ambulance – little did I know that if I had waited, I wouldn’t be here today.
We were told to go to an urgent treatment centre. I couldn’t walk or see, and all my body wanted me to do was go to the toilet. I had to wait to be seen. At this point, I couldn’t sit down, I had to lie on the floor. It took that for staff to rush me through, and when I got into a cubicle, I was sick. The doctor took one look at me, and I don’t know what happened, but the next minute I was being blue-lighted to hospital and a crash team was waiting for me.
A doctor said to my partner at the time, “I don’t know how she is still awake.” One Fallopian tube down and a blood transfusion later (thank you to anyone who gives blood), I woke up to a gynaecologist saying, “She should be walking, and she can go.” Completely disregarded.
I know the NHS is overwhelmed, and I am grateful for all the staff working that evening who helped me – they were truly amazing. However, my experience with some people, in parts, was quite awful. I say this because I don’t want anyone to ever feel like I did. I want people to be aware of their bodies and what can happen. I want people to have the strength to advocate for themselves, to never feel like their voice is ‘silly’ or that what they are thinking or feeling is wrong.
If something doesn’t feel right, GET CHECKED OUT. Don’t put it off because you don’t think your problem is important enough, it is. It could cost you your life.
I want to help people who have gone through, or are going through, what I did. I want people to know there is so much more beyond the initial pain and hurt of such a traumatic experience. Life gets better, and you can build yourself up again to become stronger. Be kind to yourself and know that your feelings are valid. I live my life how I believe life should be lived now, every day is a holiday, a gift. All because I had a fleeting glimpse of how quickly it can be taken away from me, without even knowing what is going on.
One of the ways I’m doing so is by raising awareness, it is so important Nobody should feel lost, alone, not knowing what is going on. That’s why the work that The EPT do is so, so, so important to raise awareness. Not only do they inform, but they offer their support. They offer a kind ear that listens with no judgement, and they help you work through what you have been through.
That is why I decided to take on the National 3 Peaks Challenge to raise money and awareness for The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust.
It was HARD, but amazing knowing why I was doing it and who for. On peak one I fell onto rocks on my knees, still recovering a few weeks later! But carried on, a bit like life really, it gives you blows but it’s how you move forward that counts.
From my heart to yours, chase the hearts, keep going!
Adrianna x
Thank you, Adrianna, for your powerful story, your strength, and your generosity. You’re helping others feel less alone and making sure that more people understand what an ectopic pregnancy is, and why every second counts.
If Adrianna has inspired you to take on a challenge of your own and support our work, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our fundraising page, or get in touch with our Fundraising and Campaigns Co-ordinator, Kerri, who’s always happy to help and guide you: kerri@ectopic.org.uk