In this blog post, I’m going to share with you my story and experience with…
Blighted Ovum, Emergency D&C, Laparotomy, and Salpingo-Oopherectomy
… all within about 60 days
Here is this story in video format if you prefer!
HOW IT ALL STARTED…
I found out I was pregnant on Memorial Day. Initially, I was filled with peace. But fear crept in the following days. I started telling friends and family even though it was early because #1) I wanted the extra prayers/support, and #2) I wanted to validate this baby’s existence, no matter the outcome.
Our first ultrasound came around 8 weeks, and somehow, I knew it wouldn’t go well. Not only did it reveal an empty gestational sac, but also a large cyst of unknown origin that needed taken care of.
Being filled with fear and grief and unknown for weeks straight was torture. AND this all happened around the due date of the first baby we lost…. so many emotions.
We didn’t find the right doctor until 2 weeks later, and by a month after our first ultrasound, my body still hadn’t released the empty gestational sac growing inside me. Finally, a month and and a day after that first confusing and dreaded ultrasound, my body released the gestational sac at around 12 weeks…. which all seemed fine, until an hour later. My body was near hemorrhaging, and I was almost fainting with each visit to the bathroom. At my OBGYN’s discretion, my family took me to the emergency room. There I passed out in the hallway after a trip to the bathroom with my husband, and a few hours later ended up having an emergency D&C to stop the bleeding.
As traumatic and scary as that day was, God was still in a lot of the details.
1) My mom was home and able to come over and monitor me and phone my doctor and keep Brian updated
2) Brian was able to rush home and get there just in time to help me into the car to get to the ER
3) The hospital staff was fantastic. Super sweet and kind
4) My doctor just happened to already be at the hospital that day. So he was able to find me, update me, and do my surgery. That was a huge blessing.
5) I’m glad it all happened fast and that the surgery just had to happen so I didn’t have to dwell on it and dread it. It was definitely for the best for me emotionally.
The following days I was very weak, and it took me a week or 2 to recover and regain my strength. But we still had the cyst to deal with….
LAPAROTOMY/SALPINGO-OOPHERECTOMY EXPERIENCE
I ended up having to wait another 5 weeks for the cyst removal surgery/laparotomy. It was a long several weeks of taking more tests and awaiting the results. The incision was about 4” long, the cyst was about 12x24 cm, and about 33 oz of fluid was drained from it during surgery. Unfortunately, the cyst had completely engulfed my ovary and majority of my fallopian tube, so they had to be removed.
Me a couple hours after surgery
Prep:
Took several YL supplements to boost my body before hand. Those supplements included:
Life 9- probiotic to keep my gut functioning properly
NingXia Red- full body support
Inner Defense- immunity
Week leading up to surgery I drank raw organic juices from Nourish Wellness Bar
Recovery:
Allerzyme to keep things moving 💩
Ningxia Red to support your entire body
I do recommend using ice packs around your incision as much as possible. 3 nights post op I went to bed without one and I was sore that morning, didn’t sleep well, and the incision starting itching. I think the ice helps a lot.
You’re gonna really appreciate night gowns/sleep shirts and high waisted panties. Trust me!
Day of and day after were the hardest. Getting up and down was painful, so much so that I dreaded needing to use the restroom. I needed help moving, and getting up and down constantly.
By day 3 I was able to get off the couch on my own.
By day 4 I was able to get out of bed on my own.
By day 5, I felt more normal. Moving around came with very minimal discomfort, and I was even able to get in and out of bed on my own.
By day 6, I was tired but not really sore. Doc took my steri strips off and replaced them with a few fresh ones and some glue, but said it looked really good.
SCAR/INCISION CARE
I started using a Scar Roller filled with skin supporting and healing essential oils and Vitamin E around the incision and steristrip area 6 days after surgery when doc put a few fresh strips on. Each week after, I added a new Young Living product to my care routine. I used Claraderm, Tender Tush, Rose Ointment, and Regenolone.
THINGS PEOPLE DID FOR US THAT WE APPRECIATED
brought us food! I mean, I’ll never turn down free food and the excuse not to cook! But this was greatly appreciated!
I also had my mom and friend volunteer to clean and help with laundry and that was a huge blessing, especially since I wasn’t really able to do those things due to restrictions.
Texted to check-in- people just asking how I was doing and for daily updates made me feel remembered and prayed for, and that means a lot to me!
GOD IS GOOD…
Let me tell you about the amazing doctor God gave us.
You see, we found about the cyst and blighted ovum the Friday of 4th of July weekend. I called so many places and they either wouldn't help or only suggested the emergency room. I reached out to an acquaintance of mine I met through Young Living. A few months prior, she had mentioned to me that her husband was an OBGYN and my husband had done some landscaping work for him. I reached out to her that weekend to see if her husband’s office could be of any help. Even though they were on vacation, Dr. Alford personally reached out to me a few times that weekend to offer help, advice, and to just check in. He was the only person who made me feel like someone cared. He walked through the next 3 months with us…. Respected my wishes, performed my emergency D&C, and my laparotomy/salpingo-oopherectomy. He even prayed with us moments before I was wheeled back for my latest surgery, which meant that absolute world to us. We are so thankful God put him in our path.
VULNERABILITY- How this miscarriage effected my emotions
I spent 6 weeks thinking and believing I was pregnant.... because that's what my body and the pregnancy tests kept telling me. How could I have known that my body never actually produced a baby? How cruel of my body to lead my to believe I was 8 weeks pregnant, only to reveal an empty gestational sac on the first ultrasound. I'm not quite sure how to cope with this.... sure, there might not have been an actual embryo there, but I spent so many weeks believing I had a baby inside me and sharing the news with friends and family. And also, life begins at conception, so I did lose a baby. Truth is, I almost feel dumb for believing my body.... I'm not sure I could trust it ever again. Especially since this is the 2nd time my heart has been broken…. Miscarriage sucks.
THINGS THAT HELPED….
This time, I immediately bought myself some special reminders of this baby, including a nice necklace with the February birthstone, as well as 3 charms from Origami Owl: Pregnancy Loss ribbon, July & February birthstone to remember my 2 babies in heaven.
I also really enjoyed time away from home to keep my mind off everything. I went out with friends, treated myself to shopping and a movie one day, and also got my hair done.
The book that helped me TREMENDOUSLY through this time was It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst. Every word was exactly how I was feeling, and everything I read was encouraging. Chapter 3 specifically opened up my heart after days and weeks of feeling like God had abandoned me.
My top essential oils to help me emotionally were Acceptance and Surrender. After my ER visit and emergency surgery, I used Trauma Life.
So, this was my experience. It sucked, but we learned a lot. If you’re reading this, it could be for a few reasons.
If you’re reading this because you love and care about me- thank you <3
If you’re reading this because you’re going through a blighted ovum, I’m so sorry. It sucks, and it’s so confusing. I pray you find something encouraging here and remember that you’re not alone.
If you’re reading this because you’re preparing for a laparotomy or salpingo-oopherectomy- hang in there! The first few days are the toughest, but you’ll survive, friend!