Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A whole lot of suck going on- ectopic questions

I'm sorry I've had trouble updating the community here and the "Who Shot my Stork?" But the last month has been crazy. I went through my IVF, had two perfect 8 cells. Started to feel symptoms in the 2ww. Tested early and my hpt was negative. Tested again and had 3 positive hpts. Beta #1 was only a 14, and I knew that was bad news. I was devastated. I tried to make my peace with it.

Beta #2 was 4 days later and it was a 36. So, we thought it's over for real now, we tried to make our peace with it finally.

Beta #3 was 4 days later and the number quadrupled to a 160. We all admitted confusion and wait to see what was going on.

The day after Beta 3 I started spotting, and 3 days later I bled a lot, with clots. I had some wine that night, took some Advil, told friends who knew it was over. We cried and made our peace with it AGAIN as best we could.

Beta #4 was 4 days later and my beta is now a 552. My uterus is still clear, but it would be you usually can't see a sac until it's closer to 1000. They told me they were concerned about progesterone (why? Isn't this over???) and to double my dose. They aren't sure whether it is:

- an ectopic (still not visible)
- a miscarriage (betas still haven't come down somehow)
- small chance of viability- how with passing of clots I don't know. It would have to be a miracle in my opinion. Lots of people are posing the "lost twin", i just don't know and of course don't want to hope for something soooo far off.

But after going through so much, I can't think it's anything but over and hoping it's NOT an ectopic.

I have heard some of you ladies have had an ectopic in the past?? At what point, does it start becoming dangerous? I mean, it can't rupture a tube if my beta is still only in the hundreds, and if they can't see it yet, correct? My doc scheduled my next scan and bloods for Thursday. They do not feel it's dangerous yet, but told me to be on the lookout of course.

This just plain old, flat out, SUCKS. It is the most draining and maddening part of my fertility experience so far (and that's saying something, after 2 other m/c's and 2 other IVF's.) I just want to be able to move on, and even that can't happen.

Any advice is appreciated...Thanks for listening to my tale of woe. I am not the miracle child of IVF, sadly.

7 comments:

  1. I've been keeping up with you on your blog and this whole situation is heartbreaking. It totally sucks that you're still in limbo and can't be truly optimistic or truly grieve.

    I hope Thursday brings you some answers, at least.

    We're here for you.

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  2. I've also been following the blog and can't give you any answers. No one can tell for sure yet, but I also hope you get some answers at the next appt. I had an ectopic that was beginning to rupture the tube many years ago. It was a spontaneous pregnancy so I wasn't being followed until the pain started at about 8 weeks. I don't know what my beta #'s were then because they were never checked. I ended up having both tubes removed. My only advice is to go to the ER if you start having constant pain. Don't wait to see if it gets worse.

    As far as the beta's, it’s so hard to say what will happen. If it's not viable the best solution is that you've already started to miscarry. If it is viable the extra progesterone should help. The PIO shots were not fun, but I liked the security of knowing there was lots of progesterone in my system. IMO it seems more difficult to ensure you get enough progesterone from the suppositories.

    Last October, after my 2nd IVF I had an initial beta of 9.25; however, after two days it went up to 52. They told me I was pregnant. I was ecstatic. They did not do another beta for 10 days, but the number only went up to 636. We were devastated. The Dr. told us the pregnancy was probably not viable but to continue the shots and scheduled another beta 5 days later. Then, at 28dpo the beta was 2643. Once again we got our hopes up. They finally did an u/s and found a gest sac and a yolk sac but no fetal pole. After a few more weeks of uncertainty and several u/s they told us it was a blighted ovum. I ended up having to have a d&c.

    I know what you are going through right now is hard and so unfair. I’ve been there. I pray you end up with a miracle and that you get some answers soon.

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  3. i'm so sorry about what you're going through. the limbo of not knowing what will happen is the WORST. i've been through a chemical, but your story is more complicated. i hope that the story becomes more conclusive - with a real pregnancy - but if it does end up being an ectopic, i pray that you catch it early. like sillydotty says, be on the look out for pain, particularly if it's localized to one side. best of luck. you'll be in my thoughts.

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  4. Thanks everyone. No pain, I am on constant lookout for it as a matter of fact.

    Also, now I am on freaking progesterone pills. I started out with PIO, and then suppositories (because my progesterone was too high) and now I am on Prometrium. So weird. I would rather be on the damn PIO. One and done. Now I am taking 4 pills a day, each one more depressing than the next.

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  5. Shit. I'm so very sorry. I have had two (technically) ectopic pregnancies. I had zero symptoms up until the point it was dangerous. I had already had the MTX shot. Keep on them to check the tubes and get more betas at shorter intervals. The shot itself is no big deal, other than a few stinging buttcheeks, but getting put on hold as the MTX jacks your folic acid and eggs puts a dent in things. I am really, really hoping that it's not ectopic. Email me at auntmisfit(delete this bit)@gmail.com if you have any questions. Again, I'm really just sorry that this is happening to you.

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  6. Glass Case, I had an EP with betas doubling normally (40, 83, 285). Then, nothing on the first u/s with a beta of 1,300 at this point. They told me to wait a week to do another beta, so I did. I didn't realize that it was really dangerous at this time. My beta went up to 4,000 or something like that - borderline for MTX to even work. My symptoms - I had a strange burning in my uterus and some spotting (told it could be ok for a normal pg). I don't know if it was the meds or just my body telling me something was wrong.

    Though they never located it in my tube, my betas kept rising (over 5,000!), but nothing in the uterus and a dilated tube. I had to have three rounds of MTX to treat it. Thankfully, mine did not rupture (I was around 6wk).

    Please, if you start to feel bad AT ALL, go back in to RE or the ER. Or if your betas jump crazy high.

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  7. Thank you so much for the comment you left me today! I am really moved by your situation right now and am wishing you all the best for some answers. I can't offer you any help, but I do offer you all my good thoughts and support!

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