I can only speak from my experience, which is most likely going to be at least somewhat different from yours, but it’s something anyway.
I have been spotting since last Saturday. My doctor says I could continue to spot for another 2 weeks or so. For some reference, my levels last Monday were in the 500s but have quickly dropped since then.
I have had lots of cramping but that may be related at least in part to the Methotrexate they gave me to help dissolve the ectopic. I felt really crappy the day after I got that.
TMI ALERT!!
The cramping was pretty bad but nothing a Percocet or two couldn’t handle. Please be careful if you are prescribed Percocet or anything along those lines. It tends to uh stop things up. I didn’t go from Monday until Saturday and only after taking a strong laxative/stool softener. I think that caused more pain than the actual ectopic did! If you get Percocet you may want to consider talking to your doctor about taking it with a stool softener. It won’t make you go just make it easier to go when you do.
OK. TMI over now.
Now, just about 1 week after finding out about the ectopic and being treated for it I’m just starting to feel more “normal” physically. Emotionally is another matter altogether but that gets a little better each day. As long as we have the pregnancy hormone in our body that can wreak havoc with our system as well. It’s like having the Baby Blues but without the joy of a baby.
As I was initially going through this I found a lot of solace on the web. Here is a great site that has a lot of answers to commonly asked questions about miscarriage along with some gentle advice. Of course your doctor’s advice would trump anything on any website but it’s a nice place to start. It’s pregnancyloss.info.
Please don’t be afraid to call your doctor with any questions you may have. Don’t feel like you have to wait for an office visit. My doctor’s nurse has been wonderful about calling me back and gently answering all of my questions no matter how weird or stupid I may think the questions are.
Aw hell, what a roller-coaster ride. I’m so sorry :(. I’m glad I read the whole thread, was about to pop in with ill-timed CONGRATS then I read further down.
I guess the low hCG levels were why you got varying results on the tests. I know with one of my very-early miscarriages the pee-stick barely showed a positive at all.
True. With my second miscarriage - which barely lasted long enough to test positive - they monitored the hCG until it was pretty close to zero because the behavior was such that it might have been ectopic. With the first one (pre-Dweezil), I went enough further, and they could see the sac or whatever via ultrasound, that ectopic wasn’t an issue.
The bleeding, this early on, will probably be pretty much like a regular period. I think I had another miscarriage, years earlier, with a pregnancy that went a few weeks longer. No proof - but I’d had a much-lighter-than-usual period about the time I was “due”, then 3 weeks later the Period From Hell started (as in, ruined clothing). In hindsight, the light period was a lot like things happened with every documented pregnancy - either implantation bleeding or just the body not quite figuring out that it didn’t need to do THAT that month.
Thank you so much for the link, that site has been really helpful, especially their descriptions of what can happen and what to expect.
Yesterday the levels were down to 36 and this morning I started bleeding, which is good in a way 'cause I’d much rather go through this naturally than have a D&C. They didn’t offer me anything for the pain, so I’m just taking advils and hopefully that’ll be enough. The cramping has been moderately painful, but I’ll keep my eye on it and call in if needed.
Though now I’m realizing I have more questions for the doctors, like when to start on BC again and when it’s safe to have sex again, stuff like that.
And in a way there’s a positive to this whole experience, too. It helped me realize that I’m pretty ready for kid #2, so we can start trying for real once I’m healed and hopefully I can get in better shape to prep for a VBAC.
Elysium, I’ve been reading your thread with great interest, as I’ve had babies on my mind, too. I’m very sorry you are on this emotional roller coaster, and sorry for your discomfort. I’ve no fitting words of consolation to offer; this sucks, of that I’m sure. But you seem very calm and reasonable for someone who must be battling a boatload of raging hormones. I’m kind of proud of a stranger for rationalizing this turn of events and planning for a healthy future. You are a strong woman.
Thank you so much, it means a lot to me to hear those words. It’s been a really tough week and I can’t thank everyone who responded to this thread enough, both for the initial congrats and reassurances and the eventual condolences.
The Dope can really be a very supportive place when you need it to be.
Elysium I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through.
I do hope you want for the breast ultrasound as well and that it was ok too.
Thinking good thoughts for a rapid recovery, both physically and mentally.
