The Longest 48 Hours

Intended to Post July 22, 2015.

I'm writing this post while not-so-patiently waiting  to take a blood test tomorrow morning. Again, writing is my therapy and that is why I'm telling this story.

My baby girl Caitlyn has turned into an active toddler and everything is fine with her.  However, this turmoil all started on Sunday night.

I began having extreme pains on Sunday night in my abdomen.  It was like a strong contraction that didn't let up for an hour.  I was terrified, but I didn't want to wake up Caitlyn to go to the ER.  I rode it out until the pain started to dull down (not go away).  In the morning, I thought that maybe I should take a pregnancy test to make sure this wasn't related to a pregnancy.  It came back positive.  I was in a bit of shock and worry because of the pain that I had.  I called my OBGYN immediately and was told that I needed to be seen.

My nurse practioner greeted me with a "congratulations" and scheduled an ultrasound. She did an exam and everything seemed fine.  I went to my ultrasound appointment with my husband, and that is when things started to take a turn.  The ultrasound tech didn't say a word the entire time.  We had had this tech before with Caitlyn and she had spoke more then.  I could see her highlighting my ovaries and blue, red, and yellow highlighting the screen.  I remembered this was a sign of blood from when they check that blood is flowing through a baby's heart.  I still didn't know that this was a problem.  The ultrasound tech told us that it may be too early to see the baby as she wasn't able to spot the baby.  Again, worrisome.

That night I just told myself that they would be scheduling another ultrasound later in which we would see the baby.  However, these thoughts were interrrupted by a late phone call by a doctor that I'd never spoken to before.  He had been the doctor who received our ultrasound report. He was unable to mask his worry as he told me that I needed to get a blood test in the morning and to report to my OBGYN the very next day. Knowing about ectopic pregnancies through my mother, I asked if that was a worry.  He answered with a "yes".

The next day I called my OBGYN and asked for a nurse.  I needed to know whether I needed to come in right away or whether I should wait for the series of blood tests (two would be needed-48 hours apart).  The nurse said to wait the 48 hours.  She later called back after talking to my doctor who wanted to see me that day.

I had my blood test done right away carting Caitlyn around on my hip.  Then off to the doctor's office. She sat  me down with the ultrasound report.  The piece of information that I was missing- I had internal bleeding around my ovaries.  The doctor had three guesses- 1) I ruptured a cyst and have a normal pregnancy.  2) I have an ectopic pregnancy.  3) I have miscarried. 

These are the three options that keep playing through my head tonight.  To solve an ectopic pregnancy, they give you a very powerful drug that is also a chemotherapy drug.  My biggest mistake was googling this drug last night.  The side effects and stories of ectopic pregnancies treated with it are so scary.  I won't know until tomorrow afternoon which of the three scenarios are playing out.  If my HCG levels double, we have a normal pregnancy.  It they go up but don't double, we have an ectopic pregnancy.  If they go down, then we miscarried. 

So right now we just need prayers.  Prayers for wisdom for the doctors.  Prayers for comfort in whatever decision has to be made.  Prayers for this little seed.