AMY WALDROP

I went to my Sept check up, Dr. M was unable to find the fetal heartbeat w/ a Doppler. She did a sonogram, and found it, but the baby was only measuring 8 weeks and I was supposed to be 10w6d. I was concerned, but not worried since the Dr didn't seem to be worried. She told me to come back in 4wks. I got home and was looking at my receipt and "threatened AB" was circled. I flipped out. I called the nurse and she said I could miscarry, there was nothing they could do to stop it that early. But, since early u/s isn't reliable, that determination would be made at my 16wk u/s to change my EDD if necessary. And, that if I wasn't cramping or bleeding, to try not to worry. So, 4 wks later (Oct 25) I went back for my check up. Dr. was again unable to get the h/b with the Doppler. She did an u/s and saw the baby was still only 8wks big. She did not say she couldn't get a h/b. She said she was sending us down to a OB/GYN Ultrasound Center to have a Level II done, "to get a better look". It was after this that Dr. S ( who did the u/s) told us he could not find a h/b. We went back to Dr. She told us I had had a "missed ab". We had 7 days to decide on an a D&C or for it to start naturally. We decided to wait a few days, but the schedule the D&C for Oct 31, so I could be up and around by the time Rob went out of town for 2 weeks on the Sun day after. Three days after the D&E was done, the nurse called me in to have another u/s to "make sure they got everything" and to go to the hospital to have an quantative hCG level drawn. After I got home from having these done, the nurse called back and said Dr. wanted to talk to me -- could I come back in. I called Rob and he met me at the Dr.'s office. It was then that Dr. told us that I had had a molar pregnancy. My hCG that day was 464, quite low she said. The u/s that morning had showed some tissue remaining, so she was sending me for another Level II to measure it. Dr. said that I still had about a one inch piece attached to the back of my uterus, and there was a lot of blood flow to the area. Dr. also sent me to the hospital for baseline chest X-rays. After I got home from this trip, the nurse called back. There wasn't enough blood from that morning to run the liver and thyriod test too, could I come back. So, I did just that. Three trips in one day. I was then called on Monday morning to come to the u/s center for a shot of Methotrexate (low dose chemo) to kill the remaining tissue so I could pass it myself, as doing another D&E could cause uncontrolable bleeding due to blood flow to the area. Dr. M and Dr. S agreed on the course of action. When I went in, Dr. S was not there, and Dr. D would not give it to me until he consulted a gyn. oncolgist from Duke University. They thought I did not need it as my hCG was low. And that to give it to me now, I could develop a resistance to it which could be bad if my levels rose and I needed MTX again. Dr. D, at this time, also gave to the standing orders for my weekly then monthly bloodwork. He also got me on birth control pills (ortho-tri-cyclen). The following week, my hCG came back at 98. I then had my post-op on Nov. 13th. Dr. M apologized for all the run around I had gotten about the shot. She told me I was all healed. She also told me that I could try to conceive after 3 monthly negative hCG readings. Since I wanted to so much, and that she would follow me closely when I do get pregnant again. My next weekly hCG level was 44. And, on Nov. 25 2000, I got a hCG level of <2! I now go to a monthly reading. On Dec. 11th, I found out that the hCG level done on Nov 25th was the wrong number. Dr. M said I could just go ahead with monthly draws, but with what I know, I went ahead and had another done, it was 5. My bloodwork from Dec 18th was 4, since anything <5 is considered negative, we are starting my 3 month wait time now. I quit my pills Dec, 23, 2000 so I can get them out of my system before we start trying to conceive again. I was lucky, I know. It has been hard coping with our loss, not only for us but for our 5yr old daughter. She has been asking for a sibling for over 3 years. I am doing better emotionally now, tho I still occasionally have my moments. Since reaching <5, my outlook has turned to the future. I am trying to lose a few lbs and get in shape for ttc.

UPDATE: After I was cleared to ttc, I got pregnant my first try. I had a fantastic ultrasound at 9wks. When I went back at 13wks for my check up, there was no heartbeat via doppler, and the dr. did an ultrasound. We found out the baby had only grown 2 days after that first scan. I had another d&c a week later, becasuse the dr. felt given my molar history I could hemmorhage if it was another mole and miscarried on my own. My path came back as a missed miscarriage, but, my doctors did follow my hCG back to <5.

RECENT UPDATE:On Mother's Day 2002, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. It was a very long road, but finally a happy ending almost 2 years after we decided to add another child to our family.