Had blighted ovum, 13w post pills docs finally believe I have retained products

In Summary: I am a doctor myself. I was given medical (pills) termination of my blighted ovum (empty gestational sac because the fetus stops developing at a very young age) at 10 weeks pregnant and after multiple calls to the well-established Early Pregancy Unit in the hospital that did the termination, as well as visits to GPs and the A+E, the process of which took 13 weeks, while I continuously bled, I was told again and again this is "just hormonal" until today THEY DID THE SURGERY AND FOUND MULTIPLE CALCIFIED RETAINED PRODUCTS.

The take-away: STAND UP FOR YOURSELF if you know something is wrong. BE 'DRAMATIC' if you have to be.

It is so odd. As a doctor, I knew there was a 25% chance I would have a miscarriage in my first pregnancy. While my GP told me I am a healthy 29yo and this will all go well, I was cautious to believe him.

At 10 weeks, I had a planned ultrasound and they told me the sac was empty. I was sad but the sadness was nothing compared to the weeks of psychological and physical turmoil that were to follow. I think initially I could logically process what had happened and my partner was very supportive.

I was given the pills to take after being told that doing a surgery (D+C) might only happen 1-2 weeks later. So I did what I was advised and took the tablets.

I had cramps. I bled. But I never passed defined products by 5 days. I called the Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) and the midwife told me it was fine. I was given no in-person follow-up and was told to take a special pregnancy test at 2 weeks and only to call the EPU if it was positive. It was negative. By 4 weeks the bleeding settled a good deal but I was still having odd cramps.

At 6 weeks the bleeding started again with vigour. Blood running down my legs at work. I would be seeing a patient and feel a warm gush passed my tampon and my pantiliner and with a smile I would ex ise myself. I hsd to clean myself in the bathroom and had to borrow different scrub pants on occassion.

I thought "Well, this heavier bleeding did start around when I would expect a period and I know a period can be very heaby post MC" so I went with it. Although the uncertainty was building... along with my anxiety and a partner that asked me to please be checked.

As a doctor with an emergency medicine background I was able to placate myself with "No fever, no funny discharge, no tenderness of my abdomen and no increased heart rate or dizziness so no real emergency here".

At 8 weeks Ipaassed such huge clots at such a pace I took myself to the closest emergency department. I didnt realise they did not have a Gynaecologist on call and would have to send me to the hospital down the road to be seen there. However, when the doctor called the Gynaecologist, it came back as "no need to send this patient as her bloods are normal and she has no emergency signs... this is hormonal. Give her tranexamic acid (it helps the body clot better) but if it doesn't settle in a few days she can come to us through our ED."

Well... already that evening it settled. I bled very little. I didn't go to the ED. I saw my GP 5 days later and his response was again to call it hormonal and give me more medication to help clot. A week later he called. I was still bleeding. He started me on an oral contraceptove to regulate my hormones. I used it for two weeks and ongoing. I still bled.

My anxiety built and built. I knew something was wrong. My relationship was being strained too with a partner who was very frustrated that he felt I was not standing up for myself and demanding more. I finally decided to listen... I disclosed my situation to a work colleague who booked me a private scan (I had to pay €175) and the scan confirmed retained products. I was upset and relieved... I had an answer...if only.

I attend the Gynaecology emergency department. The nurse briefly asked my story as she took my vitals and did my bloods. She put a copy of that URGENT scan in my file. The doctor saw me shortly afterwards. Before asking any questions he said "It doesnt make any sense that you have retained products. You look too well. Your bloods are normal. You would have been septic by now." He proceeded to repeat the transvaginal scan and said it looked normal and that there was likely only a clot in my uterine cavity from my bleeding. Anyway, he asked me to return the next day.

A female (the first one so far) did the scan again... but again before doing it she said it is basically impossible that this has anything to do with the miscarriage. She questioned me disbelieving that I ahd bled for 13 weeks. She did the scan, called it normal and told me she would be advicing the doctor to refer me for ANOTHER scan of my womb and ovaries for NON-miscarriage complications in the Gynaecology Clinic (PLEASE NOTE: these appointments are 4-6 months away).

That was my breaking point. I cried. I cried so hard. I saw the doctor and I APOLOGISED. He told me we would not be doing any further procedures. I cried more. My crying is the only thing that drove him over the edge. He called his consultant who then agreed to do the procedure 2 days later. I was asked to sign the consent form without any explanation because "I am a doctor and I should know everything and have no questions."

I had the procedure this morning. Everyone (different medical staff from above) was lovely before and after. They did a hysteroscopy (where they put a camera into your womb) and they saw multiple retained products. They had been there so long my body was trying to turn them bone in order to try and prevent irritation and infection in a process known as calcification. They scraped it away. They say I bled more than expected in the procedure.

I was ecstatic after to know that I was NOT crazy. I was sad I hadnt pushed earlier or listened to my partner.

I am still upset at the doctors and processing that hurt. These are meant to be "my people" and they let me down. Now a lot of things I cannot blame on them. But there is a way to be with patients that show empathy and certainly you should at least take the patient's history of their problem before coming to dangerous conclusions.

I am now at risk of forming scar tissue in my womb which may result in future need for tests and decreased fertility and increased repeat miscarriages.

Trust yourself.