My Epic De-Cerclaging

Oh my gosh - boy I didn't know what I was in for. I admit, I read tons of blogs online about the cerclage removal process. I read the horror stories. I heard about cerclage removals gone wrong - but I had no idea that my experience would fit right in with those. Now I should start by saying - I'm not angry at my doctor. I don't feel like he did anything wrong - but this was a painful experience. It also sucked that there was no anesthesia for this whole procedure.

When I arrived at the peri, the nurse offered to do one last abdominal ultrasound. It was great to see our little baby and to get another confirmation that she's doing fine. When the peri came in, we settled down to get it out. First he tried the plastic speculum. I've always hated the clicking sound they make.  I felt pinching pains here and there but it was bearable. He finally said - I can't reach the stitches, I need to go in manually and pull the thread down. He pulled it down - OUCH - and put the speculum in. That didn't work. He tried again. No luck. This went on for about 20 minutes, and then he said - I think I need a metal speculum. It will open everything wider and won't pinch as much. 

Now with the metal speculum in, I'm wincing and blurting Owww over and over. After another 15 minutes of trying - he explains that my cervix has grown over the stitches and he needs to basically go in deeper, push the cervix back and then access the stitch. He goes on to explain that it's going to put me in more pain and I have the option to leave the stitch in until I deliver - then the OB can remove the stitch when I'm in labor. 

I'm sorry that idea simply didn't work for me. I had a vision of an OB desperately trying to remove a stitch he wasn't familiar with. I had a vision of my stitches tearing into my cervix. NO THANKS! I told the peri, "here's the deal - I'll stop complaining about the pain - and you just get this thing out of me. I am not leaving here with a stitch in me." He said, "OK" and went to work. DH stood next to me and gave me his hand to hold. I kept up my end of the bargain, I didn't complain one more time. I simply squeezed DH's hand harder and harder and dug my nails into his hand. I also started having contractions while this was going on - so I was trying to breathe through them. 

This went on for another hour!! I have to admit - it hurt like all hell.  This wasn't the 10 minute nip and tuck that women talk about with their cerclages. This was someone clawing at my insides trying to find stitches that were so high up inside of me - my cervix grew over them. Add the pain of my baby sending lightning crotch sensations down - and ugh - it was hell. Eventually the peri  looked up and said  - all done! He held up the stitch and said - Got it!!! It was a dark green mass of thread with blood all over it. Gross I know - but I have never been so happy to see a bloody piece of string! The nurse congratulated me on how well I was doing. The peri pulled the speculum out and told me he was going to check me to see how I was doing. He reached in there and gave me a quick cervical exam. He announced, "You're 3 cm dilated and 80 percent effaced." Just like that - I realized - my body was getting ready to drop this baby. He suggested that I maybe have a week or so left before labor settles in.

After all was said and done and cleaned up, I hobbled to the bathroom, put my clothes on and made my way to the nurses' station to get my last 17p injection. I don't know why but the shot burned like hell today! Ugh - I can't win today! Anyway - I said my goodbyes, hugged the nurse, promised to send pictures and said my goodbyes. The peri asked me to bring the baby in when she was born. 

I won't say this is the most painful thing I've ever endured - but it was an hour and a half or so of some seriously excruciating pain. My lower half feels crampy and definitely feels different - but I feel a serious sense of achievement. I have been wishing for the day that my cerclage gets removed for months and that day came. I was not about to be a failure and leave with the stitches inside of me. I'm glad I did this because without a cerclage I'm convinced I would have lost this pregnancy. Now we're taking bets on when labor will come. I'm kind of excited to see when she will make her appearance.