This year has included 5 visits to emergency, 4 ambulance rides, 2 surgeries, 8 ultrasounds, 2 MRIs and 1 flight with the Royal Flying Doctor's Service. 

On Tuesday 4th June, I haemorrhaged at home following a D & C surgery 1 month prior. Scott, my partner, rushed me to the hospital as the bleeding had stopped. We were told everything was fine, after a 7 hour wait in emergency.  

2 days later on Thursday 6th June, I haemorrhaged at home again, although this time I was home alone & the bleeding did not stop. I had an Uterine Arteriovenous Malformation (UAVM) and the vessels being fed by my right artery had ruptured. It was extremely heavy and I knew instantly that I needed to get to hospital, quickly. 

I called an ambulance, then I called Scott to stop what he was doing & meet me at the emergency department. 

As I sat & waited for the ambulance, I could feel the blood pumping in waves out of my body. I was terrified to move in case something else would break and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop the bleeding. I had zero control over anything my body was doing & all I could do was sit there & pray that this ended well. I really feared for my life in this moment. 

The ambulance arrived and I was rushed to Bundaberg hospital where I was quickly surrounded by medical staff, hooked up to many machines and given a cocktail of medication to try & make my blood clot, amongst other things. I was cannulated on each arm- one for an IV with fluids and one for a blood transfusion, should I need it. 

Scott arrived and after a couple of examinations and uncomfortable internals to remove large clots, we knew at this point that it was very serious and we'd be in for the long haul. The worst wasn't over. 

The hospital staff had managed to stop the bleeding and I was stable. But, the surgery that I needed to embolise the artery in my uterus wasn't offered in Bundaberg and I needed to be transported to Brisbane. To be transported to Brisbane, I needed to stay reasonably stable & not bleed again. 

Here's the nasty part- If I were to begin bleeding again in the meantime & it couldn't have been stopped, they would've needed to perform a hysterectomy to save my life. Scott & I were devastated and in complete shock that this was happening to us. I think we both just begged the universe for a different outcome. 

That afternoon, my sister & niece arrived too and we were all so relieved to get the news that I was to be transported to Brisbane with the RFDS that night!

It was one little piece of good news that we really needed, now I just needed to remain stable and I begged and I bargained for that.

Scott & Angela sat beside me for hours, reminding me to breathe, holding my hand & making sure that we all stayed positive. 

The time finally came and I was transferred to another bed and wheeled out of there with 4 boxes of my blood and a cervical balloon in case I bled out mid-flight.

I was transferred into the ambulance and as I waved goodbye to everyone, the doors closed & I was on my own again.  

Once I left the hospital, Scott drove to the servo, filled up with fuel and began making the journey in the middle of the night to meet me in Brisbane. It was a comforting feeling knowing that as I was flying, he was 'just down there,' as I kept telling myself.  

Once we reached the airport, I was wheeled out in the middle of the night onto the windy runway, there were a lot of flashing lights and serious voices as they completed the hand-over. I was quickly introduced to everyone, including the pilot, and carefully lifted off the stretcher and onto the plane bed. There was still plenty of cords and lines attached and I just remember feeling like something would get caught, but they were so meticulous, it was a very smooth transfer. I was strapped onto the bed with my multitude of cords and my arms at my side. At this stage I could only move my head, hands and feet. I was hoisted up with an electronic arm and then swung around manually inside the plane door, pushed against the wall where I was clicked into place and strapped, again, into the plane. At this point, I was very cold, tired, scared and just ready to get to Brisbane. I'm not a huge fan of flying so being on my own in a vulnerable situation, in this small aircraft was really daunting. In saying that, the doctor & the midwife I flew with were incredibly kind and caring people and they explained everything they were doing, or going to do, and comforted me when I needed it.

I started doing full body scans on take-off and I didn't stop until I saw the city lights out of the small plane window. I was one step closer to seeing Scott again and of course, keeping my uterus. 

In the early hours of the morning, I was back on the cold, windy runway being lifted onto another ambulance bed, ready for my transfer to Royal Brisbane Woman's Hospital. Scott arrived a couple of hours later & met me in emergency before I was moved to a proper ward. After a couple of hours sleep each, we were thrown into a whirwhind of medical jargon and I was wheeled into surgery that afternoon with a world of what-ifs. 

The surgery went as well as it could've & I was awake and back with Scott 4 hours later (with full feeling in both of my legs... first tick ✔️). The artery was successfully embolised, but it would be a very long 3 month wait to see if the AVM was completely cleared.

A week later, I was wheeled out of the hospital, with my darling man, my uterus and a positive outcome. 

I am so blessed to have had Scott by my bedside for 12+ hours every single day and we are both SO incredibly grateful for the Royal Flying Doctors' Service. Without them, I wouldn't have received the medical care that I needed that night.  

You've given us so much. 

Thank you ✈️