Exclusive
SECRET ORDEAL
‘I could have died at any moment’ says CBB star Jemma Lucy as she reveals terrifying ectopic pregnancy nightmare
Celebrity Big Brother and Ex on The Beach legend Jemma Lucy has revealed she has suffered a devastating ectopic pregnancy that left her terrified she was going to die.
Jemma, 35, sparked concern amongst her fans back in December when she posted on social media that she was in hospital, but did not disclose the nature of her medical condition.
4
4
Now, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, Jemma has bravely opened up about her secret nightmare ordeal.
“I was genuinely scared for my life,” Jemma reveals. “Doctors told me that if the pregnancy ruptured, I could die so they wanted to take me in for emergency surgery. I was terrified of going for the operation and never waking up. I didn’t know what to do, and every minute was like a ticking timebomb.”
Jemma’s frightening health scare began in early December when she started to feel unwell. She had been dating her then-partner Nicholas Sinclair but didn’t suspect that she could be pregnant.
“I had been bleeding for about three weeks straight, but thought it was just an irregular period,” Jemma, who is also mum to a 4 year-old daughter from a previous relationship, recalls. “Then I started to get bad stomach pains so I called a doctor out and, to my surprise, he told me I was pregnant.
read more on Jemma Lucy
“That really made my head spin as it was a complete shock. I definitely wasn’t looking to have another baby, so I was trying to process it and decide whether I was going to keep it or not. I just felt emotional and all over the place.”
Two days later, Jemma was still reeling from the news as she went to the hospital for a scan, only to receive a devastating blow: the pregnancy was ectopic, meaning the baby was growing in her fallopian tubes.
'They couldn't find a heartbeat'
“They said they couldn’t see any baby in my womb and couldn’t detect a heartbeat, but they could see something in one of my tubes,“ Jemma explains.
“The really hard part about the ectopic pregnancy is that sometimes the body just gets rid of the pregnancy itself, but other times it keeps growing and that’s really dangerous because it can rupture. The worst case scenario is you can die, or you can end up paralysed and have blood running through your whole body.
Most read in Reality
What are the signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy?
Often there are no symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, and it is usually detected when a mother goes for a routine pregnancy scan.
If you do have symptoms, typically these will start to show between the fourth and 12th month of the pregnancy.
These can include:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Brown watery discharge
- Pain in the lower abdomen down one side
- Missed period
- Discomfort when going to the bathroom
- Pain in the tip of your shoulder
“My head was absolutely f***ed - I was terrified as I didn’t know how safe I was. I was just getting told to wait a few days for more blood test results to come back. I felt like every second counted because, at any moment, I could have a rupture and die.”
After being sent home to wait on her test results, the reality TV star soon found herself in agonising pain that left her unable to sit up or walk.
“It was just excruciating, I couldn’t walk or sit up,” she remembers. “This time I went to A&E and when I was there, they told me the pregnancy was still growing and they needed to rush me in for emergency keyhole surgery to remove it.”
But Jemma was terrified of having the surgery and desperately tried to avoid going under the knife.
Surgery fear
“There are downsides to the surgery because they remove one of your fallopian tubes, which could then affect my chances of having a baby in the future. People also might find this hard to believe, given that I’ve had lots of surgery in the past, but I am terrified of going under anaesthetic these days. Since I’ve had my daughter, I’ve always worried about not waking up because then what would happen to her?
“On top of all that, I’ve always had terrible reactions to anaesthetic in the past. It really affects my mental health and a side effect of anaesthetic is it can make you feel suicidal. I would never take my own life because I wouldn’t leave my daughter, but the suicidal feelings are horrible and last for weeks afterwards.”
After several days in pain, Jemma begged doctors for any alternatives to surgery and was told there was an injection she could have instead, but it was unlikely to work.
“The injection is basically chemotherapy, but a much smaller dose than they use on cancer patients, and it works to end the ectopic pregnancy” Jemma shares.
“Several doctors told me it wouldn’t work as they don’t usually give it to you once you are already in a lot of pain as it can be too late by then. Everyone was telling me to have the surgery instead, but I was adamant.
Standing her ground
Fortunately for Jemma, she was eventually given the injection a few days before Christmas and, despite her doctors’ misgivings, it did work. After a week or two, her blood tests showed her hormone levels had dropped significantly, a sign that she was no longer pregnant.
“I'm so glad that I made my own decision, and didn't have the surgery, because then I would have lost a fallopian tube and in a position where I couldn’t move for weeks.
“The injection wasn’t nice, it was painful and made me feel a bit sick. It’s also made my skin a weird jaundiced colour and I’m not allowed in the sun for the next three months. I’ve also had a lot of pain all down my leg, but I’m still so glad I didn’t have to have the operation.
In amongst all this, Jemma’s relationship came to an end on Christmas day.
“I had my best friend Paula with me in A & E all through the night and the early hours of the morning. She was a great support for me at such a hard time. She was also there when I have birth to my daughter. I really do appreciate her friendship.”
Fresh start
“It wasn’t the best Christmas I’ve ever had, but I had to put a brave face on for my daughter. I’ve just been focusing on her and my work. This year, that’s my sole focus.
After a tough end to 2023, Jemma is determined to make 2024 a much brighter one.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“It’s been a really difficult time and I’ve felt mentally drained, but I’m strong. I’ve been through a lot of trauma in the past, and I’m in a survivor.
“I’d definitely love to have another child in the future, but right now, I just want to draw a line under these few months. I’m taking it day by day, and I’m slowly feeling in much better place.”
4
4
Topics