Athlete’s holiday plans turn to a nightmare as she learns tragic fate of her pregnancy
A lifelong runner and athlete suffered an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in internal bleeding and the removal of one of her fallopian tubes.
Jen Ator, 38, revealed on her Instagram that her holiday plans took a drastic turn last month when, instead of making the drive home to Ohio to be with family, she was rushed to the hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery.
She was suffering from an ectopic pregnancy – when a fetus develops outside of the uterus – and developed internal bleeding. Doctors had to remove one of her fallopian tubes.
The Colorado resident shared few details of her ordeal, writing in a caption alongside a photo of herself smiling in a hospital bed: ‘One ectopic pregnancy, internal bleeding, and fallopian tube removed; one very long, disorienting day.
‘I’m sure once the meds & shock wear off I’ll have time for feelings & reflection. For now, I’m simply grateful–& stubbornly determined to not let this sudden turn of events steal my smile, or one ounce of my holiday joy.’
The fitness enthusiast, who has previously worked as the editor-in-chief of Women’s Running and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, has been a longtime athlete and marathoner, with social media consisting of biking, climbing and racing photos.
But in a previous post from October 2021, Ms Ator revealed she had been diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissue – tissue similar to uterine lining – grows outside of the uterus.
The condition, which affects one in 10 women in the US, can lead to infertility if left untreated and studies have shown endometriosis may increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is non viable in 100 percent of cases.
Jen Ator posted on Instagram last month she had suffered an ectopic pregnancy and needed to have one of her fallopian tubes removed
In the October 2021 post, Ms Ator said she had been dealing with ‘persistent pain that was shrugged off by doctors’ for more than decade, but in the previous eight months had gotten worse and made her love of running feel ‘unbearable.’
The caption read: ‘Most of the time, I just felt distracted, run down, and exhausted–plagued by a gut feeling that something wasn’t right, and equally by a voice in my head saying that it wasn’t a big deal & I just needed to toughen up.
‘I’m a few days post-op from an excision surgery, and I can finally put a name to what I’ve been dealing with: Endometriosis.
‘And while it’s too soon to know the full impact of this surgery, I already feel a huge weight lifted in just knowing.
‘Knowing that I wasn’t crazy; that I wasn’t weak. That the pain I was feeling was real.’
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects an estimated 200million women worldwide, and many often experience a decade-long delay in diagnosis.
The condition causes bleeding, inflammation, pelvic and abdominal pain and potential infertility, but it is often dismissed or misdiagnosed.
There is no cure for endometriosis, but some medications like ibuprofen and hormonal birth control may be able to relieve symptoms.
Additionally, excision surgery, which Ms Ator said she had undergone, can remove the endometriosis that has grown outside of the uterus and provide symptom relief.
Ms Ator has been a longtime athlete and marathoner, with her social media consisting of biking, climbing and racing photos
Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. There are several types of ectopic pregnancies, some of which implant in the ovary or fallopian tube.
About one to two percent of all pregnancies in the US are ectopic, and the fetus has virtually no chance of survival.
While the exact relationship between endometriosis and ectopic pregnancies is still being investigated, the Ectopic Pregnancy Foundation states: ‘Endometriosis is a recognized risk factor for the development of an ectopic pregnancy.’
A 2021 study cited results from Danish researchers who analyzed data from 123,300 women followed for 15 years. It found those with endometriosis had a nearly two-fold greater risk of ectopic pregnancy compared to women without the condition.
And a 2022 study stated: ‘One of the most serious complications of endometriosis is an ectopic pregnancy.’
However, authors added: ‘Currently, the exact mechanism explaining this phenomenon is unknown; therefore, there are no effective methods of prevention.’
The researchers from Poland said it is ‘assumed’ the two are connected through how they both impact the fallopian tubes – the passageway for an egg to travel to meet sperm and form an embryo.
Ms Ator is a certified strength and conditioning specialist who lives with her husband (pictured here) in Colorado
An ectopic pregnancy is influenced by abnormalities in the fallopian tubes, and endometriosis can disrupt those tubes, including how the muscles contract and how cilia – tiny hair-like structures within the tubes – move.
The study also found both conditions result from and subsequently cause inflammation in the reproductive tract.
Both are also associated with ‘hormonal regulation that to date seems to be most important and well-documented common molecular mechanisms of both diseases.’
The researchers wrote: ‘It is possible that the presented relationship is the result of the overlapping of several factors included in this review, but also those unidentified.’
‘Further research is needed to improve knowledge about each of the potential pathways and to provide significant evidence for the link between endometriosis and EP.
‘Understanding this relationship has the potential to prepare some prevention strategies for women with endometriosis to avoid EP occurrence.
