When the bleeding started and didn't stop, Elaina suspected that she'd had a miscarriage. Her OB/GYN's office had her come in to have her pregnancy hormone levels tested. They were rising, but not at the level of a healthy pregnancy, they said, telling her to come back in a week to have them rechecked. When they were still not rising as they should, they told her she likely had miscarried and didn't seem concerned.
Elaina's bleeding became heavier and her back pains intensified. She called Ascension Medical Group Via Christi's OB/GYN clinic to request an appointment.
The quick response she received from Elizabeth Diaz-Cox, MD, and her team proved to be a lifesaver as she was diagnosed with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy on Friday, Nov. 7, and underwent surgery to remove her right ovary on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
"By the grace of God and Dr. Cox taking me on as a new patient so quickly, I was able to get into surgery quickly," says Elaina, whose ruptured ectopic pregnancy, if not addressed, could have been fatal. "They literally saved my life."
She says she's grateful for Brittany Navarrete, medical assistant who took her initial call and provided regular updates, to Yeni Rodriguez, the physician assistant who made the initial diagnosis, and to Dr. Diaz-Cox for her compassion as she grieved her loss. "They all listened to me and responded with a sense of urgency."
"I feel like God led me to them," says Elaina, who days later was in a car accident with her husband, Josh. "I am very blessed. My life was saved twice within one week."