Leigh Orleans, who appeared on “Hell’s Kitchen” Season 22, has bravely opened up about needing surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She shared the news on Instagram, resulting in an outpouring of love and support from fans.
Leigh Orleans Undergoes Emergency Surgery
In an Instagram post on January 27, Orleans shared four photos. The first three show her in the hospital, lying on a hospital bed. The fourth picture shows her stomach, with multiple tiny bandages. In the caption, she wrote a long message about what had happened.
“Got a little surprise emergency surgery yesterday,” she began her message. “Sharing this story because my surgeon told Elliot I was a few sleeps away from not waking up ever again. And if he hadn’t forced me to go to the ER that day, I wouldn’t have gone.”
She continued, “I know there are a lot of women who follow me who may be TTC or want to have children in the future. If that’s you (or your partner), I’d really encourage you to read this—because sadly, this isn’t that uncommon. A caveat: I do have PCOS on top of my other health issues, which already makes conception more difficult.” She encourages fans to advocate for themselves and push for answers, even if medical professionals initially say otherwise, before revealing her story.
Leigh Orleans’ Scary Story
“For the last two weeks, I had really intense bleeding and cramping. I am perpetually afraid of going to a doctor in pain and being told nothing is wrong (side effects of being a woman),” she wrote. “A week ago, I finally went to a fertility specialist who told me I was likely having either a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, and that we would continue monitoring my bloodwork. She said if I was ever in extreme pain that didn’t go away, I needed to go to the ER. But my pain would always go away. After 20–30 minutes, it would subside. So I convinced myself it was fine and would resolve on its own.”
Eventually, at the insistence of her husband, she went into the hospital. “Ultrasounds showed severe internal bleeding that had filled my pelvis almost up to my liver, and my fallopian tube had ruptured from an ectopic pregnancy,” she shared. “I am so grateful for the doctors who quickly saved my life. I did lose a fallopian tube, but I still have one strong one left (just like my thyroid, lol).”
Leigh Orleans Receives Support
Orleans has received an outpouring of support in the comments on her post. Fans and colleagues have also praised her for sharing her story and creating awareness. “Sending my love, Leigh,” a comment reads. “Oh my gosh Leigh! I’m so happy you’re okay now! Thanks for sharing your story, it’s so important! ILY sending you lots of love and a fast recovery,” another person shared.
Other reactions include, “You’re so brave – sending you my love,” “You’re so strong and inspirational for sharing! Sending so much love for an easy recovery and a better year ahead,” and “Listen to your body! And yes advocate for yourself. Prayers up chef!”
