WWE star Carmella discusses her ectopic pregnancy and her journey back to the ring.
In October, Carmella revealed that she was treated for ectopic pregnancy, and she had miscarriage in September. She spent several months away from WWE, but she returned on the January 30 episode of WWE RAW.
Speaking on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Carmella discussed her experience and noted that it was a dangerous situation, as many women don’t survive it.
“I was dealing with an ectopic pregnancy, which means that the pregnancy was not viable, couldn’t move forward with it, and it’s actually something that you and I both were learning together, is very, very dangerous,” she said. “It’s something that a lot of women actually don’t make it through. So I feel very fortunate, and thats what‘s so crazy. My friends, family, no one realized just how extreme this is, my husband included [laughs].
Carmella noted that she listened to her body, as she had some extreme pain in her stomach, so she asked Graves to take her to the emergency room, and she ultimately learned that she had an ectopic pregnancy, which meant that her pregnancy was not viable.
“It’s insane because not only am I in an emergency room for this crazy medical condition that we have to monitor very closely, I was on bed rest for four weeks straight, couldn’t do anything, but then I’m also processing the loss of our baby. So it was a double whammy. Through all of that, we made it through, and I’m so, so grateful. I’m not trying to gloss over any of this. I was in a deep depression for a while, it was really hard. But I felt like it was necessary for me to share my story. I felt, even though I had [Corey], I had my family, I have never felt so alone because it’s kind of like blaming yourself. ‘What did I do wrong? How could I have prevented this?’ But [it] turns out there’s nothing I could have done.
“It’s just how your body reacts, and women came out of the woodwork. That’s why I wanted to share my story because I was so lonely, and I felt so isolated through the experience. I felt like, if I’m going through, surely there are other women out there, or men out there who are helping their wife or partner or daughter or anyone going through that. I just really wanted to share my story because women came out of the woodwork, women from my high school, my college, even women that I’ve met through here in WWE have come to me and said, ‘Wow, I went through this’, or ‘I know someone who went through this, and I wish I had the courage to share my story.’ That’s mostly what I wanted to do with coming out with it publicly because it’s not talked about enough. Women don’t talk about these things. You talk about, you’re pregnant, you think you’re pregnant, you’re having a baby, and that’s it. I was excited to have a baby, and then it’s all taken away, and it was just a very difficult time, and it felt like my return was up in the air. I didn’t know, am I ever gonna go back to work? Am I ever gonna feel okay? Am I ever gonna feel good enough to get off this couch and put some makeup on my face and feel good about myself? Luckily, we’re here, we’re on the other side, but it was definitely a difficult journey.
She then specifically highlighted the support of Stephanie McMahon as someone who supported her before she discussed the general support of the WWE.
“Stephanie McMahon, I’m gonna get emotional thinking about it, she was so supportive of me through all of it, reached out to me several times,” Carmella said. “We had several phone conversations about it. Even after my return a few weeks back, she texted me saying, ‘So good to see you back. Hope you’re feeling alright.’ Not only does she preach women empowerment, she practices it. I’m so forever grateful for her and the support that she has shown me through all of this.
“Our kitchen, it looked like a floral shop. I mean everyone who’s anyone in WWE, the female locker room, both locker rooms, everyone. We had flowers everywhere. I’m so grateful. I realized we have such a support system, and the WWE Universe, and our family that we have behind the scenes here in WWE is so real, and I’m so grateful for everyone.
Carmella was also asked about the emotional journey of her return to the ring, and she described how she dealt with some uncertainty as she wasn’t sure if she could get her body back to where it needed to be. She also noted that she was concerned about whether the fans would remember her.
“I just kind of reimagined everything. What is my purpose after going through this? I was so confused. I was on bed rest for at least four weeks. People don’t resize, once you go through it, you have to wait until your body can recover because at any moment, it can still explode, so you have to wait until everything is back to normal. I’m grateful for it now, looking back, because I had to just deal with it. I had to be in it, and I went through all these different thought processes. ‘Am I gonna go back to work? What is there for me at work? Is putting my body through all of this worth it?’ I just wasn’t quite sure what that journey back to the ring would look like.
“I had to get back in the ring. For me, I’m someone who’s in the gym on a daily basis. I’m constantly [doing] Pilates, yoga, fitness classes, sometimes twice a day. I couldn’t do any of that for a couple months. So would I even be able to get my body back to where it needed to be, just to even walk on a treadmill again or ride a bike again? I had no idea how long it would take me to get back to that. I wasn’t sure what it would look like to get back to WWE. Are people even gonna remember me? Are people gonna want to see me back? What does that journey look like? Now, looking back, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I feel like it really helped me take the time I needed to, mentally and physically, to get back to peak physical and in-ring condition.”
When asked to describe how she dealt with loneliness while she dealt with her ectopic pregnancy and the aftermath, Carmella emphasized that acupuncture, meditation, and her support system were helpful in the process.
“I did a lot of acupuncture, actually. My acupuncturist also kind of doubles as a therapist. He talks a lot about mental well being, and he’s helped me a lot. I do a lot of meditation. Honestly, just the support system of having my family. I’m so grateful that my parents live here in Pittsburgh now. My husband, my step kids, they were all so integral in the process of getting back to where I needed to be. I think if you have a great support system, you can get through anything.”
Carmella will face Asuka on the February 27 episode of WWE RAW. WrestleZone will have coverage of the show as it airs on Monday.
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