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Subject: What I posted over at the tons of kids board... Author: Christine [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 11:41:33 08/28/06 Mon Author Host/IP: doc-24-32-0-80.terrell.tx.cebridge.net/24.32.0.80 My slow recovery and information I want to pass along to you guys (cross posted)... First of all this is about the hardest thing that I have ever had to write in my entire life but it hit me while I was in the car this morning that just maybe by sharing my story and inforamtion I can help someone or at least better inform you guys and other people. Last week I was diagnosed with Postpartum Cardio Myopothy. The last week or so during the pregnancy I could hardly breath and I thought that it was just the fact that Jack was so large and I thought not a lot about it. I remember before and during the delivery that I was afraid that I wasn't going to get enough air and I prayed that I could get through the delivery safely for me and Jack until I could get into the doctor to get meds for my "sinus infection"or "upper respitory infection" The homebirth was wonderful and everything I could have wanted. It was calm and quiet and there was no screaming and I felt so blessed to have had such a great experience, it was everything I could have ever wanted. After the delivery I had an extreme hemmorage and it took a lot to get it under control and there were shots of pitocin, and other things and still it was a mess. I had to get up every hour and that first 24 hours I really thought I might die and thought hard about going to the hospital. Since I had been in a hospital before and had the same thing happen I just stayed home and dealt with it. 2 days after the birth my iron levels had dropped to 6 and I started taking extra iron and chloraphyll to get my levels back up and I was put on total bedrest. It was slow and difficult and I felt awful. I just couldn't rest or sleep and I had what I thought was an allergic reaction to flowers that dh's work sent to us. I spent all night up coughing and couldn't breathe. The next day we threw out the flowers and dh steam cleaned the entire room and carpets thinking that the weird red pollen from the flowers was causing my problems. Last Tuesday night I could not sleep. Everytime I laid down I felt like I was drowning and I could hear a gurggly, whistling sound coming from may lungs. First thing Wednesday morning dh called our family care practicioner and I decided to leave Robert home with the baby and drive myself because I didn't want Jack out and exposed to germs. At the same time I was having other symptoms like my milk has never come in. The only time that ever happened before was 17 years ago when I had #1 and I had as much trouble with that recovery as I had with this one and we just decided to mark it up to my being so anemic and we knew that when I got better things would right themselves. So, I went to the doctor and explained what was going on and that I needed antibiotics and a cough medicine. He looked me in the face and told me that the sound my lungs were making were the sounds of heart failure! I kept explaining that I had allergies and made the poor man actually look into my ears. Then he sent me over to x-rays and to run an ekg in the office. He told me that he thought I had Postpartum cardio myopothy and that I needed to go over to the hospital and run a CT scan to check for blood clots. He also was going to make an emergency appointment with a cardiologist for the same day. I told him that I was busy and I actually thanked the man and drove home in complete shock. After I left I broke down in the car and then remembered that the hospital and the cardiologist were going to be calling the hosue and dh had no idea what was going on. I pulled over and called home and tried to explain what just had happened. He didn't understand. I drove home and that is when dh immediately called the doctor and asked him what he had just told me because iA was in shock. After that call we packed up and headed to the hospital with Jack in tow. Dh wanted answers right then. We spent hours running blood tests and ct scans and going back to the doctor's office again. Jack was wonderful and the people at the hospital were very kind. When we told them that we were almost out of bottles and formula they all rushed us through. The worst part is the look of all of the doctors, nurses and techs when they read the diagnosis on my chart. Thursday we went to the cardiologist and they ran an echocardiogram and another ekg and more blood work. He said that my doctor was right and that is what I have. He also said that it was caught very early and that is a very good thing. He wants me to have a tubal or at least the words were "no more babies ever" Since I have suffered this once the next time it will start earlier and it is usually more severe. From what I can understand it is caused by my body attacking itself for an unknown reason. I also have a lung infection and I am on meds for that. I am on 2 meds for a week and then I can stop them and 2 others for about 6 months at which time it looks like I might be able to get off of the meds then if I continue to heal up. The prognosis is looking good and after a few days of feeling totally horrible and feeling so sorry for myslef it was unreal, I am finally feeling better. I was so sad at the thought of no more babies that I was out of my mind because we had already decided that we were going to have #8 and it was the first time ever that we had decided something like that in advance and I was so looking forward to that. I felt robbed. I also can't/won't breastfeed Jack with these meds in my system. I looked them up and it is not suggested. It looks like these meds are what is best for me but could be very dangerous for Jack. Stubborn me I am still pumping and dumping at least once a day with the heartfelt hope that if things go well maybe after a few months (instead of 6) I can go off of the meds and then start breastfeeding him then. I know it sounds very silly but at this point in my life I really need to hold onto this one little thing. So, that is where I have been and what I have been doing. jack is wonderful but unfortunately Paul, my 3 year old had overheard toomany things that we didn't realize he had heard and was acting out rather terribly. Paul is very advanced for 3 and understands more than he should. With a lot of attention and after answering a lot of questions he is doing better. The one thing that I really, really want to stress is that if it is caught early, it is very treatable. What happens a lot of times is that moms don't want to complain about feeling tired, having chest congestion or a cold that won't go away. These are all syptoms of the disease. I would definately say it is better to be safe than sorry and if any of you guys have a chest that feels like a gorilla is sitting on you or you hear a funny noise when you breathe---please go get checked out. I can honestly say that it is my doctor that probably saved my life and I would really love to pass along that information to as many people as possible in the hopes that maybe it will help someone.Understand that this condition is pretty rare. If possible I would really appreciate any prayers that you guys have to offer for a speedy recovery for me and the other moms out there with the condition. Thanks and I'll talk to you guys later, Christine [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Subject Author Date My gosh...it sounds like a different version of Beth 15:08:38 08/28/06 Mon Sadly pregnancy can trigger a whole slew of autoimmune diseases -- Lori, 05:54:40 08/29/06 Tue (((HUGS))) I'm so glad you are starting to feel better (m, Brandie 06:40:08 08/29/06 Tue