After five days in the hospital, where my blood pressure was still a concern, we were finally discharged on November 13. I managed to pump milk during my stay, and I immediately started stocking our freezer with it.
Three weeks post-delivery, I began noticing a persistent light cough and felt my heart racing. I asked my partner for his thoughts, and while he agreed it sounded fast, we attributed it to the recent childbirth.
On Christmas night 2016, my cough worsened significantly. I was coughing violently, spitting up pink phlegm, and struggling to breathe while lying down. My partner ended up sleeping in our son’s room to avoid waking me.
The following morning, I called my father at 6 a.m., expressing my inability to breathe comfortably. He insisted it sounded serious and urged me to head to the hospital. My in-laws took care of our baby girl, while our son stayed with his grandmother.
My father drove me to the ER, where my vitals were alarming. After a CT scan and some walking tests, I quickly became out of breath, just five minutes in. The doctors decided to keep me overnight for further tests and to remove fluid from my lungs and heart. They started me on medication to help drain the excess fluid.
As they examined my medical history, they noted that my sister had passed away three years earlier after suffering cardiac arrest linked to heart failure, shortly after having her second child. Later that day, a cardiologist informed me that my heart’s ejection fraction was at a dangerously low 15 to 20%, indicating I was in full-blown heart failure — a condition that had also claimed my sister’s life.
I was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that occurs during or right after pregnancy, leading to a weakened heart muscle that can’t pump blood efficiently. My doctor gave me a 50/50 chance of survival and fitted me with a life vest designed to shock my heart in case of cardiac arrest. I was also enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation and advised to attend a heart failure clinic regularly.
My story gained attention, featured in a hospital health magazine and on NBC 5 News. Dr. Michael Rothkopf, my treating cardiologist, mentioned the unknown causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy, though he noted a higher risk in African-American women.
I feel incredibly grateful to still be with my family. Thanks to prayers and medications, my ejection fraction improved to 50% by July 2017, and I was able to stop wearing the life vest.
Raising awareness about peripartum cardiomyopathy is important to me, especially in honor of my sister and the many women who have tragically lost their lives to this condition. For more information on this silent danger, visit www.savethemommies.com and www.PPCMfund.com. Additionally, if you’re interested in boosting fertility, check out this post. For those looking for resources on pregnancy and home insemination, this site provides valuable information.
In summary, my experience with peripartum cardiomyopathy opened my eyes to a condition that many are unaware of, yet it can have devastating effects. It’s crucial to recognize symptoms and seek help immediately.
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