To Mandy's Mom & Dr. Fett

[mom2gageandkeely]

Hello! You posted under a thread that already had a topic so I am posting this new one to write to you and maybe you can post again and have some of your questions answered. I was 20 in 1997 When I was diagnosed with PPCM. My mom, husband and family were all very scared and thankfully for you we know have a messgae board where you will find support. My EF was 30% as well. I was on 3 medicines and under the care of a cardiologist and I did get better, after 9 months I was off all medicines. It ha snow been 7.5 years and I live like I never had PPCM. I was told that PPCM is the only form of heart failure that completely heal. Be sure that she has great medical care and lots of help with her new baby! Dr Fett is a doctor that donates his time to PPCM reseasrch, he is also active on these boards. I know he cannot give medical advice to you as a patient but he does have alot of valubale information and help. I was also advised not to have any more children. I think intially that is what most doctors will say and that can be as devestating as the intial diagnoses. We have some women, including my self that went on to have more children. That is a case by case personal decision.It can be done sucessfully, and it can have the same results. I discovered I was pregnant 3 years after my disgnoses, I did have a wonderful pregnancy that was monitored very carefully and my daughter was born perfect, I had no reoccurence of PPCM, I was very lucky and scared. So maybe in the future if your daughter decides to add to her family, she may consider it. I am hopefull that with medical technology and Dr Fetts research we may have some answers soon. In the meantine try to focus on healing and maybe look at our bios and stories. I wish you and your family healing and longevity! I you would like to talk to myself or my mom who was in the same position you are in now, I am sure she would be happy to talk. My email is jenniferwatkins@verizon.net

[JAMESFETT]

That's a great story. Our studies on PPCM are beginning to give clues about the disease, such as:

1)Healing in PPCM comes at different rates, so that while some women recover early, others may take many months and several years to continue the healing process. It is true that PPCM is a unique form of cardiomyopathy because it has the potential to heal and recover.

2)Various autoantibodies develop that may be harmful to damage more heart muscle cells. This holds promise for very specific new treatments that counteract autoantibodies.

3)Some women who recover from PPCM may be able to successfully complete a subsequent pregnancy.

4)Survival with proper treatment (using ACE-inhibitors and beta blockers, in addition to diruretics as needed) is improving dramatically, compared with 10 years ago.

5)Newer laboratory blood tests help to diagnose earlier an inflammatory cardiomyopathy, and to monitor treatment and determine when it is safer to decrease medications as improvement comes.

The groups I collaborate with in these studies are only a part of this progress. There are many more working on these issues, so I expect much more progress in the next 2 to 5 years. It is a time of exciting promise.

James