Questioning diagnosis

[louisianasurvivor]

I was diagnosed with perinatal cardiomyopathy in Sept 2005. My only problem was a lot of swelling throughout my pregnancy. During my section I coded and spent the next 5 days in a drug induced coma because I was fighting too much. My heart was enlarged and my EF was 19. My pulmonary specialist diagnosed me with severe septic shock and is encouraging future pregnancies and my cardiologist says absolutely no more kids due to the severity of my case even though I am fully recovered. Of course I want to believe my pulmonary spec but I am having a hard time convincing my family. Please give me your opinion?

[Mindyt]

Welcome! What is your EF now? Being fully recovered (EF over 50%) is better for starting another pregnancy. Have you checked out the threads at the top of the Post-PPCM pregnancy section? Dr. Fett has an algorithym (sp?) for post-PPCM pregnancies on there that could be helpful in making your decision. It is a tough decision that only you and your husband can make. I still can't decide what I want to do about future pregnancies...... There are a lot of mommies here on this board that have had post-PPCM pregnancies and quite a few right now that are due this summer. I am sure they can give you some insight as well.

[JAMESFETT]

Whether your diagnosis was "severe septic shock" or "PPCM" your outlook is very good and you are in a "low risk" category for relapse were you to have a subsequent pregnancy. The reason for this is that you have recovered heart function to normal. You can be even more sure about your heart function by doing a dobutamine stress echo test prior to any subsequent pregnancy. If it shows you to have normal contractile reserve, your risk category is even lower. That is not to say you would be totally risk-free, but no pregnancy is. Wish you and your family the best.

JD

P.S. I used to live and work in Lafayette, LA, and I met a lot of people from Opelousas, that's a great part of the country.

[louisianasurvivor]

Thanks for your reply. I cannot express how happy I feel inside right now, just being told that there is hope for me. I am not sure what my EF was on my last visit. I was too depressed to process anything my cardiologist said because he will not even talk about my odds for future pregnancies. I have also been reading on this site that your odds for reoccurance are even less if you recover fast. I had my daughter on Monday and started coming out of the coma Friday into Saturday. Sunday I was moved from ICU to PCU. The following Tuesday my doctors would have discharged me but my husband was not ready and asked to stay just one more night. His nerves were still a little on edge being told on Monday that if I lived I would need a heart transplant.

Glad to hear that you are from my area, but I do wish you were here with all of your knowledge on PPCM. I actually work in Lafayette, LA. Thanks again, you made my day.

[mygirl22]

Good luck to you. My husband and I were so scared when all of the doctors told us immediately to not get pregnant again that he got a vasectomy a few mos later. Now, after seeking a new cardio and this site, we think we may have jumped the gun. I don't think I could take the risk of another preg, but it would have been nice to know I still had the option. (I know vasectomies can be reversible, but I don't think we'd go to that extreme).

It's definately a private decision between you and your husband, and one that must be selfless to a degree because you have to think about the child.
you already have.

Best wishes and congrats on your recovery.

[louisianasurvivor]

It is a hard decision to make but I definitely feel that I must have another child. I always said that I wanted at least 2 or 3 kids. Only 1 was never an option since my dad is an only child and always expressed how difficult it was for him as a child and now as an adult. My husband is not open to adoption, so I feel that this it the only alternative. I coded before my daughter was born. I really feel that my problem may have been with the anesthia but the doctors do not want to admit it. They normally call your spouse in before the section starts. For some unknown reason the doctors proceeded without calling him in, the monitors I was hooked to shorted out, and then I coded. They don't have any records of my vitals and only knew my heart had stopped because I stopped bleeding. My daughter was born without anyone being present which is very difficult for me to deal with. I want one more chance at a happy delivery. To have people smiling holding my child instead of seeing nothing but worry on their faces. It is a major chance to take but I have put it in God's hands and what will be will be. He will take care of me and if he wants me he will take me. Thanks again.