SerenaWelsh
06-21-2005, 10:32 AM
I'm glad you found our site, and hope you can find all the support you need here.
When I was finally diagnosed, I was in the 23rdish week of my third pregnancy. My EF was somewhere between 5% - 15%, depending on who read the echo. Quite a few doctors wanted to end the pregnancy right then.
I was hospitalized, and we continued the pregnancy with careful monitoring of my heart and that baby, and I delivered her at 28 weeks. The prognosis for me was NOT good, but clearly, they were wrong. I was never ever as sick as most of these women.
Having said that, there are no guarantees in life one way or the other. When you make your decision about what to do, you need to make sure it's right for you, and you're not giving in to the desires of your doctors, family members, or friends. If you decide to end this pregnancy, make sure that it's something you can live with down the line, and don't allow yourself to think about the "what could have beens." But - if you decide to keep this pregnancy, make sure you follow it through. Fire every doctor that is not supporting of you. Get yourself to the best high-risk OB you can find, and get a cardiologist who is experienced with pregnant women. And most of all, expect nothing, and be prepared for anything. Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of a situation that you have no control over. You just have to close your eyes and trust. God, Fate, the Universe. Doesn't matter what you call it. This is one of those times.
When I was finally diagnosed, I was in the 23rdish week of my third pregnancy. My EF was somewhere between 5% - 15%, depending on who read the echo. Quite a few doctors wanted to end the pregnancy right then.
I was hospitalized, and we continued the pregnancy with careful monitoring of my heart and that baby, and I delivered her at 28 weeks. The prognosis for me was NOT good, but clearly, they were wrong. I was never ever as sick as most of these women.
Having said that, there are no guarantees in life one way or the other. When you make your decision about what to do, you need to make sure it's right for you, and you're not giving in to the desires of your doctors, family members, or friends. If you decide to end this pregnancy, make sure that it's something you can live with down the line, and don't allow yourself to think about the "what could have beens." But - if you decide to keep this pregnancy, make sure you follow it through. Fire every doctor that is not supporting of you. Get yourself to the best high-risk OB you can find, and get a cardiologist who is experienced with pregnant women. And most of all, expect nothing, and be prepared for anything. Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of a situation that you have no control over. You just have to close your eyes and trust. God, Fate, the Universe. Doesn't matter what you call it. This is one of those times.