After baby was Born

Okay so baby was born. All was well. Family was here but we knew if this pregnancy was going to be Like Connors we were now playing the waiting game. 

With C my problems didn't start until 72 hours post delivery. 

Side story:

I never seemed to make the time previous to now to type the "diagnosis" after c was born 17 months ago but basically the dr knew I was in acute heart failure, after 6 months or the problem corrected itself and we found out I had an extreme magnesium deficiency. Easily fixed with supplements. (Magnesium and potassium are the two most important components to indicating heart problems, health etc)

So...been taking my magnesium. Felt soo much better, heart was doing good, headaches from mag deficiency gone. Leg cramps from mag deficiency gone. 

Okay so back to baby being born. He was here, my bp was back up an he was looking good. I noticed within the first 10 hours or so I was starting to swell so when my dr came in the next morning she had a nurse check my magnesium level. Sure enough my "normal" level of 4 had dropped back down to 1.7. The postpartum nurses kinda freaked when the dr called for me to be placed on a 4 hour magnesium drip. She said the slow infusion should get me back to where it needed to be. My dear friend heather came to visit. Then my parents again. We made it home Monday mid afternoon (dr kept me a little longer due to the mag going crazy) and my inlaws stay another few days. 

(Did I mention we were due to close July 3. With a 4 day old??? Glad that didn't happen. So my inlaws leave Tuesday or Wednesday, can't remember. That morning I called y dr, told the nurse my bp was higher and I felt like I had fluid on my lungs again. They brought me in, took blood to check mag and said my hr was 60. A little low but all other things were fine. Wed night (July 3) I started feeling worse and the swelling really picked up. 

Thursday was the 4th and my parents decided to grill out. I distinctly remember walking down the stairs and the fluid in my legs slushing around in my knees and feet. 

That's when I took this pic on Instagram. 

Serious case of the cankles. So I suffered through on the 4th and woke up Friday morning for our newborn session with our photographer. 

We drive out to her studio and I kept feeling worse and worse. I haven't gotten pics back yet but I can tell you I only remember taking one shot holding baby boy. 

Our photographer is also a NICU nurse and she told me to go straight to the ER. So we left her house and one of my very best friends met me at home and took me to the Er while casey coordinated childcare. 

We walked in the door and I know The Lord ordained for a family friend to be the nurse at the ER front desk. Desiree  took one look at my and I said look I had symptoms of HELLP last go around and I feel like death. 

Emily sat with baby while I went to the restroom and as I walk out two, not one Two ER nurses look concerned and rush me back to a room. Emily and I sit until my parents arrive. Maybe 30 minutes. 

I get hooked up to bp, hr, they take some blood and we wait maybe an hour. The ER dr comes in and calls for a chest x-ray. 

So as I am there bp goes up, hr has dropped from 60 on Wednesday to Friday at 1 or so an hr is at 42. 

Around 3 my hr has dropped to 38, my bp maxes at 217/116. The dr, my nurse, another nurse and a tech all rush in. I am immediately administered lasix to help aid in removing the fluid and they give me something to bring my bp down. 

My obgyn calls and so does my cardiologist. (Both wanted to be informed if I was going to the ER post delivery) they decide admitting me to the cardiac unit of the hospital is the best idea for the current moment.  

So Friday around 5 pm they admit me. Put me on another slow mag drip. 

Within 2 hours of being there the person in the room next to me flat lines. 

Can I tell you what it feels like to be a medical mystery noone understands and your on the cardiac floor of the hospital at 27. And noone knows what the future hours,minutes, or days hold? Scary stuff. 

The on call dr from my ob comes in saturday morning and tells me say am I definitely have a very latent form of postpartum preeclampsia. Usually manifests within 24 hours of delivery. 

An hour or so later the cardiologist on call for my dr office comes in and tells me he has never personally seen a case like mine. 

His exact words. "I don't know how to tell you this but, the Rythems from your echo and what I can tell you look good, you have mitral valve regurgitation, which to some degree is normal, but your in chronic heart failure. Hopefully one day the heart rate will normalize. Have a nice day. Your dr will call you."

Ummm wow buddy, wha???? Chronic heart failure???? I am not an 88 yr old granny!!!! 

I was kept overnight. Flooded with magnesium 3 more times. An 2 more doses of lasix. 

Did I mention magnesium gives you the effect your on fire? I thought flames were launching from my ears!!!! 

They stopped the lasix Mid afternoon Saturday July 6 to prevent me from going into kidney failure. (Kind if them huh?)

(But the swelling left, 14 pounds of fluid to be exact) 

So here I sit, with 3 beautiful babies. Was told by ob and cardiologist I am to Never get pregnant again. Cardiologists words were "well hunny, your heart could literally explode in delivery." 

Oookay then. And for now... Possibly forever I am in chronic heart failure. 

The rest is pretty uncertain. My diet must change and I could now be at higher risk for heart attacks. 

Just thankful it was nothing worse, I am alive and the baby is healthy. 

However, now I am determined to be in the best shape and health of my life. 

Sooo operation heart health has begun!!! 

Oh, and keeping up with these crazies!