I have what?!

     After a few hours of being poked and prodded, the cardiologist came in and explained what was going on and what they needed to do.  I was finally told what was wrong with me.  I was in congestive heart failure due to Postpartum Cardiomyopathy.  My lungs were completely filled with fluid because my heart was so weak it couldn't pump properly.  It was causing the extra fluid in my body to build up around my heart and get backed up into my lungs.  That was why I couldn't breathe when I laid down and why my blood pressure was so high. 

"Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy that is defined as deterioration in cardiac function, presenting typically between the last month of pregnancy and up to five months postpartum.  As with other forms of dilated cardiomyopathy,  PPCM involves systolic dysfunction of the heart with a decrease of the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) with associated congestive heart failure and an increased risk of atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, thromboembolic events (blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot), and even sudden cardiac death.  In essence, the heart is weakened and does not pump sufficiently for the needs of the body.

     PPCM is a diagnosis of exclusion, wherein patients have no prior history of heart disease and there are no other known possible causes of heart failure.  Echo cardiogram is used to both diagnose and monitor the effectiveness of treatment for PPCM."

 I was told that I couldn't breastfeed Evan because the medications I needed would leach into the milk and make him sick.  I was sad, but they said that I could pump and dump so that when I went home and was off the medication, I would be able to breastfeed again.  My mom figured that the breast milk I had pumped earlier wouldn't last too long, so she had already taken care of getting some formula so Evan could eat.  He was already getting used to it by the time he was admitted for his jaundice, so I wasn't too worried.   They administered an obscene amount of nitroglycerin to try and lower my blood pressure and a blood thinner so my already weak heart didn't have to work so hard to pump my blood.  I was also put on a diuretic to get rid of the extra fluid in my body.  I was still on oxygen, but was finally able to be put on the nose hose instead of the C-pap. Yay!  After a few hours, they moved me to the Intensive Care Unit which I would learn to call home for the next few days...