Hi my name is Kathy Myers. I have two beautiful daughters, Kristina and Melissa. I was 30 years old when I was diagnosed with PPCM with my second child. The pregnancy itself was not too bad until the last month. I was in and out of the hospital due to false labor that took me to 4 cm dilated but no further. The last two weeks of my pregnancy got really uncomfortable and I had to sleep quite frequently in a rocking chair. I just felt like my lungs were being smooshed when I laid down. On March 27, 2000, I went in for my weekly check-up. My Ob said I was in labor and so he sent me to the hospital to have them break my water and put me out of my misery. When I arrived my Bp was kind of high for me but they assumed it was from the excitement of soon having a baby. I arrived at the hospital at about 11:00 am and my husband arrived shortly after. Everything was going well, except my blood pressure and my heart rate, which was hovering around 120 laying in bed. Melissa also was not cooperating. She insisted on having her hand on her forehead, and every time the dr. moved her hand she moved it back. At 7:28pm that same day she was delivered via C-section. She was 9 lbs, 2oz and five days early. They wheeled me to the recovery room and waited for my vitals to stabilize. My Bp was around 140/100 and just wasn’t going down. They decided it might take awhile and since I seemed fine laying half reclined in bed, they sent me to a room around midnight. I could not really sleep, I felt kind of flu like and just not well. About midday on the 28th I got up to try and go to the bathroom. I was dry heaving like crazy and could not even drink water without having trouble. I couldn’t go and when I came back to bed I could not breathe. I dug for my inhaler, but that didn’t work. The nurse came in to check on me and asked if I was okay. I told her not really, that I was having trouble catching my breath. I swear it was in seconds that room was totally full of medical personal. I heard them say something about it possibly being a blood clot in my lungs. I was kind of losing control and feeling like I just wanted everyone to leave so I could concentrate in my breathing, but they kept trying to put oxygen masks on, which only made me panic. I am usually really trusting of doctors and nurses but I felt so out of control during this time. The last thing I remember is being wheeled somewhere, so they could check out my lungs. I must have lost consciousness’ from lack of oxygen is all I can figure. Thank God that a cardiologist decided to test my heart, and at the time found it to be at 10% EF. They weren’t sure I would even make it to a facility to get a transplant or a heart pump. The next day(Wednesday) I was life flighted two hours away to Cleveland Clinic. It wasn’t until Friday that I “woke up” and knew what had happened. Even then I was very week and could barely talk. I was finally able to leave ICU and get a real room so I could shower on Sunday evening, which was a big thing for me. I had given birth a week ago at the time and was feeling really icky. I surprised my doctor at the rate in which I improved and was able to leave the hospital almost two weeks after my daughter’s birth. I had entered the hospital on March 27 having gained 60 pounds and by mid the next week had lost it all. I still remember being weighed like a a huge fish and with the swan thing still coming out my neck. I entered a heart rehab program 2 months after arriving home and within two week was feeling a ton more active. Currently my EF is around 35-45, depends on who is doing the echo. I pretty much do everything I would have done without this disease except that I have to be more serious about getting to the gym at least three times a week. When I don’t my energy level starts to fall slowly. I thank God everyday for allowing me to hold that little baby again and for allowing me to raise these two beautiful girls. Currently I am taking Coreg (12.5), Captopril(25), Lanoxin(125mcg), and Spironolactone(12.5).