A Mother's Journey: Heart Surgery and Healing

Hello!

If you know me, you know that I am one that will never ask for help unless it was actually needed as it’s hard for me to swallow my pride and be vulnerable to others. So if you’re here, thank you and I apologize for the long post.

On 2/23/25 (28 weeks pregnant) I was folding laundry when all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain across my back. After my husband not being able to touch it due to the pain I went to the hospital. I thought possibly a pulled muscle or maybe gallbladder as I’ve known it’s needed to come out. I never once gave my weekend of tiredness or just not feeling right a thought because I had also just hit third trimester of pregnancy.

Upon arriving at the ER, my blood pressure was over 230/140 (somewhere around there I was also diagnosed with preeclampsia. My levels were over 19,000). After hours at the hospital, the pain had kind of subsided. However, after negative blood work and other testing they had ran a CT scan. That gave the diagnoses of an aortic dissection. Right then and there, I knew my life was about the change. Immediately they called an OB incase of a crash c-section, life flight and Danville Hospital. Thankfully, I didn’t need to have our little girl at that moment and I got a shot of steroids to help her lungs.

After arriving to Danville I was greeted off the helicopter by a BUNCH of doctors. Cardiology, vascular surgery, OB etc.. They tried their hardest to lower my blood pressure without affecting our baby girl, but unfortunately her heart rate fell and they had perform a crash c-section. Due to our home being 2 hours from Danville, my husband wasn’t able to be present.

During my hospital stay my blood pressure medications changed a bunch due to my pressure needed to stay under 110/60 to prevent a further tear. I needed to be intubated due to filling with fluid and needing an exploratory imaging of my heart due to my heart condition. During this 13 day stay I was unable to physically see my 2 children at home and I wasn’t able to see my premature baby until day 11 on my own, but the nurses were great and brought her to me twice.

Fast forward a month (end of March) I had a follow up scan to see if my tear healed, stayed the same or grew. That would determine if I needed surgery or not. Unfortunately, it grew 4mm and that was enough to need Surgery which is scheduled for June 3rd and June 18th. I am needing 2 due to my heart condition. Our daughter is currently still in the NICU and still needing to learn to eat out of a bottle.

During my recovering time from the surgeries (about 2 months) I will be without pay due to not having short term disability through work. In today’s world it is hard to survive off of one income and with 3 kids we want to ensure we are ok. We are ahead on our car payment right now which is our biggest bill, but between having to go to and from Danville for both my daughter and I, any extra would be appreciated!

At just 24/25 I never knew I would be facing something so hard. Soon there will be a medical story written about me because I am such a rare case! If you read through all of this, thank you.

Nothing is expected, but good thoughts our way is even better!

UPDATE: My surgery scheduled for 6/18 was cancelled. Unfortunately I will be out of work longer as my surgery was delayed over a month.