This is how I spend a large portion of each day. Snuggling my boys, meeting their needs while I rest.
I'm thankful for this wonderful ability. I think I would need a lot more help caring for these guys without it.
Tuesday the 25th of November I will find out what the heart failure/transplant team recommends as far as whether I need to go on continuous IV infusion of inotropic drugs that are not compatible with breastfeeding.
Needless to say, I am praying they are not necessary.
I emailed Dr. Weisshaar this morning with some questions about the risk and benefit of those drugs so I can make the best decision about whether to accept them if they are recommended.
When I went to the hospital last weekend, I thought it was most likely the end of my breastfeeding journey, and I felt ready to accept that. So it was an unexpected blessing to have this additional time with my boys. And now I'm not so ready to accept the possibility.
I think a big part of the difference in my attitude stems from what I heard in the hospital about the drugs perhaps not being as beneficial in diastolic heart failure as they are in systolic heart failure, and of the high risk of fatal arrhythmias.
If I'm weighing pros and cons, on the pro side IV inotropes have a possibility for improving my quality of life in terms of exercise tolerance and energy level in the short term, and will put me at a higher priority on the transplant list. On the con side, I'll have to stop breastfeeding, I will have the hassle of a permanent IV including trying to keep small children from yanking it, I'll have a risk of infection, I'll have the risk of fatal arrhythmia and other negative side effects that could shorten my life.
Right now the cons are winning in my mind, so it will take the very strong recommendation by the heart failure/transplant team to get me to accept inotropes.
I'm thankful for this wonderful ability. I think I would need a lot more help caring for these guys without it.
Tuesday the 25th of November I will find out what the heart failure/transplant team recommends as far as whether I need to go on continuous IV infusion of inotropic drugs that are not compatible with breastfeeding.
Needless to say, I am praying they are not necessary.
I emailed Dr. Weisshaar this morning with some questions about the risk and benefit of those drugs so I can make the best decision about whether to accept them if they are recommended.
When I went to the hospital last weekend, I thought it was most likely the end of my breastfeeding journey, and I felt ready to accept that. So it was an unexpected blessing to have this additional time with my boys. And now I'm not so ready to accept the possibility.
I think a big part of the difference in my attitude stems from what I heard in the hospital about the drugs perhaps not being as beneficial in diastolic heart failure as they are in systolic heart failure, and of the high risk of fatal arrhythmias.
If I'm weighing pros and cons, on the pro side IV inotropes have a possibility for improving my quality of life in terms of exercise tolerance and energy level in the short term, and will put me at a higher priority on the transplant list. On the con side, I'll have to stop breastfeeding, I will have the hassle of a permanent IV including trying to keep small children from yanking it, I'll have a risk of infection, I'll have the risk of fatal arrhythmia and other negative side effects that could shorten my life.
Right now the cons are winning in my mind, so it will take the very strong recommendation by the heart failure/transplant team to get me to accept inotropes.
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