My name is Amanda. I was pregnant with my second child. The whole pregnancy was normal and I had a scheduled C-section due to my first being a failure to progress. I don't remember much at the hospital, but as I was told the delivery was fine. I was in recovery and the nurse checked my vitals and left the room. I was talking and laughing, took a sip of juice, and then fell over.
My husband, best friend and then 5 year old daughter were in the room with me. My husband yelled for help and they came running calling a code blue. I had Sudden Cardiac Death. I suffered multiple cardiac arrests and went into ventricular fibrillation and my heart wouldn't work on it's own. I was shocked dozens of times and they were determined to not give up. They continued to perform CPR and I was placed in hypothermia and a chemical coma. Once I was was stable enough, I was careflighted to Medical City Dallas. There they stabilized my heart and tried to wake me out of the chemical coma. When I finally woke up, I had no idea what was going on or where I was. I started therapy, breathing treatments, and had an ICD placed in. I am diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. Most people have indications, but mine was sudden and quick. After the treatments and 11 days in the hospital, I was then allowed to leave the hospital, able to walk on my own two feet.
-Amanda Haynes