My Diagnosis - The Beginning

On December 9, 2016, almost 3 months after delivering my lovebug (our baby girl), I flew to Panama City Beach with my family.  Lovebug’s first plane ride was easier than we anticipated and we were looking forward to a busy vacation.  We were having a great time shopping, eating, and sightseeing, but late in the evening on December 10th I became short of breath.  I couldn't lie down so I didn't get much sleep.  For about a month, I felt a lot of pressure when I held my newborn on my chest, especially if I was lying flat.   During the previous month, I woke up two or three nights gasping for air but this night was different.  It went from occasional discomfort to persistent shortness of breath.

The next day we went shopping and I had a hard time getting in and out of the car.  The seat belt, especially the one in the back seat, was so uncomfortable.  I felt a pain in my chest and I was extremely bloated.  I am not exactly sure how much weight I gained in the few weeks before our trip, but I would guess I was about five to seven pounds heavier than I was 7 or 8 weeks after the baby. 

Now usually I hop on WebMD and diagnose myself.  Most of the time MY diagnosis is more serious than whatever the doctor concludes (if I go to the doctor).  This time, I thought I had pulled a muscle or something (not sure what) so I layered on some OTC muscle rub and kept going.

Later that day, we went to sit on the beach and I could barely make it up the stairs on the way back to the hotel.  I had to walk slowly, hold on tightly to the rail and rest every three steps.  By the time I reached the top, Sean had already rinsed the sand from his feet and put on his shoes.   Again, that night I couldn't breathe.  I tried everything: sitting up in the bed, sitting in a chair and sitting out on the balcony.  Nothing seemed to help.  It was very difficult trying to breastfeed and almost impossible for me to hold lovebug for any period of time.  Eventually, I gave up and Sean had to take over and feed her formula throughout the night while I tried to get comfortable.

Sitting on the beach

The temperature on Monday was a little warmer.  We decided to go to the hotel's heated pool.  I tried to swim from one end of the pool to the other but I couldn't breathe.  After the pool, we sat in the hot tub.  I hoped it would help my sore muscles.  Looking back, I know that I didn’t make the best choices, but I had no idea what was wrong with me.  That night, I didn't sleep at all.  At one point, while sitting on the balcony, I had a panic attack which made my shortness of breath even worse.  I felt at that moment that I should go to the ER but I calmed myself because I didn’t want to wake Sean and lovebug or “ruin” our vacation.

We left Panama City on Tuesday, December 13th. I didn't feel well during the car ride to the airport, maneuvering through the airport with our belongings and during the flight.  I felt even worse when we arrived back in Houston and tried to get our luggage to the car.  While we were waiting for the shuttle, I called my primary care physician to make an appointment for the next day.

Lovebug had a Long Day

I just want to add a thank you to Sean (superman) who carried lovebug, carried all our bags, took care of lovebug, took care of me, got us back to our home with multiple bags, suitcases and a stroller and countless other feats ……………………….



Daddy and Lovebug