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Heart transplant recipient, I had a child despite the advice of doctors
Very young, my heart made me see all the colors! At the age of 9, I had a heart attack… At 12, it was impossible for me to make the slightest effort, to climb a staircase and soon to walk. I was fainting all the time! At 12 and a half, my vital prognosis was engaged : I absolutely had to transplant a new heart, otherwise I would lose my life. After a few months of waiting, I was lucky that I was transplant a brand new heart : I was 13 years old at the time. The operation went off without a hitch and life opened its arms to me: I could walk again without any problem, have a normal teenage life, or almost. The only thing that was very painful was taking the anti-rejection medication every eight hours. Four months after the transplant, I went back to school, I became like the others again, except that my heart was beating very fast and team sports were forbidden to me.
A desire for a child so strong
When I was 16, I started to have complexes. I did not accept my body with its huge scar on the chest … Obviously, I was sure that no boy was not going to be interested in me : I thought I was not quite “normal”. And then, at 17, I fell madly in love with a boy my age. I was sure I didn’t have a chance with him, and yet he found me beautiful and nice, and soon we dated. Quickly, I told her that I had had a heart transplant: to my surprise, it didn’t change her feelings. He was the one who reassured me when I told him that I didn’t understand that he got attached to a girl like me!
At 23, we got married and for me, it was obvious that I would have a child by the man I loved… Obviously, I spoke to my cardiologist who was more than reluctant. . Without completely forbidding me, he explained to me that a pregnancy could cause rejection risk. I was desperate, but I did not want to give up. I searched the Internet for documentation and found testimonials from women with heart transplants who had nevertheless become mothers, without any particular problem. It gave me hope. I then saw my doctor again who, in front of my desire for a child so strong, then simply advised me to have only one. He explained to me that they were going to change my anti-rejection treatment and change me to an immunosuppressant, this drug that prevents rejection. It relieved me to have the green light, even if he reluctantly gave it, I do! I then tried to get pregnant, but had three miscarriages in a row, which had nothing to do with my transplant. Finally, after about a year and a half, I got pregnant again: this time everything worked and I became pregnant.
To be on the safe side, at my doctor’s request, I stopped working very quickly and got as much rest as possible. When I first felt my baby move, I was moved to tears. ?? I had of course a very rigorous follow-up: in addition to the usual ultrasounds, I had five heart ultrasounds to check how my heart was reacting. The only time I got nervous was when the doctor ordered a fetal ultrasound to check my baby’s heart. Fortunately, everything was fine.
The obstetrician told me that I would have a cesarean section to avoid a vaginal birth, which would take too much effort on my heart. It made me particularly sad that I couldn’t give birth normally. I then managed to convince my doctor to let me give birth to my child naturally, and finally, my child was born in record time : in four hours he was there! I didn’t have time to tire my heart!
My son, my happiness
At birth, my little boy was not very big since he weighed 2,380 kg for 45 cm. It is true that he was born almost three weeks in advance. My cardiologist warned me that women with heart transplants often give birth prematurely. But despite its featherweight, my baby was doing very well. He was very quickly given a heart ultrasound which showed that he had a perfectly functioning heart. I would have breastfed my baby, but the doctors strongly advised against it because of the anti-rejection drugs I was taking every day and which could be found in my milk. This time, I listened to them without complaining! Today my little guy is 5 years old and he is bright as lightning : it is a real happiness! He knows about my transplant: he saw my scar and it doesn’t seem to bother him more than that. I know that I am a miracle, I have come a long way, but I look forward to the future with confidence. If I had listened to the doctors, I would never have had children! I understand that they are very careful and do not wish to take risks with patients like me, but I followed my instincts and I was right to do it. Today I have a family, a job, a house and I feel good in my mum’s sneakers! The only thing is that I have to continue my anti-rejection treatment for life. Now, I take one capsule in the morning, one in the evening, which is ultimately not that bad, and my heart is in great shape. Of course, I’m not going to tempt fate: despite my desire, I will only have one child, which is already extraordinary for someone who has had the health journey that is mine. Sentenced at the age of 13, twenty years later, I live surrounded by the love of my son and my husband. My life, ultimately, is a beautiful story of the heart!