Hi @kbreder ,

My name is Amanda. I am so glad you found this group. I hope you will feel a sense of support and connection here.

I will share a little bit of my story. My son was born via C-Section in February 2018. Shortly after his birth, my blood pressure dropped rapidly and I was rushed to the Shock Trauma ICU. I was experiencing DIC, most likely from a rare condition known as Amniotic Fluid Embolism. Over the next four hours, I was in surgery for an emergency hysterectomy and blood transfusions of more than 75 units of blood. A social worker was sent out to tell my family I was "actively dying". I survived, but had a difficult road to recovery. I was in a coma for seven days, then in the ICU for several more weeks.

I can very much relate to your words, "life has been so very different". A mentor for me in this group helped me realize that life altering medical experiences like ours often necessitate a need for grieving. It seems strange to be grieving since no one has died, but we must acknowledge the losses and changes we have experienced.

Understanding the nature of PICS and Post Traumatic Stress has also been important in my recovery.

If you are interested, I'd be happy to share more that has helped me, but I don't want to overwhelm.

Best wishes to you, my new survivor friend.

Amanda Grow

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