AFE Survivor, Amanda C

Mar 6, 2024 | AFE Stories, AFE Survivor

I went in to the hospital for an induction at 40 weeks and had been 1 cm dilated for four weeks. The epidural experience was amazing and better than the first two I had with my other two children. About an hour to two hours after having the epidural my doctor came in to break my water. All was still progressing normally.

While I was laying down they were making sure I was feeling well and began to move me to confirm that the emergency transfer blanket was under me. As they sat me up, I immediately started to feel like I couldn’t breathe, and my chest felt like a ton of bricks were on it. I felt like nauseous. I was screaming that I couldn’t breathe and that I needed help. The nurses started shouting that my stats were fine, but I wasn’t fine.

Suddenly, my heart rate sky rocketed and my oxygen levels dropped dangerously low. The next thing I know, my doctor is screaming to get me to the OR and I was rushed down. I was begging them to save my life and not to let me die. I got into the OR and was told to breathe in the anesthesia as I was still begging them to save me. This all happened within 30 minutes of my water breaking.

My son was taken by C-section in less than 5 minutes. He was life flighted to another hospital to undergo a cooling treatment where he spent a total of 13 days fighting and ultimately surviving. .I woke up in the ICCU the next day around 5 am and was confused and intubated and trying to pull the tubes out. I had no idea what had happened and I just wanted my baby and had no idea I had been out as long I was. My son was born a 1:52 pm 1/24/23 and I woke up on 1/25/23. I spent a total of five days in the ICCU for my recovery and when I found out it was AFE that caused this, I was so confused. I’m still so confused to how my blood had an allergy reaction to something that my body helped produce. I had kidney issues and had to have many blood and plasma transfusions. It was diagnosed I had an AFE and DIC. To this day I’m still learning how to cope with my trauma and everything that happened. I had bruises covering my entire body. I had to have a g tube placed for the gas trauma on my stomach and it caused incredible pain. I face heart problems to this day. My son turned one on 1/24/2024

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