I Suffered From Postpartum Depression and Didn't Even Know It

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota

It wasn't until after my fourth child was a toddler that I realized I had experienced Postpartum Depression (PPD) after the birth of each of my children.

I'm a smart person. I read all the books and knew all the signs. Or so I thought.

Looking back now, I wish I had done something more than just assume what I was feeling was "the baby blues." You know, I thought it was normal to cry at the drop of a hat and feel anxious about leaving the house.

So not normal at all.

I'm pretty sure if I had known more, I would have gotten help. And maybe those early months would have been better, for me and my family.

Many new moms (and their partners) are aware of some of the symptoms of PPD. But there are lots of other symptoms that are not as widely known. Add in the talk about the "baby blues" and it can all be misinterpreted by these new moms and their spouses. In other words, there are too many women out there who are not getting the help they need.

I was definitely one of them.

As I've now since learned, a symptom of postpartum depression can be anxiety. In fact, it can even be the strongest and possibly the only symptom.

See, I would cry a bit at night and during the day, when my colicky baby wouldn't sleep, but because I never felt like harming myself or my baby, I figured I was just hormonal.

However, I was extremely anxious and frequently worried about going out in the car with her or leaving her with anyone. I'd have to have things a certain way or I'd freak out.

But because I'm an anxious person anyway, I suppose those feelings didn't really seem that unusual. And since I did a pretty decent job of coping with it on a regular basis, I figured I wasn't experiencing anything out of the ordinary and could just keep going the way I was.

Boy, was I wrong. The anxiety plus the exhaustion, hormones, and desperate attempts to be the best mom I could be, and it was pretty much disastrous.

Thankfully I was able to power through, but not without struggling every single day feeling like I was doing something wrong. That I wasn't a good enough mother to my children.

That I was somehow failing my baby.

Now that I know more about PPD and how it manifests differently for different women, I want to make sure other mothers know. I want them to feel comfortable reaching out to their friends, family, and doctor. And I want them to understand that if they're feeling like this, it's not just part of being a mom. You should get help and not feel bad about needing it. 

You'll be happier. Your partner will be happier. And your kids will be happier too.

Did you have PPD?

Image via kit4na/Flickr

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Woman Misdiagnosed With Deadly Breast Cancer Suffered Through Chemo for Months

vrijdag 19 juli 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 18 hours ago

If the story about the woman diagnosed with "ghetto booty" didn't horrify you enough, here's another story out of Texas of a woman misdiagnosed with ... stage IV terminal breast cancer. Ugh. Herlinda Garcia's doctor, the late Dr. Ahmad I. Qadri, misread the results of a PET/CT scan and incorrectly thought she had enlarged lymph nodes. The mistake was not noticed until after Garcia had basically been through hell and back, believing she was dying of breast cancer! WOW.

In 2009, Garcia underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor from her left breast, so when Dr. Qadri said she had breast cancer about a month later, she didn't question it. The mother of four gave away her belongings and wrote a bucket list. She proceeded to undergo seven months of chemotherapy treatment and was given anxiety meds to help cope with stress. It wasn't until 2011 that Garcia found out she had been cancer-free since April 2009! Absolutely outrageous.

She found out when she was being treated for anxiety (huh, I wonder why!) and one physician had a hunch Garcia was a-okay, which was confirmed via testing. In fact, according to the medical malpractice lawsuit Garcia filed, "all of Dr. Qadri's treatment had been unnecessary." What. A. Nightmare.

Last week, Garcia was awarded $367,500 in damages against her doctor (which were awarded from his estate, being that he passed away in March of this year). But no amount of money is enough to make up for what she went through.

Hopefully, stories like this only serve to reinforce the importance of getting a second opinion or third or whatever it takes to feel assured that you're getting the right, satisfying answers and treatment plan. I also feel like Garcia's anxiety may have had a lot to do with her intuition telling her that the diagnosis was wrong!

Thank goodness Garcia is no longer living her life in fear of death. With hope, this story inspires others to always ask questions, feel empowered as patients to always ask questions and trust our guts -- just as much or MORE than anyone in a white coat.

What do you make of this horror story? How do you feel about always getting a second opinion?

Click "Like" if you wear a pink ribbon. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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