My husband and I have been married for 2 years now. I remember when our dating first became serious I felt it necessary to talk with him about my health history and the potential complications that could surface if we started a family.
When I was 17 a physical therapist told me in no-uncertain-terms that I should never bear a child, if I did I would destroy my operations and bind myself to a wheelchair permanently. She also told me that if I had the audacity to become pregnant that I shouldn’t attempt it after I was 30. She was very emotional in her opinion and scared me very much. I discussed this with him and well as my history of epilepsy, a small heart defect that I have, a stroke I had at the age of 22 and how all those things could factor into pregnancy.
I was nervous that I had scared away this wonderful man with my conversation, but 4 weeks later he proposed.
We entered our marriage very cautious to avoid pregnancy until we had a better understanding of how it would affect my body. On top of learning about my “other” health problems, we decided that we needed a more up-to-date and unbiased opinion on how my CP and pregnancy would affect each other. We did not want to make choices based on my childhood fears. We saved all our money, waited until we obtained good health insurance, and then started to see doctors.
At first this was a very discouraging process, it seemed that we would only receive a negative response. Then we started to obtain specialist advice, a doctor would clear me for this health problem or that health problem and I would move to another doctor for the next specific issue. My last piece to the puzzle included a heart test and a discussion with a cardiologist. He cleared me for pregnancy and to my utter surprise also reversed my diagnosis of stroke. I guess the episode didn’t qualify, although it certainly did adversely affect me and leave a hole in my brain. That is a conversation for another time and place, though.
The appointment was incredibly liberating! and we were pregnant—days later. I guess Heavenly Father didn’t want us to make us wait any longer.
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As far as my legs go we now expect (based on an orthopedic surgeon’s opinion) that my mobility will be impaired starting midway through my pregnancy but that I should return to “my normal” after loosing the baby weight. No bending or twisting of bone should occur. I’m very interested to see how everything turns out.
This blog will also cover my postpartum rehabilitation, I expect it will be hard work.
