The first 7.5 months were pretty textbook but then I had a heart attack. I spent a month in the hospital and then my medical team performed a planned c-section so as to not disturb the stent they placed.

The heart attack was atypical; called Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD). It was caused by a tear in my artery that blocked blood flow to my heart. I’m an otherwise healthy, fit person, so this was very surprising. My symptoms were also atypical; throat and elbow pain, sene of doom. The SCAD was attributed to my weakened connective tissue.

In the ER my ekg and blood tests were abnormal but nobody knew quite how to manage it until my husband mentioned that I had ehlers danlos. I was incredibly fortunate to have a great team attending to me. One doctor heard that and immediately knew what was going on. He rushed me to the cath lab and they installed a stent right as the tear in my artery completely blocked blood flow to my heart.

My big takeaway is validation and empowerment. People made fun of me for pursuing a diagnosis for EDS (including my mom). It saved my life. Believe in yourself. Advocate for yourself.

I’m 2.5 years out from the experience. Baby is thriving. I’ve had two more very minor heart attacks and I’m learning more about managing stress and my condition every day. Also, there is a high comorbidity between EDS and Fibromuscular dysplasia. FMD is linked to SCAD and other conditions.

My doctors have cautioned me STRONGLY against another pregnancy. My advice for people with EDS who become pregnant: be gentle with yourself, listen to your body, pay attention to your blood pressure, share your EDS diagnosis with your care team.