Supermumma Stories
Kim's Story
I was devastated when they told me I’d have to stay a few more days. It was just too hard having the little guy at the hospital with me, so he visited and breastfed during the day, and went home at night. I would express milk at night and send it home for the next night’s feeds. Being separated from my tiny baby was awful. My breasts were confused, and I kept thinking I could hear him crying, even though he wasn’t there. Setting alarms to wake up and express milk during the night was no fun either. I just wanted to go home.
After a week in hospital, x-rays, CT scans, daily blood and urine tests, an MRI and a kidney biopsy, I was diagnosed with Microscopic Polyangiitis, an autoimmune disease that had really taken its toll on my kidneys.
I needed to start treatment of Prednisolone (a steroid) and Cyclophosphamide (a chemotherapy drug). The Dr explained that the treatment may reduce my chances of conceiving more children. And that I would have to stop breastfeeding. That’s when I broke down.... "