My story starts like many others women’s stories. I wanted a baby, finally got pregnant (almost 2 years later), had a wonderful pregnancy, bought every gadget and whosewhatsit that they sell for babies nowadays. I was ready to meet my girl and I was ecstatic!!
Emily decided to make her entrance 1 week early. I cried with excitement knowing I’d be meeting the sweet angel I’ve prayed all my life to have. Emily arrived 22 1/2 hours later. I was exhausted, hadn’t slept in 36 hours, hadn’t eaten anything in 24 hours; but all the exhaustion went away when I saw her sweet face. Finally, my world was complete!
The nurses left us to ourselves to settle in for the night. After feeding her, changing her and getting blood drawn every two hours through the night, I had been awake over 48 hours. That’s when it set in-the overwhelming anxiety. What is this feeling? I should be on top of the world but instead I wanted to run, hide and not function anymore. Anxiety overwhelmed me. The hospital staff was great but did not offer the support I needed to understand what was happening. No one told me this could happen! No one explained that I could feel this awful.
Thank God for the support of my husband, friends, family and my OB doctor. We found some medicines to ease the anxiety and a great counselor that helped me get back on track. Some days were great, others were dark and awful. I would be so overwhelmed with anxiety and fear I could not function. Days were not days, they were minutes….. then hours…… then finally they became days again. The struggle became less and less difficult and soon the anxiety was not a daily part of my life.
I’m still on my healing journey. I am still learning how to cope but no longer wondering why this happened to me, or when will I be back to me. Instead, I joined a kick butt team of women that educate others about maternal mental illness.
Postpartum Progress’ Climb Out of the Darkness™ is the world’s largest event raising awareness of maternal mental illnesses. Climb Out is held on or near the longest day of the year annually to help shine the most light on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The event features mothers and others across the globe joining together to climb mountains and hike trails to represent their symbolic rise out of the darkness of maternal mental illness and into the light of hope and recovery. Funds raised support the 501c3 Organization Postpartum Progress (http://postpartumprogress.org)
I am hosting a climb
Saturday, June 20th at 12:00pm
at Vereen Memorial Gardens, Little River, South Carolina.
To help support me, you can join the climb (everyone is invited, women, men, babies, fur babies!) Everyone over 18 years old is asked to register. It is free and easy. Just follow my link: https://www.crowdrise.com/lisabland1-cotd2015/fundraiser/lisabland1
If you are busy that day but would still like to show your support, please consider donating. Over one million women in the U.S. will suffer from a maternal mental illness this year and only 15% of those women will get the help needed. Let’s change that! Let’s shine light on this illness and make a difference. #climbout #warriormom
Check out our awesome FIGHT SONG starring CFOIB athletes: https://www.crowdrise.com/COTD2015
Thank you for taking the time to read my story!
Love & Happiness,
Lisa Bland, CFOIB Athlete since 2012