I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia when I was in my 26th week. I woke

Posted On Tuesday, September 07, 2010  by

I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia when I was in my 26th week.  I woke up on the night before an OB appointment and was so dizzy, had a major headache and had visual disturbances.  I was barely able to drive to my OB appointment (husband was out of town so he couldn't take me).  At the doctor's appointment they took my blood pressure (BP) and it was 210 over 122 and they found I had protein in my urine.  They immediately sent me over to the triage unit at a well known high risk hospital in the valley where I was admitted to the hospital where they performed more tests and determined I had severe preeclampsia. 

I had been putting on much weight during my pregnancy and had significant swelling in my hands, feet, and also my face (additional signs of preeclampsia).  Prior to this everyone kept telling me the swelling and excess weight gain was normal and I shouldn't be concerned.  Other than this, my pregnancy had gone so smoothly and was very uneventful up I was diagnosed with PE.

I was in the hospital for 9 days desperately hoping my symptoms would be stable enough to keep my precious Sophia inside of me for as long as possible (at least to 32 weeks which is a major milestone for a baby's development). I was given an IV drip of BP meds and the nurses checked my BP every 4 hours the entire time I was hospitalized.  Even with the BP medications I was being given every 4 hours, my BP wasn