Laura,

HOW FUNNY! Well, and quite sad at the same time. I don't have quite the numbers you do, but just this past week I found out that the PE has hit BOTH sides of my family...I know my mom, grandmother and great aunt had it and just found out that my cousin (on my dad's side) did also. Hmph. Though, they all had it with first pg's. Wonder what that means? lol

Catherine (22)
DH Britton (27)
Emma Margaret (03/02/03) 37 weeks from PIH & oligo

You and your fellow princesses ALL should get the coagulation tests done. Maybe you could have them gather at your house and have the lab tech come to you--like a Tupperware party! When I got my positive MTHFR result, I sent a group e-mail to my family to get checked. Their insurance companies wouldn't pay for the genetic testing, but I believe they all got their homocysteine levels checked. Yay!

Carol (38)
DH Bill (39)
Tara Mairichi
12/7-12/9, 2002
The Mightiest Little Angel

Laura, have you ever seen that Farside cartoon, the one with the deer/moose in the forest with the target on his belly? The other moose/deer comments "H*ll of a birthmark, Hal". Do you think that such could be adapted for you unfortunate preeclampsia princesses?

Catherine (37)
DH, Dave (40)
Finn (6)
Lucy (2)
Chloe (7/2/03)

HAHA I tried the chocolate and foot massage and THAT wasn't helpful, I think only cash donations and gift certificates might do the trick[:D] You know, I don't think they would to find anything especially interesting with us, other than good old garden variety underlying chronic hypertension. I really should have the coagulation tests done, tho.

And Catherine- oh you know Captain Insano over here...my cousin's fiance must think I'm crazy. teehee- Preeclampsia zealot. I'm like- how can you guys be bugging her and visting her and letting her take phone calls on the MAG? leave her alone!

Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/

Look at it this way, Laura: Large families with a strong predisposition can be a valuable research tool. It's not fair,[:(] but there IS a bright side. Maybe you could all give blood samples so they can isolate the elusive Preeclampsia Factor. And maybe it could be counteracted with a strict regimen of chocolate and foot massage! And maybe we could find an extra $87 billion sitting around somewhere to spend on prenatal care! I can dream, can't I?[8D]

Carol (38)
DH Bill (39)
Tara Mairichi
12/7-12/9, 2002
The Mightiest Little Angel

Don't panic Laura, I know I'm being facetious but if you lock Allie up in a convent until she's around 30, that gives Dr. Easterling and the others about 25 years to come up with something better than bedrest!

It's a fair point though, my OB has warned me that when the girls are old enough to get pregnant they need to know that they have a higher risk of PE than the average. A great legacy no? I worry about my sister too. She's due in April and although she's never had any problems... darn it, I didn't look like a PE candidate. I stalk her answering machine asking about her OB visits. Did you know that in the UK they are actually trying to cut back on prenatal visits? So enlightened. In Ireland she reckons she pays about 300 euros ($325) a visit... such an incentive to encourage people to access good care.

Catherine (37)
DH, Dave (40)
Finn (6)
Lucy (2)
Chloe (7/2/03)

Just found out this evening that my cousin just had her baby by emergency section today because of pe. She's on mag right now- her diastolics were in the 120's. They don't really know anything about it, and my fetish for information remains unquenched[:)]. (what's her 24 hr urine? Are they taking her pressures lying down? Is she peeing? how's her swelling? Any visual disturbances? all answered with a 'huh?') Of course, I'm going nuts.

Now, that makes seven of us who have had pih or PE out of 12 granddaughters who have had children. Talk about sitting ducks! We should just paint a nice red bulls eye on all of us. I don't want my daughters ever to have babies. I couldn't imagine having to watch one of my girls go through this.





Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/