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Well I start my story saying I had no idea that I was a ticking |
| Well I start my story saying I had no idea that I was a ticking time bomb. This was my 3rd pregnancy. My other pregnancies were normal. No high blood pressure, or diabetes. The babies were healthy and we went home together. So I am going through my third pregnancy with no morning sickness or fatigue which was uncommon for me because I suffered terribly from morning sickness with both of my girls. I would go to the OB regularly and my blood pressure would be fine. I had severe swelling and the doctor would tell me that it was my salt intake. I would casually tell him that I eat ok. My coworkers made sure of that. No eating junkfood everyday for me. On my 30wk visit my OB is concerned because the nurse tells him that I have +3 proteins in my urine. He tells me that I would need to go to the hospital and be admitted and complete a 24 hour urine collection. My only concern was my baby. He told me the baby is fine but we need to make sure you are ok. I am looking at him like he is crazy. Like what do you mean. He didn't tell me I could be preeclamptic. He thought my liver or kidneys were failing. I go to the hospital and the OB on call says I have a UTI and sends me home to still do the collection and a perscription for Macrobid. Because my BP was never elevated the subject of preeclampsia wasn't discussed or the severity of it. So I went home filled the perscription and went on as normal. I had no headaches, blurred vision, high BP everything was normal. Or so I thought. Needless to say because I didn't know that I could die or that my unborn son could have died I never did the 24 hour urine collection. I am ashamed to say that because of my ignorance about PE I went 2 weeks not completing the test. But while at work my back started hurting really bad and I couldn't concentrate on anything I was just sitting there slumped over the desk. I thought there maybe something actually wrong with my kidney or liver because thats what the initial thought wa. I called my childrens father and asked him to pick me up and take me to the hospital because I felt terrible. I get to the hospital and the Triage doctor comes to us and asked me if I realized that I could have died or my baby could have died because I hadn't completed the 24 collection. I was dumbfounded. She asks me if I could take the test at home and complete it on the coming Sunday. I said yes I could. But my childrens father told her NOT to let me leave the hospital because he knew that I may not take it again dealing with a 4 year old and a 9 month old at home. The doctor listened to him. I completed the 24 hour urine collection and to my horror I had 15 grams of protein in my urine. I had to be given medication for contractions because the doctors weren't comfortable with me having that many contractions at 32 weeks. I was told that I needed to complete another collection and upon those results it would be determined whether my 32 wk old son would be delivered. For the swelling they told me to walk around to have circulation to my legs. I did as much as I could without getting too tired. Then the results of the second collection came back...... Instead of 15 grams there were 25 grams now. It was time for me to deliver because I was getting worse before I was getting better. They did a BPP to make sure my son was ok and not in distress. Those results came back fine. I was given steroids to make his lungs strong. I was given Magnesium Sulfate so I wouldn't have seizures. I was scared because they had the NICU doctor come and talk to us and gave my childrens father a tour of the NICU. While I knew they were very good at what they do I was terrified. I was taken for a C section October , 2007 and my son was born at 1:45p.m. He weighed 4lbs 1 oz and came into the world crying to let me know he was here. He was taken to the NICU. I stayed in the hospital from October 26, 2007 to November 9, 2007. My son had a cannula, a umbilical line, a feeding tube, and spent the first few days of his life in an isolette. He was doing fairly well amd was in an open air crib until he was 13 days old when he had an SVT and his heart rate elevated to almost 300 bpm. He was given digoxin to keep his heart rate stable. He then had a breakthrough SVT a few days later. He is strong. He was able to come home the following week on a heart monitor. He should be coming off the monitor next month, and the digoxin when he is about 6 months old. I am blessed that my ignorance didn't take the most precious thing you could be given: My LIFE and my BABY. I have no intentions of having anymore children because this experience has traumatized me, and I am not willing to take any chances like I took having my son. |
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