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Our Stories-Our Stories-How to Share Your Story Jackie My daughter, Emily Kathryn, was stillborn at 31 weeks because my liver ruptured. We now believe the cause of the rupture to be HELLP Syndrome, a severe form of pre-eclampsia. My story began August 21st, 2000. I was having severe pain in my upper back, straight through to the front of my chest. I was about 30 weeks along. I also had nausea and other flu-like symptoms. Everything got progressively worse as the week went on. I went to the doctor's office on the 23rd and gave a urine sample, but didn't see the doctor. I went to the hospital at 3 am on the 24th, gave another urine sample and was put on the baby monitor for a few hours, then was sent home with no explanation. (I've since found out that my protein was significantly high at that point.) I went to the doctor's office on the 24th and was seen by the nurse practitioner who felt my back and diagnosed it as a pulled muscle, once again ignoring my vomiting, etc…The doctor called later that day and sent me to a chiropractor. The back pain continued to grow and move into my abdomen. By the time I went to the chiropractor again on the 25th, I could barely walk. After yet another sleepless night, I went into the hospital again on the 26th. My husband had to practically carry me. I arrived about 10 am and once again the baby appeared to be fine so they let me sit there for about an hour. They lost her heartbeat at 11:21am and began rushing around (the doctor still had not arrived). The nurses drew blood for the first time(without a doctor's order) at 11:25 am. When the doctor arrived, he informed us that our baby had died of placental abruption, and I would have to deliver. He was even considering inducing me! I was sent down to have an ultrasound done. Before the technician could begin I was called back up because the blood test showed my blood count to be half of what it should have been. It wasn't until he opened me up for the c-section that he realized the extent of the problem. My abdominal cavity was full of blood. Another surgeon was called in and he made another incision from my belly button up about 8 inches. They found that my liver had ruptured, patched it up a bit, stapled me shut and arranged to have me flown to another hospital where I would be under the care of a liver specialist. I received a total of 11 units of blood, was intubated for 1-2 days, in ICU for 3 days (in the hospital a total of 12 days), had a chest tube in draining a partially collapsed lung for 8 of those days. After our daughter was born, my husband was able to hold her for a short time. I wasn't able to see or hold her until 5 days after that because of my health issues. By that time they had already performed the autopsy and so she didn't look the same. Emily was 4 pounds 1 ounce, 17 inches long. She was a beautiful girl. I honestly feel that if Emily had not died right then, I would have been sent home again to bleed to death. I also believe that she would be alive if someone had diagnosed the problem when I began to complain or even the first time I was admitted into the hospital. A simple blood test was all that stood between those outcomes. I am still very much a grieving mommy. Emily was our first child, and for now our only. I still have a hematoma on my liver and will have another MRI done in May to verify that it's all gone. We hope to begin trying for another baby this summer. Jackie Back to Our Stories
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