Just over a year ago I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome.

Two weeks before my diagnosis I had experienced migraines and blurry vision. My OB at the time said that since I was prone to migraines, it wasn’t a cause for concern. I also had increased swelling in my face and hands - another common symptom of pregnancy, which didn’t seem abnormal. It wasn’t until I had a bad fall a couple of days before my diagnosis that I realized something was wrong. I had extreme swelling in my ankle and foot after my fall, and I could barely put weight on it. Then when I experienced severe pain in my abdomen on the upper right side, I knew something was really wrong and that I needed to go to the hospital. My husband took me to Labor and Delivery to get checked, and within minutes I was put on a magnesium drip to prevent a stroke or seizure - my blood pressure at the time was 200/100. We went from having one nurse in the room, to around 10 healthcare workers who seemed panicked. I was told that my stomach pain was a result of my liver starting to fail. The doctor and nurses explained that I would need to have an emergency c-section within hours, as the medication was not lowering my blood pressure. I was sent by ambulance to another hospital, as I was only 29 weeks pregnant and that hospital could only support babies born after 32 weeks. I was in shock, and my husband and I were very worried for our baby. 

After being in the ICU for a couple of days following my emergency c-section (I missed seeing our son for the first two days because I was too sick), and 8 more days in the hospital - I was sent home. It was heartbreaking to leave without our son. He stayed in the NICU for 64 days, and then 10 days in a special care nursery at another hospital before we brought him home. He is a little fighter who overcame so many obstacles - born at just 2 pounds and 9 ounces and placed in an incubator and on a CPAP. We are grateful for the amazing care we both received. For months after we went home from the hospital I was followed by the hospital’s vascular clinic, and my son was cared for by doctors at the NICU follow up clinic. My blood pressure finally returned to normal levels after being on blood pressure medications for a month and a half following his birth. We just celebrated my son’s first birthday, and he is a happy and healthy little guy! It’s scary to think about how things could’ve turned out so differently. I wish I had been more aware of the signs of Preeclampsia so that my condition could have been managed, and not reached such a critical point.