Pre-eclampsia

Please realize that this is not a technical description but rather a description of experience.

More information can be found at http://www.preeclampsia.org/

Having given birth to two other children, now ages 12 and 14, I thought I knew what I was in for. Since this was my first summer pregnancy, I had expected to get hot, miserable, and swollen. So when I started to slow down and feel bad, I thought it was par for the course, especially given my age of 40. I must have been feeling really bad for about a month when I went into my scheduled check-up. Protein was found in my urine and my blood pressure was quite elevated. A normal BP for me runs 110/70. The reading at my appointment was now 160/90. The doctors sent me directly to the hospital where they admitted me and started me on the magnesium. "Mag Hell" as the nurses called it.

My first bout with the magnesium was for the standard 24 hours period. Around hour 22 or 23 I started getting concerned that the levels were too high for me. With my wits still about me, I made sure that they checked my levels. The triage doctor came in with the results just as they were taking me off. He claimed that I was still under the therapeutic level. However, he did say that he would have lowered the dose.

Magnesium is typically used to prevent labor and as a side affect, it works to keep the BP down. With this type of disease, it has usually done its job after the first dose. For me, it did not. As soon as I finished my 24 hours and was taken off the drug, my BP continued to climb. A combination of pills did not work. There was no other choice but to get back on the drip.

For me, the side affects of this drug were unbearable. I about lost my mind with my second and third dose. Some of the effects for me were:

Burning sensations
Dire thirst
Loopy vision
Confusion
Hallucinations
Loss of reality
Paranoia

The doctors made the decision to send me back to the delivery room and force me into labor. This lasted for two days, the whole time being on the Magnesium. A final decision was made to take the baby as the drip was no longer keeping my bp down. I was happy to have my baby out as we were both better off.

The third session of the magnesium began. It is standard to give the patient an additional 24 hrs of this drip after giving birth. This was the dose that sent me over the edge. I still feel that I was at a toxic level at this point. I remember being pinned to the bed by monitors, needles, and somekind of calf massage device. This along with the symtomps mentioned aboveIt is a very helpless feeling.

It was found that I still suffered symptoms of the preeclampsia even after given birth. A pure catch was taken from my bladder and showed lower levels but indeed, the disease was still there. As the nurses put it, my body was still looking for the baby. Maybe this was due to the cesarian or perhaps to the fact that we had to take him 8 weeks early.

It was 4 days later when I was able to come home. Yet still on the meds for high blood pressure. It took 7 weeks to wean myself off. Now 4 1/2 months after giving birth, I am still not back to normal, on my way but not there yet.

Preeclampsia is a very ugly disease and should not be taken lightly. I wish my doctors,friends, or even a stranger, had given me a heads up about it. I did know it was out there but it usually goes for the younger mothers. Which makes me feel scared for them too.

Being on the other side, I can say that, simply, I am glad I am here. This too will just be a blip in my life. I feel I have a new soul, and a healthy baby boy. I do not wish anyone to go in so unprepared as I, so please, spread the word.