Hello,

My name is Wendy, and I suffered from preeclampsia. I knew nothing about the disease until I was at my 8 month check up. I had been feeling horrible, puffy, my feet looked like little hams and my toes were swollen. Walking was a chore. I was tired and uncomfortable. I attributed all of these items to just being 8 months along. I never experienced carrying to full term. Here is my story...

On Monday, April 16th, 2012, I was scheduled for a 4D Ultrasound at my hospital. When going through the vitals with the nurse, she notified me that my blood pressure was WAY TO HIGH. I told her I was fine, I had a bad day at work and I was just walking so it will go down. The nurse told me she was going to check my blood pressure again in a little bit. While on the table getting the 4D, the nurse came charging through the doors to take my blood pressure again and she said I need to contact your doctor you are going to have to have your baby today. You are very sick and you are going to be admitted.

She said I Was SICK. I knew I felt bad but I was sick? I was told I would be going to the 2nd floor and they will be waiting for me. I proceeded to take myself up to the 2nd floor. Apparently, I was supposed to wait and a nurse was going to take me up in a wheelchair. I felt well enough to take the elevator. I walked in and said Hi you are waiting for me I guess I might be having a baby today. The nurses looked puzzled and asked me my name. When I told them they rushed me into a room and hooked me up to every imaginable beeping poking machine they had. Repeatedly taking my blood pressure and it was just escalating. I'm thinking that I am scared and it was rising. Finally, my OB/GYN gets in the room. And, it was an obstacle because of all the machines I was hooked up to. My doctor told me that I was suffering from Preeclampsia and it can be very fatal to my and my unborn son.

One of the nurses asked me if I was ready, and I said no my baby shower is on Saturday!!

She was reading everything the machines were beeping and said if your blood pressure does not go down you are going to have your baby today. I will give you 15 more minutes. If we do not have to do a c-section you are on permanent bedrest until your due date for natural birth. My blood pressure did not go down. Within 20 minutes I was being wheeled into the operating room to have a C-Section. Asking me all those fun questions, latex, allergies to meds, food you last ate, and what time... here drink this it will help your stomach with the anesthesia. I arrived at the hospital for a 4:15pm ultrasound. My son was born at 6:18pm. I got to see my beautiful little boy, dark hair, whining and shaking in my husbands arms. Most mothers cry, laugh, call someone. I vomited my lunch into a plastic bag; the chicken sandwich I ate for lunch mixed with that grape fizz the nurse gave me to help with the anesthesia! No help, honey, no help. Whatever they gave me to keep me from having a seizure made my arms feel like lead and my face itch. I did not see my son until the next day. I was exhausted and I felt horrible. I just wanted to rest.

I had a 4 day stay in the hospital and my son had 12. We delayed the baby shower by 1 week.

At my baby shower, talking to my mother's sister, she told me that my grandmother had the same thing, and their baby brother died from it. This was back in the 1950s and my grandma lived outside of Chicago but her doctor was in the city. There was no way to save the baby. He was stillborn.

I am grateful to the doctors, nurses, and hospitals who study and treat this illness. Had I not gone in for a 4D Ultrasound, I may have suffered a stroke, a seizure, and not be able to write this story to share.

My son was born 6 weeks early and weighed 5lbs. He is a little peanut but he has a big personality.