Postpartum Preeclampsia

January 10, 2024 By Ashley Vaughn

Postpartum Preeclampsia

During my labor I felt something go completely wrong in my body. I lost vision, extreme nausea, and I couldn’t think of common words when talking. I kept saying over and over that I was so dizzy and I needed to puke. Nothing was done about my symptoms and I was sent home the next day. Three days after giving birth I had a sudden feeling that I was going to die. It felt like I was about to fall off a cliff and puke and pass out at the same time. My vision was almost completely gone. If I turned my head to the side too fast I would see stars. I looked at my husband and said I need to go to the ER right now. He was so scared and did not know what was going on. Once we got to the ER I was immediately put on magnesium where I plummeted into the worst mental fog that is only made up of nightmares. I couldn’t move my hands, I could barely open my eyes and I could barely think. The worst feeling of it all was thinking that I wasn’t going to see my baby girl grow up. After being on magnesium for 20 hours they retested my blood and my liver labs came back worse. My doctor told me I would have to be sent somewhere else if my labs didn’t improve by the morning. I knew that I had 6 hours to improve or that was probably it for me. My husband held me in my hospital bed for the full 24 hours I was on magnesium. The next morning, by the grace of god, my labs were better. I then was sent home the next day where I felt completely tortured for the next 4 weeks from not being able to think clearly, see clearly, and I could barely even stand. 3 months postpartum and I still feel cold hands, anxiety, nausea, mental fogginess, extreme fatigue, swollen liver and much more. My heart hurts for everyone who has gone through this.