My first experience with PPPE was in 2018 after my third child was born. It began with a severe headache which led me to check my BP at home. After seeing it was nearly 200/100, my husband rushed me to the hospital where I was put on magnesium and admitted for 3 days. So, with my most recent (5th pregnancy, no preeclampsia with 4th) I knew what to watch for, especially during the postpartum period. After an uneventful pregnancy, with great blood pressure, I had a scheduled c-section on July 3. I took my BP at home each day and by July 9 I was getting high readings, but a low pulse (in 40s). My doctor advised me to return to L&D. Labs all came back fine, but they did an echocardiogram due to low pulse. It also came back fine, other than noting some mild pulmonary hypertension. They sent me home and advised me to return in a few days if pulse didn’t get higher, or if I began experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain. The next afternoon, I had shortness of breath and went to the ER. They quickly diagnosed me with PPPE and began magnesium. While in ER I began hemorrhaging at which point the OB doctor on call did an ultrasound and noted I had a very large clot in my uterus. Not long after, the severe headache began. So severe not even morphine helped. I was admitted to L&D that night. The next morning I began bleeding even more and they rushed me back to emergency surgery for a D&C. My condition quickly deteriorated and my body slipped into HELLP syndrome and then DIC. My cardiovascular system lost its ability to clot. It was determined during surgery I had to have a hysterectomy to help stop the bleeding. I ended up having a massive blood transfusion (13 units, along with other blood products including cryo and platelets). I was placed on a ventilator for 24 hours and spent 2.5 days in the ICU, followed by 5 more nights on the L&D floor. The doctors said it was a miracle I survived. The quick actions of the doctors and entire medical team, along with those who donated blood & platelets, no doubt saved my life. Had I not known the warning symptoms of PPPE it could have been a much different story, as it all escalated so very quickly.