Christina's story

To you from someone who also suffered greatly:

I too suffered greatly from both Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. I began showing signs of the illness in my 11th week of pregnancy, and my doctor had said not to worry about all the swelling and weight gain. He told me I must need to go on a diet. I suffered through the next ten weeks seeing the doctor only once.

When I was about 22 weeks, I began trying to find a new doctor within that clinic who would still take me as a patient. When that didn't work I was forced to switch my health insurance to the other clinic in my area and see a new doctor there. At my first visit to the new doctor (Dec 31, 1999), he ran a bunch of tests that the other guy had not done that were past due.

It appeared to be a normal visit, or at least I thought so. That afternoon, he recieved the results of my tests back and began calling everyone that knew me, to get me to come back right away. My mother finally came to get me, and at the doctor's request, she took me straight to the hospital. When I arrived on the OB floor, I was bombarded by nurses trying to prep me for transfer, but I had no knowledge of the reason why.

I demanded them to get that doctor, and when the on call doc was sent I went off on everyone saying that I would not go anyplace until someone did some bigtime explaining. Finally they got the doctor, but by that time I was so drugged I don't remember talking with him.

Then I was on my way to the Minneapolis Hospital. When I got there, the staff were very courtious and helpful. I was told of everything that was already done, and even what was still to come. But I had no idea what it all meant. I was already in emotional ruin because my husband decided to leave me that very morning, right before my appointment.

I was in the hospital there for two weeks before having my premature baby. My platelet count never dropped, but everything else was all wrong. My blood pressure had been way too high for way too long. So they finally said it was time to deliver, by caesarean. At birth she weighed 2 pounds and 3 ounces. Shortly after, her weight dropped to just under one pound. She was born on January 13, 1999 at 27 weeks gestation.

After numerous treatments, intubation, medications, crashing six times in one hour, and being in the hospital for a long time, she came home on March 23, 1999. She came home on an apnea monitor because she was still having spells occasionally, and she was still only 4 pounds, but she was ours, and she was home (Oh yeah, my husband came back after he realized what a jerk he was for leaving me because I was sick).

She had to go back to the hospital to undergo a hernia operation, but that went well and she was home within three days. The operation was on her due date.

Well she truly is a very precious jewel, or at least to us. So I named her Emerald.

Christina Lynn Parker