Several people have asked to read the speech I gave last Monday. This is what I wrote up in advance...the speech itself followed this, but after a bit I was speaking through tears and couldn't really read what I had writted :) This at least gives you an idea...
Last year, the weekend after Thanksgiving my husband and I found out that we were going to have a baby! We were so excited – all we could talk about was the baby. We told our parents and brothers and sisters right away and then waited to tell the rest of our family at Christmas. What a great time of year to announce a pregnancy! At eight weeks I started going to the doctor every 4 weeks. I followed all the rules. On March 20th we went for a 20 week ultrasound and found out we were having a boy.
My next appointment was four weeks after that. My only complaint - my ankles were pretty swollen…she looked at them and said the past couple days were unseasonably warm for April and that probably caused them to swell. About a week or so after that appointment I started having some very uncomfortable pain above my stomach. At 26 weeks and getting ready to enter the 3rd trimester I chalked it up to indigestion. I even called the doctor’s office after hours. A doctor called me back and I described my symptoms – she recommended Maalox. By Thursday I was nearly in tears and doubled over in pain. I knew the doctor had to see me. I called and insisted on being seen. When I got to the office they took my blood pressure – it was something like 180/110. I was sent to the hospital for monitoring. I called my husband and asked him to meet me there. I called my mom and told her what was going on – she asked if they should come (they were just over an hour away) and I told her not to bother – it was just monitoring and I would call her later.
I got to the hospital and got all hooked up to monitors. They came in and took some blood. Not long after a doctor came in and was talking about my liver count, low platelets, going to another hospital, a shot to develop the babies lungs…and IV for me - magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures, and finally…we were probably going to have the baby that night. He asked if we had questions – we didn’t even know what to ask. He told us it was preeclampsia – I had read about it in a couple books, but thought it meant bedrest – not having a baby at 26 ½ weeks.
We were transferred to Lankenau hospital where they could handle a baby as little as ours. We were not there for very long and learned I would indeed have to have the baby that night. At first they weren’t sure if I would be able to be awake or not for a c-section. My platelets were dangerously low and if they could not get them stabilized they would have to put me to sleep. After two platelet transfusions they determined I was stable enough to be awake for the surgery. Being that our baby would be so small they really weren’t sure how long or if he would live. If he wasn’t going to make it I at least wanted to be awake when he was born. We were still deciding between 2 different names while I was on the operating table we decided to name him Aaron Keith Young.
As I was wheeled into surgery, I was unaware at the same time the doctor was telling my husband that they would be doing what they could for the baby and ME! They thought they had me stabilized enough for surgery, but they could not guarantee what would happen after the surgery. The “cure” (if you can call in that) for preeclampsia is delivery. After I was prepped my husband joined me in the OR. At 12:45am on Friday, April 28th Aaron was born. It was just over 8 hours since this whole ordeal began. Aaron let out 2 cries that were larger than his 1 pound 5 ounce and 13” long body. Those were the only 2 cries we heard from him before he was placed on a ventilator.
After surgery I recovered fine. I was told I was lucky. Had I NOT gone into the doctor’s office that day I may have started having seizures at home that night. But now I was a mommy and I was okay. My husband and I (and our families) were now on the NICU roller coaster. Aaron was doing great for about a week. We were allowed to care for him, change his diapers, and eventually hold him. Then they noticed a problem in his belly. He was transferred to Bryn Mawr hospital and proceeded to undergo two surgeries. After the second surgery his little body just could not recover. After 33 days of life we had to say goodbye to our son.
You can read more of our story at a website that was started during my pregnancy, www.babyonyoursix.blogspot.com Because of your support here today steps can be taken to continue to research this disease. While, I am thankful for the time that we did have with Aaron, I hope that in time a day will come where preeclampsia will not longer stand in the way of a healthy pregnancy. Thank you all for your support here today, it truly means a lot to those of us that have been affected by preeclampsia! Thank you!
Last year, the weekend after Thanksgiving my husband and I found out that we were going to have a baby! We were so excited – all we could talk about was the baby. We told our parents and brothers and sisters right away and then waited to tell the rest of our family at Christmas. What a great time of year to announce a pregnancy! At eight weeks I started going to the doctor every 4 weeks. I followed all the rules. On March 20th we went for a 20 week ultrasound and found out we were having a boy.
My next appointment was four weeks after that. My only complaint - my ankles were pretty swollen…she looked at them and said the past couple days were unseasonably warm for April and that probably caused them to swell. About a week or so after that appointment I started having some very uncomfortable pain above my stomach. At 26 weeks and getting ready to enter the 3rd trimester I chalked it up to indigestion. I even called the doctor’s office after hours. A doctor called me back and I described my symptoms – she recommended Maalox. By Thursday I was nearly in tears and doubled over in pain. I knew the doctor had to see me. I called and insisted on being seen. When I got to the office they took my blood pressure – it was something like 180/110. I was sent to the hospital for monitoring. I called my husband and asked him to meet me there. I called my mom and told her what was going on – she asked if they should come (they were just over an hour away) and I told her not to bother – it was just monitoring and I would call her later.
I got to the hospital and got all hooked up to monitors. They came in and took some blood. Not long after a doctor came in and was talking about my liver count, low platelets, going to another hospital, a shot to develop the babies lungs…and IV for me - magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures, and finally…we were probably going to have the baby that night. He asked if we had questions – we didn’t even know what to ask. He told us it was preeclampsia – I had read about it in a couple books, but thought it meant bedrest – not having a baby at 26 ½ weeks.
We were transferred to Lankenau hospital where they could handle a baby as little as ours. We were not there for very long and learned I would indeed have to have the baby that night. At first they weren’t sure if I would be able to be awake or not for a c-section. My platelets were dangerously low and if they could not get them stabilized they would have to put me to sleep. After two platelet transfusions they determined I was stable enough to be awake for the surgery. Being that our baby would be so small they really weren’t sure how long or if he would live. If he wasn’t going to make it I at least wanted to be awake when he was born. We were still deciding between 2 different names while I was on the operating table we decided to name him Aaron Keith Young.
As I was wheeled into surgery, I was unaware at the same time the doctor was telling my husband that they would be doing what they could for the baby and ME! They thought they had me stabilized enough for surgery, but they could not guarantee what would happen after the surgery. The “cure” (if you can call in that) for preeclampsia is delivery. After I was prepped my husband joined me in the OR. At 12:45am on Friday, April 28th Aaron was born. It was just over 8 hours since this whole ordeal began. Aaron let out 2 cries that were larger than his 1 pound 5 ounce and 13” long body. Those were the only 2 cries we heard from him before he was placed on a ventilator.
After surgery I recovered fine. I was told I was lucky. Had I NOT gone into the doctor’s office that day I may have started having seizures at home that night. But now I was a mommy and I was okay. My husband and I (and our families) were now on the NICU roller coaster. Aaron was doing great for about a week. We were allowed to care for him, change his diapers, and eventually hold him. Then they noticed a problem in his belly. He was transferred to Bryn Mawr hospital and proceeded to undergo two surgeries. After the second surgery his little body just could not recover. After 33 days of life we had to say goodbye to our son.
You can read more of our story at a website that was started during my pregnancy, www.babyonyoursix.blogspot.com Because of your support here today steps can be taken to continue to research this disease. While, I am thankful for the time that we did have with Aaron, I hope that in time a day will come where preeclampsia will not longer stand in the way of a healthy pregnancy. Thank you all for your support here today, it truly means a lot to those of us that have been affected by preeclampsia! Thank you!
Comments
Your strength and faith have been truly amazing. Even though I don't know you all I keep you in my prayers and thoughts.
Your speech was amazing and I am so impressed that you spoke about your experience, most people wouldn't even attempt that after what you have been through.