I am a survivor of Preeclampsia. I had a very normal and healthy pregnancy, and all things considered, I was low-risk. On Sunday, December 1, 2024, I had one instance of seeing spots - my first instinct was to Google what this meant. The first words that popped up were "could be Preeclampsia". I thought there was no way. My blood pressure had been normal, I had no swelling, it must've been just a one-off thing, plus I had a routine visit with my OB the next afternoon, and I could just tell him at my appointment. I was never talked to about signs and symptoms, I did not own a blood pressure cuff, and I ignorantly thought that since I was healthy during pregnancy, it would lead to a healthy delivery, baby, and overall outcome. 

On Monday, December 2, 2024, I went about my normal routine. I worked from home that day, and at 3 pm, my husband, Tom, and I headed off to my appointment. I did my labwork in their office, then we were finally called back to a room around 4 pm. The nurse I had seen on every visit took my blood pressure, gave me a strange look, and said, "You don't normally have high blood pressure...I am going to get another nurse to double-check." Sure enough, the other nurse came in and received a high reading, then my doctor came in promptly and also received a high reading. The doctor and nurses remained calm, and my doctor stated we would finish up my appointment with an ultrasound, and then I would be headed over to L&D to be monitored further. During my ultrasound, we found out my baby boy was measuring 3+ weeks behind. More labs were done at the hospital, and my blood pressure never stabilized in triage. My labs came back with severe features of preeclampsia, so I was admitted. The feel in the room was urgent yet calm. I walked back to the OR and had a healthy but very small (later attributed to preeclampsia as IUGR) baby boy at 8:47 pm. The real struggle came after with the 24-hour Mag Drip, which had me bed-bound until it was over and feeling like I was living an out-of-body experience. My blood pressure remained high throughout my stay and into the postpartum period, even while on multiple blood pressure medications. To this day, my blood pressure still remains elevated compared to what it was before my diagnosis.

Knowing what I know now, I know how extremely lucky I was to have that routine OB appointment, and I am so grateful that both my baby and I are safe. My preeclampsia came with no noticeable warning signs but was caught just in time. 

I walk to honor the mothers and babies who did not have a successful outcome due to hypertensive disorders. I walk to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms. I walk for a cure for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and postpartum. I walk so no other pregnant mom has to experience the trauma of a diagnosis of preeclampsia. 

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page, and thank you for your continued support. I am deeply grateful.