In my prayers for a healthy pregnancy and delivery for my baby girl, I guess I foolishly forgot to pray for a healthy recovery for myself. Studies over the years have found that African American women are three times more likely to die from preeclampsia, and I didn't think it would affect me.
Only minutes after giving birth, my blood pressure spiked
and my vision went blurry as if I was seeing particles of matter just floating
around me. I didn’t know what I was experiencing until one of the labor and
delivery nurses checked my blood pressure once I made it to was sent to my
postpartum recovery room before my blood pressure was checked to be immediately
sent back to the labor and delivery ward.
I was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia and was sent back to the labor and delivery ward to be reinserted with an IV, catheter, blood pressure cuff, and pulse oximeter for 24 hours of IV magnesium to avoid seizures. I was scared. I never experience so much anxiety in my life.
The epidural was wearing off, and my teeth chattered together as I looked over at my
husband, who was holding my left hand with love, with tears pooling in my eyes. I
did not know what was happening to me, but it was the one thing that I kept
telling my husband in the weeks before to just look out for because I had a
slightly ill-feeling that something may go wrong after labor and delivery.
I was in the hospital for three days. I fought off my sadness with happy thoughts. I imagined being home with my family in the comfort of our home. I imagined recovering and feeling relieved before it even happened. I cried in my bed Friday night, August 6th, while my newborn daughter was in the hospital’s nursery.
I was sleep-deprived, feeling
lonely once my husband left to go home to be with our three-year-old son, and
physically helpless without my labor nurse on shift to help me mobile out of bed.
Both of my legs and feet were so swollen that they no
longer made pitting indents whenever the nurses or doctors pressed upon my
skin. My feet were propped underneath pillows as my catheter filled with
protein-packed urine and fluid. Every hour the blood pressure cuff would
tighten as my eyes would close, and I would inhale and exhale with ease.
I looked over to read the blood pressure
machine.
Blood pressure reading: 148/86
I thought, “Wow, will it go down soon? I still see particles floating around in the air, though. Ugh.
Getting better was my only option.
By Saturday morning, I felt better after resting, eating breakfast, and then taking my blood pressure medication. My catheter was removed, and my labor and delivery nursed weighed me in my bed. I was 215 pounds and was 236 pre-labor. Whew, talk about losing extra water weight through fluid in my urine!
Later, that day my newborn was taken back to the nursey to be evaluated before going home. I was anticipating going to my inlaws to pick up Eli and head home with my two children so they can bond. Around 5 pm, both Alina and I were cleared and discharged to go. I was overcome with happiness.
Once Eli saw me sitting in the passenger seat of my husband’s truck, he started to run towards me. I kept saying, “I missed you so much, Eli.” As his dad opened my door to let Eli in. Eli even said, “I missed you, mommy.”
As he settled into his car seat. He tapped my
elbow, and I reached one of my hands out to rub his leg. He then grabbed my hand.
We held hands all the way back home. Three days without seeing one another was rough.
We have been inseparable from birth.
I cried tears of joy when I made it home and settled onto my living room sofa. My husband left to go and pick up my medications from my Walgreens location, and I introduced Eli to his little sister. Eli was nervous but was immediately so happy to have a sibling. He couldn’t help but touch her and kiss her pouty cheeks. Seeing him interact with his sister filled me with so much joy.
I almost couldn’t stop the tears of joy from racing down my
face. I know that God blocked whatever horrible fate for me after labor and delivery
from becoming worse. God protected me, and some prayers covered me
while in the hospital. I felt as if I grew closer to him while I was in the
hospital recovering. God was there with me, and HE guided me through it all.
I’m trusting God through all of my circumstances, no matter
how minimal they may seem. I am now a mother of two with bigger shoes to fill,
bigger dreams to accomplish, and more love to give!
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I am now almost three weeks postpartum, and I am still taking my blood pressure medication prescribed to me by my doctor. I am monitoring my blood pressure daily and being more conscious of the foods that I am eating. I have had one appointment one week shy of being out of the hospital, and my blood pressure was high when it was checked twice. I will be taking the necessary measures to remain on top of my health. I am not down on myself for battling hypertension in my late 20's. I will keep an update on my progress here on my blog and thank you for reading.
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