Evan's Story

I thought I would share Evan's story for those who haven't heard it.

I had an awful pregnancy although I didn't realize how awful it was at the time. It was my first so I didn't know what to expect. My first trimester was full of the normal pregnancy symptoms: morning sickness, fatigue, food aversions, many trips to the bathroom. I was looking forward to the second trimester because I was told I would feel much better. When the second trimester came, the only symptom that went away was the nausea. I was still dreadfully tired and literally climbing up our steps. I assumed it was because I was working full-time, commuting nearly an hour each way. I would come home from work and collapse in bed, sleep until dinnertime, eat, and then go back to bed. Pregnancy was taking everything out of me!

Shortly through the second trimester, other symptoms began to appear. We took a weekend trip to Gettysburg, and while there I noticed my feet and ankles had suddenly become very swollen. I thought it was strange considering I was only about 20 weeks along, but I also knew that swelling was a "normal" pregnancy symptom, so I didn't worry about it much. I also remember being extremely fatigued, to the point where I didn't want to get out of the car while we were touring. Again I assumed this was normal, and I thought perhaps I wasn't cut-out for pregnancy. When we got home from Gettysburg, I noticed I had gained 8 lbs. over one weekend. I thought woah, I ate way too much! Later I realized this was water weight - a sign of preeclampsia.

Also in my second trimester, I started losing feeling in my right hand. I was told it was carpal tunnel, another "normal" pregnancy symptom. I bought a wrist brace and wore it to bed and at work, but it didn't help at all. I got to the point where I could barely type, write, or do anything with my right hand because it was nearly completely numb.

Also I started having back pains so I visited my chiropractor. Normally after an adjustment I would feel immediate relief, but these visits were different. I still felt pain afterwards. It was a dull ache between my shoulder blades. (Now I suspect that was my kidneys not functioning correctly. Ugh!)

I also had belly pains under my ribs. I told my doctor about them, but he wasn't worried because they weren't on my right side. They were in the center and left side of my abdomen. He said it was probably my stomach moving to make room for the baby. (Wrong, it was my enlarged liver.)

Everyone says the second trimester is the best because you sleep better, feel better, and start to "glow." Well I never glowed! I was still exhausted, and many nights I woke up with belly pain and couldn't sleep. I also made many, many trips to the bathroom. My intuition was telling me there was something really wrong with me, but my hopeful side was in denial. I expressed my concerns to my doctor at every visit. I told him about the frequent trips to the bathroom, belly pains, swelling, back pain, carpal tunnel, exhaustion, etc. He dismissed all the symptoms as normal pregnancy effects. This contributed to my denial. I assumed I was being paranoid and being a pansy!

I had my 28 week check-up on Friday, June 5th. My doctor noticed my blood pressure had started to creep up to 140/90. He was concerned, so he told me to relax over the weekend and come back on Monday for another b.p. check. When I returned that Monday my blood pressure had risen again. He told me I had pregnancy-induced hypertension and that I needed to cut back my hours at work. He also took blood and told me to return the next day for an ultrasound and stress test. On Tuesday I was feeling really rough. I remember being extremely exhausted and achy. I just wanted to get the appointment over with so I could come home and go back to bed.

(To be continued...)