It Was All Going So Well...Part 1

At my 32 week ultrasound my blood pressure was high when they checked it. It was the first time that my blood pressure had been high, and at the end of the appointment the doctor re-took it and it was a bit lower. The ultrasound office wasn't too concerned, but they called my OB doctor to let them know, and I had a follow up appointment with my OB 2 days later, so no one was too worried. I had no other symptoms and felt fine.

At my OB doctor's appointment that week my blood pressure was still high, so they ordered lab work and a 24 hour urine test to have me tested for pre-eclampsia. I still had no other symptoms and my doctor thought the chances of me having pre-eclampsia were low, but wanted to do the whole work up to be safe. I got the lab work done Thursday and the urine test was done Friday.
I got a call from my OB office on Monday May 21 to tell me that my lab work and urine tests did indicate that I probably had developed Pre-eclampsia and they referred me to a specialist office that would be calling me to set up an appointment that week. I still felt completely fine. I was told that if I had any symptoms of a severe headache, any vision changes or blurred vision with spots, or severe epigastric pain, or a blood pressure that was 160/110 to call the office immediately or go to the emergency room.

I continued on with my day as usual. I had a Chiropractor appointment at Genesis Chiropractic (shameless plug) where I saw my brother- (the best Chiropractor in Buffalo, who it turns out saved my life that day). I told him about talking to my OB doc and that they believed I had developed pre-eclampsia . After treatment he took my blood pressure and found that it was very high. He had me wait and relax for a while then re-checked it, and the reading was even higher this time. It got up to 160/100, which was the danger zone that my OB doc had told me that I needed to contact the office for. I was in complete denial because I still felt normal. After checking my BP one more time, my brother made me call my OB office. I was told to go right to the emergency room.

Did I mention that Steve left that morning to go out of town for work for the week?

Thank God for my amazing mother in-law Mary who dropped everything for me to take me to the hospital. We figured it would be a semi-quick ER visit where they checked my blood pressure and monitored me then send me home. Boy were we wrong!

Within 10 minutes of arriving at the ER, they had me in a wheelchair and on the way up to Labor and Delivery to be monitored. They immediately had me change into a gown and then checked me to see if I was in labor, if I was leaking fluid, or if I was dilated- all normal. The OB doctor did a quick ultrasound to make sure the baby's heart rate was good, that the placenta was intact and had not ruptured and that the fluid level was good- all normal. The whole time there was an automatic blood pressure cuff on my arm taking my pressures every 5 minutes, and every time the machine went off dinging because it was high. 
I was in a daze that all this was happening so fast. I still felt normal with no symptoms. I had 3 nurses and a doctor in my room with me, trying to decide what to do with me. They took blood, struggled to get an IV in, gave me oral medication to help bring down my blood pressure, and then when that didn't work, gave me another medication. The doctor explained that my pressures were so high that they were considered severe and if it would not come down to a normal pressure they may have to induce right away to prevent me from having a seizure and to prevent any extra stress on the baby by the blood vessels in the placenta being restricted.

OK, so shit just got real. How did my normal day just turn into we may have to induce immediately? What the hell is happening right now? 
Why do I feel fine? 
Where is my husband?
I can't do this, I'm only 33 weeks!