The Promise Walk

This morning I woke up to clouds and rain. I set my alarm to wake up early - too early for a Saturday - so that I could make the 40-minute drive across town to participate in The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia this morning, a fundraiser for The Preeclampsia Foundation.

I did not feel like going.

Not only was the weather dreary, but I was tired from the previous week's daily early morning activities. I just wanted to stay in my pajamas and make some hot tea. It's Saturday. It didn't help that the Promise Walk was quite a drive away and in unfamiliar territory. But I packed up the car with the baby and all the stuff that must always travel with him and went anyway.

I'm so glad I did.


As I drove, the sky cleared, and when I finally reached the walk location the sun was shining brilliantly. The park hosting the event was gorgeous, with trees and trails and a picturesque lake. The Promise Walk sign led me to the park shelter where all the participants were to meet for the event.

We all crowded underneath Shelter #3 to meet and greet each other. The organizer shared her story, which was absolutely terrifying. She shared about how her doctor didn't recognize the symptoms of Preeclampsia. He assured her she was simply feeling the way most women in their 3rd trimester felt. She went away from each appointment feeling like a failure at pregnancy, like nothing but a complainer. Her doctor had been delivering babies for 30 years, so she trusted him. Eventually she felt overwhelmingly sick, sick enough to go to the hospital. She doesn't remember much after that. Her liver and kidneys began to fail and she almost died.

As her husband listened to her retell the story, he turned away from the shelter and walked into the trees. I watched as his shoulders heaved with sobs while he clung to their precious miracle baby, born at 33 weeks. He was clearly traumatized by what happened. He almost lost his wife.

Other women shared their own stories, many of them very traumatic. A few of them lost their babies. Many of them still retain the high blood pressure brought on by Preeclampsia, years after delivery.

I went away feeling extremely fortunate. Beyond blessed. I needed that reminder.

The thing is, I'm almost 7 years removed from Asher's preeclamptic birth. And it's been 18 months since the same thing happened with Asa. I was very sick both times, kept in Intensive Care, and forced to deliver my babies early for my own safety. But we all ended up okay.

I take it for granted that I had doctors who understood this terrible disease and knew when to act. Without this intervention, any or all of us could have died. I tend to forget about that, because both my Preeclampsia stories had happy endings. I don't think much about what could have happened. I gloss over how serious the situations were. All I see is my two healthy boys and I forget about the frightening way they came into this world. Preeclampsia is more of a distant, did-that-really-happen memory.

I am so, so thankful for my knowledgeable and quick-acting doctors. I am thankful for good pediatricians and NICU workers. I'm thankful that I walked away fully healthy with no lasting problems. And I'm very, very thankful my boys both came home from the NICU small but perfectly healthy.

People need to know more about this life-threatening disease. I had never heard of it when I first started showing symptoms during my first pregnancy. All my symptoms could easily have been brushed off as normal symptoms of pregnancy, and that could have resulted in trouble. I might not be here today. My babies might not be here today.

The walk was very short. We all pushed our jogging strollers along a trail through woods, bouncing our poor babies up and down as we navigated exposed tree roots and sloping walkways. Then it was finished.

But this desire to educate by sharing my story is not. Education is key. Women need to know what warning signs to look for, and if these symptoms are ignored by their doctors, they need to find a doctor who won't ignore it. It could save their life. The organizer with the near-death experience said several times, "I wish someone had told me about Preeclampsia. I wish I had known the warning signs."

I am a Preeclampsia survivor.

Finishing up the Promise Walk with one of my preemies

Know the signs and symptoms. It could save the life of you and your baby!

Thankful for the opportunity to participate - with my healthy baby.