Hi, can I ask you all for some advice/thoughts please? I don't want to overreact or seem paranoid but I'm getting a bit concerned.
I'm currently 33+1, fifth pregnancy but this will be DC2. Was not diagnosed with PE/HELLP with DD (now 2.5) but the hospital was truly crap (to the point that several people have told me it was medical negligence, and when the current ob at a different hospital requested the notes from that pregnancy she was told they wouldn't release them! She suspects a big cover-up - DD was born at 42+3 by EMCS for fetal distress with oligohydramnios and a placenta that had already fallen apart. She had post-maturity syndrome and needed physio for a year and is still on meds). At my booking-in appt for this pregnancy I was told that having had severe oedema and proteinuria at every check-up from around 28w, the MW considered that to be PE even without high blood pressure. I have problems with low blood pressure - last appt was 90/50. With the last pregnancy my blood pressure started off 80/50 ish and ended up 120/90, which was considered to be fine.
I have a pretty rubbish obstetric history anyway and this pregnancy has had more than its fair share of problems, including 4.2mm nuchal fold + 9mm cystic hygroma, 2 weeks of partial vision following loss of consciousness at 16w (put down to low blood pressure), admission to L&D for labour contractions at 24w, admission again at 25w for bleeding... I'm being seen every 2 weeks anyway, alternately by fetal medicine ob consultant and high-risk delivery ob consultant. I really don't want to appear paranoid and my next appt is next Tues.
However: last week's appt (with GP due to New Year and staff shortages at hospital) showed proteinuria, again. GP wasn't concerned due to low blood pressure. She noted oedema (9am appt!) with slight pitting. I feel absolutely exhausted and terrible. Over the past couple of weeks the nausea has returned (had bad MS till about 20w) and I've been throwing up a few times. We went shopping for baby stuff on Saturday and at one point I just had to sit down really quickly - felt dizzy and really hot, started getting little dancing pinpricks of light. 15 mins later my hands were VERY puffy, and purple-grey up to the second knuckle, white from the knuckle to the tip. I swapped wedding rings a couple of months ago, from my usual size I to a cheap Argos band in size M. That's now too tight. For the past 10 days or so I've been getting increasing epigastric pain high up on the right side under the ribs, painful enough to stop me sleeping at night.
I really don't know what to do - call up/go in, even though BP is only 90/50, or wait since it's only a week till the next appt? I feel like I must be close to exhausting the supply of goodwill and I do NOT want to be classed as a hypochondriac! I've been having on/off bleeding since the last admission; I've told them about it afterwards but not bothered going in. At the moment I really feel something's not right but I can't tell what. On the other hand I'm seriously panicking about everything I need to get ready, plus all the work I have to do this week - 30 essays to mark by end Weds. DD's at nursery tomorrow and Weds, after that I'd have a childcare problem too. Everything I can find seems to say there's only a problem with high BP. Several of you seem to have different experiences.
Anyway - sorry this is so long but could really do with advice.