(Fwd) Re: Response to Cynthia and Sheena
Sally Edsall (SEDSALL@nswtf.org.au)
Fri, 29 Mar 1996 12:03:02 GMT+10
Jill,
> I was not sick on
> the outside,... I was more ill on paper than in the flesh.)
This is one of the most insidious aspects of this disease. Nearly
everyone who's had it thinks the same thing.
> Did you have magnesium sulfate, Shelly? Did that wreck your vision?
> Anyone else out there? I'd swear that awful stuff trashed my eyes. Either
> that or the HELLP.
I believe Magnesium sulphate isn't generally used in Australia. I
have read in an ***excellent*** book (details later) that it is the
preferred treatment in North America, but for some reason of history,
isn't in Britain, Europe or Australia.
I seem to recal though that vision disturbance is one symptom in the
disease. The doctors kept checking my eyes and asking about vision.
Interestingly, not long after I did start having to wear glasses,
when I'd had really good sight before then. Perhaps it's linked? I
don't know. Cynthia's response seems to suggest so as well.
I was on valium as an anti-convulsant. Of course, that made me feel
even better in myself than ever. I was laughing, and unable to see the
actual seriousness of the condition. The doctors kept testing my
reflexes, tapping away on my knees and legs, and I was giving these
great big jerky responses, and thinking "wow, I'm passing this with
flying colours ... I mustn't be sick", when in fact this is a serious
indication of severity of the illness!
After the delivery I was still on the valium because my BP was still raging
for about 6 days after. I was also on Morphine for pain relief. Apart
from incredible itching that that induced, I was high as a kite!
. (I kept a list of all the drugs when I was a bit more clear-headed.
At one stage when all this crisis was over, around about the 3-day
blues stage, when my milk was coming in, a nurse suggested I take a
mild sleeping pill to help me rest when I couldn't sleep at 3 am! I
started getting all panicky about the implications of one
temazepan(?), when in fact I'd been doped up to the eyeballs with
really hard stuff for days on end!)
There is a book I found which explains EVERYTHING that is currently
known about pre-eclampsia, HELLP etc, and includes stories from many
women, which really helped me identify with what was going on.
It is by Chris Redman and Isobel Walker and is called "Pre-eclampsia
: the facts" I THINK it is published by Oxford University Press. I
will check at home and correct that if it's not so.
Redman is an expert in the field from Oxford University.
There is also a support group in England, and one in Australia, if
there's anyone from those places interested.
Sally