The days leading up to September 3rd...

Pregnancy was something I always dreamed of. I couldn't wait to be pregnant, feel the baby move, and eat whatever I wanted. But when I found out we were expecting it was overshadowed by many fears and doubts.
I was in my last semester of nursing school, something that was a challenge in itself. I had always wanted a child and had dreamed of how it would be. But sitting in the doctors office in the beginning of February hearing about all the bad things that could happen scared me to death.
I have what is called a bicornuate uterus aka heart shaped uterus. Our sweet baby would only have about half the space of a normal pregnancy.  The risks associated with this was miscarriage, second trimester miscarriage, and preterm labor.  I knew the risks and we were ready to take whatever God had in store for us.
After 28 weeks came and went we thought that everything was going to be perfect. I had spent my whole pregnancy worrying and finally decided to enjoy what was left........which I figured would be at least 10 more weeks. I had been having high blood pressure and swelling since about 24 weeks but the doctor never seemed concerned and kept putting me on modified bed rest. Being a Nurse I knew that it was probably something worse than a little hiccup in the pregnancy but I just wanted to be "normal".
When I reached 30 weeks it all started to go downhill, my blood pressure was elevated daily and my poor body was swollen all the time. I knew that pregnant people swelled but this was insane, there was no way my feet or legs would ever look the same again.
I had at least 2 appointments each week where the doctor kept saying things were fine......at 32 weeks I began to really worry. I was so swollen my face hurt and my blood pressure was so high that I knew I needed someone to listen. We had an ultrasound done to check on the baby and all was well with our sweet girl, what a relief! But now I was on modified bed rest again...for the 4th time.
On September 2nd (33 weeks) I had made an appointment and demanded that I get tested for pre-eclampsia.....I knew this meant urinating in a jug for 24 hours and I was ready. So off I went with my jug, found some great movies and made a home on the couch.
I started collecting my urine at 9:30 am on Friday, September 2nd and on Saturday, September 3rd at 9:30 I was done. I felt accomplished and thankful that I would have answers. I headed upstairs to get ready for the day and take a shower......but at 9:35 am our world began to change......