Helen Dandurand (Host): Welcome back to The Well Within Reach podcast. I'm Helen Dandurand, and today I am joined by a special guest, Taylor-Marie Leman. And, she is here to tell us a little bit about her story and journey here at Riverside with our family birthing center.

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Host: Thanks for being here.

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, absolutely.

Helen Dandurand (Host): So to start, can you tell us a little bit about your pregnancy and kind of what led you to come into the birthing center when you did?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah. I had a relatively normal pregnancy. I had quite a bit of morning sickness at the beginning, but nothing to be concerned about, but pretty normal. And then as soon as I hit my third trimester, when I hit 28 weeks, I started to get a couple new symptoms that were a bit uncomfortable, like a headache and just a couple other un uncomfy.

And I had my routine 28 week appointment and she wasn't too concerned about anything yet. And so we were like, we'll keep an eye on it, but everything should be okay. And then, I had a really bad headache that would not go away. I took Tylenol, and I got a couple headaches just throughout like my cycle and the pregnancy.

So I didn't really think anything of it, but it wasn't going away with medication. And then I started seeing spots in my left eye and I was like, I think that is not good. Yeah. And so I sent a message, through MyChart to my OB and the nurses were able to look at my lab results from that previous visit.

And they saw just something that they wanted to monitor. So they told me to come in and get monitored and checked out. So that was kind of the reason why I went in. I was like, this is something to send a message about.

Host: Yeah. How long was the headache lasting at that point?

Taylor-Marie Leman: It had happened, I think I woke up with it and it might have happened like that night and woke up with it. And so after taking Tylenol, I think it was around lunchtime and it hadn't gone away yet, and it was really uncomfortable. I was like, I need to send it.

Host: So what were you kind of feeling at that time, like needing to come in? Did you realize those symptoms could be a sign of something like preeclampsia? Or did you just think, you know, it could be something small, that kind of thing?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, yeah. Since I had that appointment, I didn't really think that preeclampsia was happening or like in my cards. And then I had always had this impression that you had to have a lot of like swelling and a bunch of other symptoms for preeclampsia to be a concern.

But I found out that it could just be a severe headache. And so I had it in the back of my mind that preeclampsia was a possibility, but my mom didn't have it and nobody else that I knew closely had it yet. And so I was a little bit concerned, but I didn't think it would be as severe as it ended up being.

Host: Yeah. So when the team identified that your blood pressure was dangerously high, what do you remember about how they explained what was happening and what would need to happen next?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, so we were back in L & D and they took the first reading and I didn't think that the numbers were right. They were so high. And the nurse that had me that day, she looked at me and was like, okay, a lot is about to happen really quickly, but she maintained very calm and didn't look panicky, even though it was very severe. But they let me know that they were going to try medication first to try and get my blood pressure down, and then eventually try to transfer me to either Carle or Comer University of Chicago.

And so once the blood pressure medication wasn't really working, then they decided to take my daughter out and do an emergency C-section. So they did a very good job of explaining everything that was happening, every medication that they were giving me, even though they had long names, they were like, this is what it does and this is how fast we're hoping that it works. And then they were also monitoring, Reyna at the time as well.

Host: Okay. Because Reyna arrived earlier than expected, how did it feel knowing that Riverside has that partnership with Comers, and had a hospitalist here when the baby was delivered?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, it was the most seamless transition ever. Like it was kind of hard to tell who was Riverside, who was University of Chicago. Because they just worked so well as a team. So when I was getting taken back to get the C-section, they prepped me for surgery and the team was in the OR as well. And so we waited for the University of Chicago team to come down so they could be prepared to take Reyna back up.

But they came very quickly and they were able to kind of do their care alongside of the Riverside team. So, It was very nice to see the partnership and the smoothness of everything that happens with the team working together. So, it was nice.

Host: Good. That's great. Could you talk a little bit about that transition also, like from delivery to the transfer, like how that coordination helped you to feel supported in like such an overwhelming kind of moment?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, absolutely. This obviously wasn't our plan, so we were expecting to take her home Yeah. And be, have the hospitals visit and things like that. So once we found out that she was being airlifted to Chicago, it was a big concern and I thought I would be transferred with her, but I had to stay at Riverside since my blood pressure was still pretty high. And so once my procedure was done, they took care of me and took me back to my room and got me settled. And then, after a while, once they got Reyna stable and prepped to go to Chicago, they brought her in in almost like a little space spaceship, but it was like her incubator to be able to transfer up to Chicago.

So I was able to see her and send her off. But, they were very kind and walked me through what would it look like when we got up there. And from that moment they were able to keep us updated with her and things like that. So, it was still a pretty scary transition. But they were very communicative and were able to let me see her and explain everything that was going to happen.

Host: Good. You spent about a week then here at Riverside focusing on your own recovery. . How did the team kind of support you during that time?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah. They were just very communicative as well. My husband was with me the whole time, so they were including him on my care as well, which I thought was very valuable and talking us through everything that was happening.

So, a big part of my blood pressure was trying to get on the right medication to manage it. So, it was kind of a game of trying to figure out which dosage of this one, which dosage of this one. And so being able to advocate for myself and explain like, I think this medication's working better. I got to see an OB every day. And so getting to talk to them about what had happened this week and then they kind of shared, okay, I think this will work better. So, it really felt like I was able to contribute some of my thoughts and feelings, and then they were able to kind of talk me through what they think would work best.

So they were just very collaborative with me as well. And, were just very on the ball with what they think needed to be adjusted or anything like that. So, I felt heard and just listened to while I was here.

Host: Good. Good. And then, so a week later you finally were able to get things, stabilized and break outta here. Yes. Um, And then you were able to go visit Reyna. How long was she, at Comers?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, so she was in the NICU for 59 days. Okay. The second I got out of the hospital, I don't if I was allowed to do this, but I, just took a shower, I took a quick nap and then we went right up to Chicago to see her.

Luckily the team, the resident or the doctor that was assigned to her would call us every day just to see her care plan and just to give us what was going on for the day, which was really nice. And then we got up to Chicago and it was just so overwhelming because I had no idea what to expect.

And just seeing her like where she was and being able to talk to the nurses that had been calling us that week. It was just really scary. And so, we got adopted by a couple nurses that were up there that took us under her wing and we got to be at the Ronald McDonald House.

We got to be close to her as well, So, it was just a very long experience, but we had so many people that cared for us throughout the whole journey. And the team up there and down here are just rock stars in taking care of people that are going through traumatic events.

Host: Yeah, definitely. And now Reyna is she six months old?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yes. She just turned six months.

Host: Yes, yes. And she's doing great. So what does it mean to you to see your daughter healthy, thriving, and to know like that, that quick action made the difference?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Yeah, absolutely. It's amazing. It's incredible. Obviously I'm obsessed with her. She's so awesome. While I was here and in the NICU, we were grieving so much like no maternity shoot. I was supposed to have a maternity shoot that Friday or like baby showers that didn't happen. But then as she came home and even just being released, just the wave of gratitude that we were able to have, like being able to hold her with no cords and not being on oxygen and she's just so healthy, but just small.

We couldn't be happier. So yeah, she's gaining weight and she's smiling a lot and becoming more interactive, so it's just such a blessing every time we hold her how thankful we are.

Host: Yeah. That's so precious. For other, like expectant moms watching this, what would you want them to know about kind of listening to their bodies? Recognizing symptoms and seeking care?

Taylor-Marie Leman: Absolutely. Definitely just listen to your bodies, even if it just feels minor, send a message. Like those nurses are there to help and answer any questions that you have. I think when I first started going to my appointments, they were like, do not feel like you're bothering us.

 If you have any questions at all, just call us. And so I felt comfortable enough with the nurses to just kind of express my concerns. And so they were able to act fast, which was really nice. So just listen to your body. Don't Google everything. And just call the people that are here to help you.

Host: Awesome. Awesome. If you could say something to your nurses here at Riverside or your care team, what kind of message would you have for them?

Taylor-Marie Leman: I wish I could give them all hugs and bring them chocolate and everything, but no. They truly saved my life. Like a lot of the nurses that were there that day I've seen afterwards and they were like, we are so glad that you came in when you did, because it could have been a lot worse.

And I was able to see one of the nurses that was there the first day, she had a preemie as well. And so she kind of talked me through her experience and then I saw her on my last day of discharge and it was like a little reunion. It felt like it had been forever, but it was only five days. But I'm just so thankful for them. They saved my life, they saved my baby's life, and they were just amazing.

Host: Good. Well, that's so wonderful. Thank you so much for talking with us today. We really appreciate it. And thank you listeners for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org.