-early July 2006 – Emily is diagnosed with anemia; fairly common among pregnant women, but doctor is concerned.

-mid July 2006 – Emily begins to experience incessant all over itching. Doctor orders weekly blood tests to check platelet counts and liver enzyme levels.

-August 2 2006 - (32 weeks gestation) Emily is admitted to the Good Samaritan Hospital Ante-partum unit after being seen at her OB’s office. Lab results show dropping platelet count and elevated liver enzymes. Urine test shows elevated protein levels. Her OB wants to closely monitor her blood and orders two to three blood tests a day. He also orders fetal heart rate monitoring once every nursing shift. The plan is to keep a close watch on the platelet count and liver enzymes. If they stabilize, Emily will remain in the hospital and be delivered by c-section at 34-36 weeks. Emily is also given steroid injections to help develop the babies immature lungs.

-August 3, 2006 – Platelet count and liver enzymes are no longer on the move. Em prepares for a three to four week hospital stay until the babies are delivered.

-August 4, 2006 – Platelet count and liver enzymes are on the move according to the evening lab results. Nurses phone Em’s OB and he tells them to let Emily know that he will be in at 8:00am the next morning to discuss delivering the babies that day. It looks as though his fears are confirmed. Emily has developed an illness called HELLP Syndrome – characterized by Hemolytic anemia, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet count.

-August 5, 2006 - Emily is awakened at 2:30am by contractions. It is evident after being monitored that she is indeed in labor. Her OB is called, and the decision is made not to try and prolong the pregnancy. This is her body’s way of saying it can’t sustain the pregnancy any longer without endangering her or the twins. When her OB arrives at 4am, Emily is 2 centimeters dilated and he can feel Carter’s (baby A) feet. She is prepped for a c-section. Chris and Em’s mom are summoned to the hospital. They barely make it to the hospital before the doctor begins the surgery. Carter is born first at 5:14am. He is not crying, and is whisked away by the nurse to an adjoining room to be evaluated. Miles (baby B) comes out crying at 5:15am and then joins his brother. Due to her low platelet count, Emily’s blood won’t clot normally. This makes for a very tense situation in the operating room. Chris, who has returned from being with his sons next door is asked to go back and hang out with his children in the NICU. He states that he would prefer to be with his wife. The nurse kindly tells him that he isn’t going to be allowed back in the operating room. Emily has been put to sleep while the doctor tries furiously to stop the bleeding. Because the doctor anticipated this problem, he had blood products ready to give her a transfusion. What should have been a routine 45 minute surgery turned into a tense 3 hour ordeal.