True Story – Zandile Mnisi LaMvuleni

Zandile Mnisi LaMvuleni, 29, shares how she survived a coma after pre-eclampsia escalated during her pregnancy, endangering hers and her unborn baby’s lives

y partner and I planned our baby. It was no surprise when I found out I was pregnant – we were very excited. I was a happy mom to-be and planned everything thoroughly – I even resigned from my job as a claims consultant at a leading insurance company to prepare for the baby’s arrival. I also went back to school, and registered for a law degree through Unisa. I lived at home with my family, so I had a great support structure in place. My pregnancy was perfectly fine. I had done everything by the book –I visited the doctor regularly, and read lots of pregnancy magazines and books. I was clued up on all possible complications, but thought they would never happen to me. I had a really great pregnancy, or so I thought...

Everything changed when I went to the clinic for my 30-week check-up. I did a Doppler scan and various other tests. The nurse thought I had a poor bioscope, and detected protein in my urine. My liver enzymes and blood pressure were also too high. I had gained weight rapidly and had severe oedema, so she referred me to a hospital for further checks, but didn’t say much to alarm me. There were clear red flags to warn us of what lay ahead, but still, I wasn’t diagnosed with anything severe. Just to be sure, I sought a second opinion from a private doctor the next day. I didn’t tell him about the first tests I’d done at the clinic. He actually thought my blood pressure was okay because it was in line with that of a woman in her third trimester. I left his practice feeling calmer because he hadn’t picked up anything that was alarming. My spirits were high – I even had a maternity shoot to look forward to that week.

What I didn’t know was that I had pre-eclampsia. After writing one of my June exams, something told me to go to the hospital for a check-up. That evening in June 2017 changed my life. The pre-eclampsia had escalated to eclampsia before I even got to the hospital. I collapsed and immediately fell into a coma. Fortunately, my mother and brother were with me so they called an ambulance as they feared I wouldn’t make it if they drove me there themselves. The doctors were worried and told my family that I might not make it because my pulse was very thready, and I was unresponsive to stimuli. Luckily, when my family took me to the hospital, they brought my clinic bag with, which had my clinic card and referral letter to a hospital. That allowed the doctors to make a more informed decision, which is how I was diagnosed with eclampsia. They described the seriousness of my condition to my mother, and explained how fatal it could be. Eclampsia can occur anytime after 20 weeks in pregnancy and, unfortunately, it can’t be prevented. My mom had to sign a consent form to allow the doctors to perform an emergency C-section to save my baby. They first had to lower my blood pressure so they could operate. My son was delivered at seven months, weighing in at approximately 1,7 kg. We were then rushed to the ICU to be monitored. Fortunately, my son was strong, as small as he was, and didn’t have major complications. He just suffered minor respiratory distress.

I regained consciousness the next day, but I had short-term memory loss. My mom had to fill in the blanks. I had missed everything, including my son’s birth, which really hurt me. I didn’t know where I was or that I had already given birth. I’d start crying every time I was reminded of what had happened. I felt immense guilt because I was not able to deliver my baby the way my partner and I had planned. I really couldn’t connect the dots – the one day I was happy, looking forward to my maternity shoot, and the next, I was hospitalised. I felt like I had failed my son, like I wasn’t a worthy mom because I couldn’t carry him to full term. I thought of all the conditions I had read about, and just how many things could go wrong with a preterm baby. I knew my son could die during this fragile period, or have behavioural issues later in life. I had done my absolute best to make sure my pregnancy was normal and

Eclampsia can occur anytime after 20 weeks in pregnancy and, unfortunately, it can’t be prevented.

enjoyable, but it didn’t happen that way.

I only got to bond with my son two weeks later, just before we were discharged. I struggled to breastfeed him because I was weak. The doctors were also on high alert as I wasn’t out of the woods yet – postpartum doesn’t mean the end of pre-eclampsia. They had to make sure my protein and blood pressure levels were under control before I could leave the hospital.

We were given clearance after my son had gained enough weight to leave and my recovery had progressed at a satisfactory pace. During this time, my family was amazing. Their support saved me from depression, and it allowed me to overcome the uphill battle that lay ahead. I was constantly tired and high on various types of medication, which were meant to reverse my symptoms. The first six months were a struggle, but I found my rhythm and fell into a normal routine. Technically, my son and I were still outpatients, so we had to go to the hospital to monitor his development and my recovery. My son also had to go to the pediatrician for a year to ensure he reached his milestones.

I’m grateful to be alive, considering the number of odds that were stacked against my son and I. If I had had a stroke, the ending would be different. My family and the medical practitioners at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, in Ga-Rankuwa, pulled me through. I know there is a God because of them. Dying is so easy, but here I am, alive and thriving. I’m raising a joyful son who’s reaching every milestone in his young life. Being Khaya’s mom is a blessing I will never take for granted.”