Preeclampsia: Understanding Risk and Management

Question
I am 36 years old.  I have two children.  When I was pregnant with my daughter in 1991, I developed toxemia and as a result had to induce delivery at 36 weeks.  I was told it wouldn't happen again.  I then became pregnant with my son in 1996.  I had preclampsia and had to induce labor again, but this time at 32 weeks.  My doctors were puzzeled to say the least.  I then became pregnant in 1999.  I was told at 10 weeks to prepare for the storm because odds are I would get preclampsia again, but probably earlier on.  Sure enough, I did.  But, this time I wasn't so lucky.  My baby was delivered by emergency C-section at 28 weeks.  She only lived 32 hours.
Which leads me to my question.  I read an article in Redbook pertaining to thrombophilia.  There seems to be a link between preclampsia and thrombophilia.  Yet my doctors have told me (In 1999) that there isn't anything in the books to explain my condition.  It was as if my body is allergic to pregnancy.  On the advice of my OBGYN I had a tubal ligation simultaneously with the C-section. Do you know anything about thrombophilia?  Should I be tested?  If so, where do I begin?  Thank you in advance for your help.
Have a great day.

Answer
During severe preeclampsia  (or HEELP syndrome) there is thrombocytopenia (not thrombophilia). Thrombocytopenia is a condition where the number of platelets in your blood is decreased and can cause problems with your clotting mechanisms. It is one of the criteria that we look for in women with hypertensive crises during pregnancy. It is really amazing that you showed evidence of preecclampsia at 28 weeks gestation. Are you sure that you do not have a component of chronic hypertension or some pregnancy induced hypertension on top of the preecclampsia? Is your blood pressure stable now? YOu really had a stormy course for your pregnancies.