April 19, 2025 By Megan Pignatari
6 years later I am still trying to untangle the web of where the healthcare system failed me. During my pregnancy, I was at constant conflict to "just be a patient, don't be the nurse". I lost my voice, I did not question or advocate for myself when the red flags kept raising. Why should I question, when those I trusted with my care could provide every reason why my lab values were off, even in the face of glaring severe hypertension. I vividly remember every time my nervous system kept alarming this is not right, but I stayed silent and trusted. I was sent home after 24 hour observation, as all of my symptoms were correlated to other etiologies, other than the glaring truth of having preeclampsia with severe features. I came back to the hospital 3 days later, severe nausea, vomiting, shoulder pain, and excruciating epigastric pain. I am fortunate both my child and I survived HELLP and preeclampsia with severe features. What is unfortunate, is I will always carry with me the grief of what should have been. I share this part of my story, because as a nurse, even I was fallible to believing those directing my care knew best and I should not question anything. I lost my voice, the one part of patient care that should be the loudest.
My perfect daughter, Katie, gave birth to her first child just eight days before she passed away due to postpartum complications. Her deliver...
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