MeningitisSurvivor

I cried a lot. My nurses in the ICU/Recovery room were amazing. My best friend (a dude) played a lot of WoW with me and kept me entertained when my kids were sleeping.

I missed my son the most. I had only been with him a day, and I didn't get to hold him until he was 3 months old. I was a carrier for 3 months, and it was not safe.

Edit: I forgot to mention, we made a game up naming all of the nurses after Pokemon. If you were a terrible nurse, you got a terrible pokemon name.

He cried when my son was born (little bit of tear drops), and when I was admitted he cried even more (LOTS of crying silently). I had never seen him cry before this, not like this, really. He was really worried about me, especially after seeing one of my seizures.

We actually have 4 kids now, 3 at the time this happened. He was on paternal leave, and took care of them at home while I rested in the hospital. We skyped together nightly (I don't remember this), and he visited once while I was secluded in the hospital. I was not allowed visitors until week 3 of my stay.

I gave birth vaginally, with an epidural. The nurse had a cold and coughed on my epidural spot. The cold went to my brain, and inflamed my meninges.

Later, after being admitted, I also had a consultation with the OB department. They claimed because I had protein in my urine, that I also had eclampsia.

I was not checked for eclampsia during my pregnancy, because my blood pressure never raised above normal range. I have naturally low blood pressure, I guess. The hospital itself, had stopped doing protein testing in the urine to save money, and only did it in "danger" cases (over 40, history of it, obese, etc). (Later, for kid #4, my daughter after this, I had to go to my private OB and have her privately test my urine)

So, I had both (at the same time) and no precautions other than the usual during delivery.

Edit: The meningitis came across as bronchitis, at first, with light sensitivity and I couldn't move my neck at all. It was also the cause of the seizures. I was coughing everywhere, and having problems breathing. It was excruciating.

The eclampsia was more of the throwing up, swelling in my legs, random eye floaties, muscle pain, and maybe* caused the seizures. It felt like the flu with some eye floaties.

We originally thought I had bronchitis and the flu. I was turned away the first time I tried to go to the ER. My pediatrician is the one that forced them to admit me. It turned out to be much worse, and my doctor for my 2nd ER visit was amazing.

Two different doctors advised me, after having issues.... I went with what I was being told, for my own health and my unborn child's health...

As per "quitting for my kids", I do not smoke around my children and only smoke MAYBE one a day (if it's a stressful day). It costs me around $6.50 a month (for a pack), tops. Thank you for the lecture.

Once again, while I was in the hospital...I was not smoking.

Stop lecturing me on my smoking. Seriously. That's not what this thread is about. It's my vice, and I never said I was perfect.

Edit: I am currently smoking (maybe) 1 a day, and not 40 a day. It's a vice. Stop harassing me constantly about this.