Samantha Panico's story

My meningitis story starts in November 2015. I was 29 at the time and almost nine months pregnant with my first child. 

I was working at Big Lots and was just a few months short of being there a year. I had just been promoted to assistant manager and was getting ready to go on maternity leave. I finally had my life together and after a lot of hard work, it seemed like everything was on the right track. Or so I thought. 

 

The day it started 

The day we realized something was wrong started off normal. I had work that day but didn’t have to be there until 2 or 3 pm, so I slept in as long as I could. Plus, as I mentioned, I was very pregnant and was battling morning sickness, which for me was more like all-day sickness. Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed and went to work like usual. 

That night, my boss took pity on me and let me go home a few hours early because being pregnant and on my feet all day made my legs swell. When I got home, it was already dark but not late. My fiancé and I decided to order dinner out. We agreed on pizza and he went to pick it up instead of waiting for delivery. It was a short drive, about fifteen minutes or so. That’s the last thing I remember before my life came to a screeching stop. 

 

The moment everything changed 

My fiancé said when he got home, he could tell something was wrong with me. He said it was like the lights were on, but nobody was home. I didn’t know who he was or where I was and couldn’t even remember my own name. I had developed an extremely high fever and was incoherent. He called his mom to explain what was happening, and she told him to call an ambulance. 

The ambulance came and took me to the local hospital, but they left me in the waiting room for hours. They claimed that because of my history of drug use, I was faking it and nothing was really wrong. For the record, I was clean and had been for a few years before this happened. I will admit that I did have a problem when I was younger, but with treatment and support, I overcame it. When I found out I was pregnant, I quit smoking cigarettes, so I wasn’t going to do drugs. 

After it became clear they weren’t going to help me, my fiancé insisted they put me back in the ambulance and take me to a bigger hospital about 30-45 minutes from our town. 

 

Diagnosis and emergency treatment 

When I arrived at the larger hospital, the doctor quickly suspected what was wrong and ran tests. He was right: I tested positive for bacterial meningitis. They immediately performed an emergency c-section to deliver my baby. Luckily, she was unaffected and came out healthy and perfect. I was started on antibiotics, but my body wasn’t responding as they hoped, and I fell into a coma for about two weeks. 

During that time, I had my first brain surgery, where they installed a shunt to relieve pressure on my brain. After a few days, they tried turning the shunt off, but the fluid and pressure built up again. This led to a second brain surgery to install the shunt permanently. 

 

Recovery and aftermath 

After a few days, I finally started to respond. After a total of three months and two brain surgeries, I was able to go home. The doctors said I only had a 75% chance of surviving, and if I did, I might have to relearn how to walk and talk. 

When I woke up and could do both, they called it a miracle. I had to shave all my hair for surgery and use a walker for a while, but I recovered. However, the trauma caused some brain damage, affecting my memory. I have difficulty remembering things and forming new memories. It also took a while to feel normal and regain the confidence to do things like drive. Most of the three months are a blur, and I rely on what I was told. It feels like I fell asleep pregnant and woke up three months later with a baby. 

Getting sick like that caused me to lose a lot, including my job and my fiancé, but I am grateful it didn’t affect my daughter and that I am still here to watch her grow up.

Why sharing my story is important 

I want to spread awareness because I had never heard of bacterial meningitis until I caught it. If I can make it through, anyone can. I hope my story can help and inspire others.

 

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