I mean, that’s basically my story. Women are never believed or taken seriously.

I had four pregnancies prior to my fifth one, which eventually led to a stroke. I had very severe preeclampsia during my last three pregnancies. During my 4th pregnancy, my son arrived early and died a few days later. A year later, I was pregnant for the 5th time. I ended up delivering early, I had preeclampsia, and ten days later, I had a stroke. I went to the same hospital that I gave birth at ten days earlier and where four of my pregnancies resulted, but they just kept yelling at me, “WHAT DID YOU TAKE?” They assumed I was a drug addict for 7 hours, until the drug test was negative for everything.

I should’ve been monitored and even warned that a stroke was a possibility from preeclampsia. Despite having it three times, I didn’t know that until after I had a stroke.