It starts like "food poisoning." Then it becomes something else, something that won't let you sip water, the kind that strips weight, sleep, and dignity until you are living in minutes.
She is a physician. She knows what prolonged vomiting does to the brain. She asks for thiamine. She is waved off. She returns. And returns. She is given fluids and polite discharge papers while her body starves in slow motion.
In clinic waiting rooms, her arms look like evidence of battle fought.
Dr. Onweni's story shares what happens when a woman's suffering is normalized. After you read it, and you'll never use the words "it's just morning sickness" again.
This is a testimony of love that stays, faith that breathes, and joy that returns in its own time.
Autorentext
Chidinma Onweni, MD, attended Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, where she completed her secondary education. She relocated to the United States of America to further her education. Dr. Onweni attended Midlands Technical College, in Columbia, South Carolina, where she obtained credits to transfer to a four-year-degree college. As a zealous and passionate student, she enrolled at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, for her first degree. Her medical school was at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Onweni completed her residency with East Tennessee State University Internal Medicine residency, in Johnson City, Tennessee. She completed her Neurocritical Care fellowship at Mayo Clinic, in Jacksonville, Florida. She is currently a practicing Neurocritical Care Physician.She has authored many medical articles in multiple journals, from Oncology, Palliative, to Neurocritical Care related topics. One of those articles is the important "The Power of Mobile Health: The Girl With the Gadgets in Uganda" doi: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2021.01.001. PMID: 33997644; PMCID: PMC8105515. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33997644/. Dr. Onweni is a new mom and had hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy, which sparked her search for prevention, treatment, and support of hyperemesis gravidarum. She is a proud member of the Advisory Committee of HER Foundation, https://www.hyperemesis.org, which is committed to research and support of women with hyperemesis gravidarum. Also, Dr. Onweni is the cofounder of Tribute Foundation with the mission of teaching skills to the community and saving lives through education. Visit https://tribute-foundation.org. Email info@tribute-foundation.org. She is passionate about public health, and she believes health is the wealth of a nation.Her hobbies include traveling, live music concerts, self proclaimed movie critic, and shopping.