Welcome to
My name is Alison. I am a pediatric clinical pharmacist, wife, and mother of two children.
As I have worked through healing from two traumatic births and subsequent postpartum anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, I have felt called to share my story and unique perspective.
My hope is that Across the Waiting Room will provide some insight on the mental and emotional challenges of having a child with multiple medical complexities, healing from medical trauma, and prioritizing mental health.
I challenge all of us to slow down and take a moment to connect with each other and share support, from one side of the waiting room to the other.
Be stronger than the storm.
My professional background
After graduating from pharmacy school, I moved from Boston, MA to Morgantown, WV for my first year of residency at West Virginia University Hospitals. To my surprise, I fell in love with pediatrics and went on to complete a second year of residency to specialize in pediatrics in Chapel Hill, NC at UNC Hospitals. I had a particular passion for medically complex children and complete a research project in this area.
When residency finished I landed my first job in the NICU at Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, FL. I earned my board certification in pediatric pharmacy specialty (BCPPS) and dove headfirst into my work. I absolutely loved the smallest, most critically ill babies, as well as the older, more chronically ill infants. This was my passion, and I envisioned myself as a NICU pharmacist for the rest of my life.
After a few years in Orlando, we decided to move back to Boston to be closer to our families as we started thinking about starting our own family. The timing was too good to be true and I got a position working in the NICU at Boston Children's Hospital.
After four years as the NICU pharmacist, I made a difficult decision in the best interest of my mental health and transitioned to a role as an informatics pharmacist, specifically supporting investigational drugs and research.
I never imagined myself working as an informatics pharmacist but I love this niche area and have found great satisfaction along with a significant improvement in my mental health.
Dance in the rain.
My personal background
I met my now husband on the first day of Pep Band rehearsal in college. We were best friends for a year and a half until we finally gave in to the romantic spark and started dating. The rest, of course, is history! We got married in 2016, had a wonderful few years living in Orlando, FL, then were incredibly blessed to get pregnant in 2019 right after we moved back to Boston.
My pregnancy went great until I was 34 weeks and developed preeclampsia. I went from an uneventful, healthy pregnancy to being hospitalized and counseled that it was very likely I would have my daughter premature. She was delivered a few days after I was hospitalized and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. I spent 10 days total in the hospital myself. Words cannot possibly describe how devastated I was to leave the hospital without my baby, to come home to an empty bassinet and a quiet house. I struggled with severe postpartum anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which not surprisingly worsened when I returned to work in the NICU just 3 months after she was born.
I got pregnant with our second in 2021. I took medication to help decrease the risk of developing preeclampsia again and was followed closely by my OBGYN. I felt pretty good until 28 weeks when preeclampsia suddenly knocked me off my feet and landed me in the hospital. Against all odds, I was able to stay pregnant until 37 weeks, spending a full 2 months in the hospital with close monitoring. My son was born full term at 37 weeks and faced many medical challenges from the moment he was born. He spent a month in the NICU and ultimately was discharged home with a feeding tube and a long list of follow-up medical appointments. He is now a thriving toddler but wow - we have had quite the journey.