My First Introduction to HG

In 2006, I became pregnant with our first daughter. After over a year of actively charting and trying, it was an answered prayer. However, within weeks, things took a turn for the unexpected. What began as seemingly normal morning sickness soon twisted into a personal horror as my symptoms spiraled quickly out of control and my doctors struggled to understand them and find a treatment option that would work. The nausea became progressively worse until the vomiting was out of control. Every day felt the same – there were no good days, they were all bad. I remember praying prayers of thanksgiving for this new life despite the horrid things my body was doing, but after a couple of weeks, I was worn out and felt incredibly alone. Smells, sights, and even sounds could send me into dry heaving and vomiting. I was constantly spraying whatever scent I could smell to mask everything else – even my husband smelled despite the many showers and teeth brushings. It didn’t take long until I was admitted into the hospital (which happened numerous times thereafter). IVs with Zofran were administered. Sitting, standing, and walking for very long had become difficult for me. My body was sore from laying so much, and yet it was my only real option.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum – Take TWO!

In 2008, I became pregnant with my second daughter. This time, my doctor was more familiar with my body’s fight with Hyperemesis Gravidarum and I now had a legitimate diagnosis. I remember setting up a small twin bed in my daughter’s room so she could play while I laid there. My husband had filled an ice chest with bottles of ice water and bananas and whatever else I thought I might stomach that day. I specifically remember one day, getting sick immediately after eating a banana, and being unable to breathe. I was choking and the only witness was my 2 year old little girl. After that, I wouldn’t eat crackers or bananas unless I had had plenty to drink FIRST. After a couple of weeks, I was unable to keep down solids or liquids. We were only a few days away from insurance, so I was trying to hold off before going to the doctor. One day before our insurance was due to kick in, my mother called my home (we lived an hour away) and recognized that something was very wrong. She plead that I would schedule an appointment, but I had convinced myself that I must be going crazy. Almost everyone else thought I was over-exaggerating, so maybe I was! She didn’t buy it. She called my doctor and my doctor told her to get me to the emergency room ASAP – that my baby AND I were both in danger. Many hospitalizations and IVs followed, as well as a prescription for Zofran and ½ Unisom tablet every 4 hours – which helped curtail the vomiting some. However, I was still so weak and malnourished, I had to temporarily move my daughter and I in with my parents so family members could check in on us throughout the day. The severe weakness and nausea/vomiting often prevented me from being able to sit/stand/etc.

HG isn’t for wusses

Currently, I am pregnant with our 3^rd child and soon, my husband will be deploying. My days are much like those in my first and second pregnancies, except I have learned some things:

• When you feel weak or dizzy, sit or lay down IMMEDIATELY. I WILL pass out. I was given the advice to “push through it” and that it was okay, but after passing out many times, I’ve decided it’s not worth the dangers for me, my unborn baby, OR to my 2 little girls.
• Don’t try to “help” myself to vomit. Even if I feel horrible…If I do, a vicious cycle begins.
• IF I get a craving, eat it and eat it within 30 minutes. If I have an aversion, KEEP IT AWAY.
• Zofran plus a ½ tablet of Unisom helps curb the vomiting, which keeps weightloss to a minimum – (only ½ lb to 2 lbs per week instead of 2-3 lbs per week)
• Don’t drink or eat anything that will make me burp. Burping often leads to vomiting.
• In my pregnancies, I generally have a span of 2-3 weeks where I have SEVERE dizziness that will not go away. Zofran plus dramamine helps make it a little more bearable. Also it is NOT normal to have dizziness that will not go away and causes you to be unable to sit or stand almost at all AND that doesn’t fully go away even while laying down.

Like in my other pregnancies, I’ve given up my jeans for sweat pants and scrub pants. ANY pressure on my stomach makes me ill. Luckily, for me, this has only lasted a couple of weeks into the 2^nd trimester and then it fades. In the beginning, I couldn’t watch TV, read, etc. I stared at the ceiling or more often, closed my eyes tightly, trying to shut out all stimuli. Within the past week or so, I have been able to watch TV moderately and read short passages. My husband and I sleep divided by pillows – partially to keep me comfortable since I’m laying most of my days and partially to keep away the smells. (Sidenote: My husband is NOT a bad smelling guy, my nose just goes CRAZY with HG and I smell EVERYTHING.) Walking is limited, but going into the kitchen will immediately send me into gagging. I don’t have “good times” and bad times…they’re all the same. I eat laying down and am unable to keep much down, if anything at all. Some days, it’s bad enough that my husband has to give me a shower as I lay on the shower floor.

And, like the last 2 times, I’ve found myself falling back into depression. I feel misunderstood and unheard. Numerous times, I would reach out only to hear something like, “Oh, I remember those days” –Usually followed up by “So, see you at (upcoming event)?” It feels like despite the support network you thought you had, everything folds away except for a select few…and you’re mostly on your own.

The IVs help, but if they aren’t given in time, it’s like playing a game of catch up. What many doctors don’t understand is that it’s not about waiting until the person with HG is so dehydrated that they are on the point of death, but it’s about staying ahead of the cycle. If a woman with HG gets even a little dehydrated, the vomiting becomes worse, which makes the dehydration worse and so on.

More Information About Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Currently, there is no cure for HG. In fact, it is often misunderstood or altogether ignored by medical staff. HG is not new and has been documented since the 18^th century, however research is scarce and not readily funded. HG can last for one, two, or all three trimesters and while it can appear differently in each pregnancy, statistics show that it generally appears pretty similarly in subsequent pregnancies. And, once a woman has HG, she is very likely to have it again.

If you’d like to read more about Hyperemesis Gravidarum, please visit Help HER, a foundation committed to hyperemesis research and information. I urge you to read it, whether you are a healthcare provider, a husband to someone who has HG, or someone who knows no one with this disease (because you never know when you’ll meet them).

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