Seeking Support--20 weeks and counting

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Author:	Topic: Seeking Support--20 weeks and counting
LJM Member Posts: 6 Registered:    2003-11-06	Posted: Dec 08, 2003 2:34:17 pm     This is my first pregnancy and my experience has been far from resembling anything "normal". I have wanted to have a child for a long time and felt so happy when my husband and I got pregnant after only 2 months. No sooner was I joy-filled when the HG hit me starting at around my 7th week. My first intervention with compazine resulted in a painful allergic reaction while I was driving on the freeway and won me a trip in an ambulance to the ER; lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks and had another ER visit for IV fluids; no results from Reglan or Zofran; continued to decline and was vomiting up to every 15 minutes; finally admitted to hospital where I laid there praying, pleading, and begging for God to help me. Minutes passed like centuries. After almost 2 weeks, some minimal improvement with IV Anzimet (sp?), I resigned to do a prednisone tapering dose which finally helped. (Side note: 2 days after my last dose, the nausea returned; this happens in approximately 30% of those treated using this therapy) In the meantime, I was force-fed TPN. Was discharged from the hospital with home care TPN. After 2 days at home, my arm swelled up and I was re-admitted to the hospital due to a very large blood clot that had formed along the PICC line. My new challenge was receiving 2 shots of Lovinox per day for up to 4-6 weeks AFTER delivery to prevent a life threatening clot from forming in my lungs. Almost one month after my initial hospital admittance, I was discharged again and put on home care Zofran pump. Normally, site changes for the pump are every 2-3 days, but my tissue is sensitive and requires daily site changes due to pain, redness, and swelling. I have said to myself "I only need to make it to 12 weeks and it will get better", "14 weeks", "16 weeks", "18 weeks", "20 weeks". I think I've been coping pretty well, but I'm starting to crumble since in 2 days I will be at 20 weeks. My legs are covered in purple-red painful lumps from all of the site changes, my belly is covered with bruises from all of the Lovinox shots, and every needle that goes into me is painful and usually bleeds. I can't wean off of the Zofran pump with out becoming incredibly nauseated with some vomiting. My insurance will not cover oral Zofran at all, so I have no choice but to continue using the pump. I want so badly to just cry my eyes out, but I can't even do that because it makes me sick and I start vomiting again. Even though I know I will survive because I have no choice, I am sad and am feeling like there is no end in sight. I should be thrilled to be having a healthy baby girl, but all I can feel inside is nausea. I have never felt worse in my life and for such a long time. Emotionally and psychologically, I feel beyond challenged. I feel trapped in my body without relief.
Kimber Moderator Posts: 43 Registered:    2002-11-07	Posted: Dec 09, 2003 4:01:45 am     Hi there. I'm so very sorry to hear how tough and painful it is for you. My heart just goes out to you! I cannot believe your ins co won't cover oral zofran. Anzemet is similar, as is Kytril. You might see if they would allow either of those in oral form instead. Also, you might contact http://www.patientadvocate.org (see our Online Resources for more) to see if they can help you get your ins co to change its policy. That is ridiculous for you to endure that for so long! Please hang in there and know that this will end and you will be so happy to have a beautiful child! You have all of us here at the HER Foundation, along with our volunteers and visitors pulling for you. Feel free to contact me for further help and keep us posted on how you are doing. Kimber Kimber@hyperemesis.org
littleliberty Member Posts: 10 Registered:    2003-11-03	Posted: Dec 10, 2003 12:29:40 pm     HI I am so sorry to hear how awful this has been for you, I can imagine how discouraged you are. I know what its like to beg God to take it away and He doesn't... I don't have an answer for the 'why me' and I guess I never will. Just hang in there, every day is a new day. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully this will end for you soon. Mary
ColoradoMelissa Member Posts: 8 Registered:    2003-07-06	Posted: Dec 14, 2003 7:23:17 pm     I am so sorry that things are going so badly for you - the women on this website can all empathize. Know that there are people who are here for you. My insurance company was hesitant to cover the oral zofran after I was discharged from the hospital, but they finally relented after my OB and her nurse spent countless hours on the phone with them. I know it seems like there is no end in sight - I remember sobbing day after day, begging for an end to all the vomiting. BUT, on November 11th I had a beautiful and healthy baby boy. I never thought I would be able to look back on my pregnancy in a positive light, but miraculously, I do - every day. Hold on, and as my sister, also an HG survivor used to tell me, keep your eyes on the prize. I found tremendous comfort here on this website. I hope you do as well. I will be thinking of you.
fleming629 Member Posts: 1 Registered:    2003-12-15	Posted: Dec 15, 2003 9:57:33 pm     I have went through much of everything that you are going through. I am 18½ weeks as of now and I have started to feel better. My doctor put me on a thing called Dicletin and has seemed to work well. I know how you feel. It seems like you will throw up forever. It sucks. I just keep telling myself that its for my baby. My mom,all my aunties and my grandmother all had it, so I knew I was going to. Email me if you ever need to talk. --------------------------- Jennifer.F
Seraphim Member Posts: 30 Registered:    2003-12-05	Posted: Dec 15, 2003 10:09:31 pm     Fleming, (Jennifer)You say your family members all had it? Do you feel that is the connection for you? My problem is that there is no connection. No family member has stated that they have had such an illness during pregnacy. My mother had no problems. Her mother had 8 children no problems. Down the line no problems. On my father's side..my grandmother had 13 children, no problems and to my knowledge, there were no major problems with pregnancy within that side. I sort of feel like a fluke. --------------------------- I Samuel 1:27-28 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him: Therefore also have I lent him to the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord.
jjbeck7 Member Posts: 1 Registered:    2003-12-30	Posted: Dec 30, 2003 2:49:09 pm     2295.2 in reply to 2295.1 I know that many ins companies will accept a doctors OVERRIDE! Many doctors and patients do not know this and many ins companies of course do not make this clear. I had to get two overrides so far. One with Zofran and one with Ambien. What needs to hapen is the doctors need to fax a note to the right dept indicating a person needs a certain drug. We went through the nonsense that the ins co would only allow x amount of zofran but becasue Bob works for glaxo we get it for free. But we still needed to go through the override process and learned this applied to many of the drugs where the ins puts a limit. I have aetna which is does not have the best coverage. I would suggest anyone having trouble getting thier ins cos to cover a med, to reveiw thier policy and check to see if their is an override process
LJM Member Posts: 6 Registered:    2003-11-06	Posted: Jan 22, 2004 7:51:39 pm     Thank you all for your encouragement and support. I am now almost 27 weeks. I still have the Zofran pump, but this past week, I have actually experienced 1-2 hours of relative relief first thing in the morning. In addition, my doctor has authorized the Lovinox shots to end which reduces my needle sticks from 90 a month to only 20-30 for the Zofran pump. The baby is kicking me like crazy and I have been able to use the morning relief time to begin bonding with her. Although I still feel ill most of the time, I feel that I can make it through 3 more months with the reward of seeing my baby girl and the loving support of my husband. This pregnancy has definitely been a major spiritual growth spurt and its not over yet. Best wishes to all the women here, Lisa Thanks again, Lisa