Second time looks rough

A place where partners, fathers, friends, and family members can discuss experiences and difficulties regarding loved ones' Hyperemesis.

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Second time looks rough

Postby Tim » Aug 06, 2005 11:54 pm

Hi everyone,
I remember browsing this site a couple of years ago when my wife was going through HG. She's 6 1/2 weeks along now and it looks as if it's going to be as hard or harder this time even though she had a picc line put in immediately and started on Zofran from the beginning signs of nausea (unlike last time when she wasn't taken seriously at first). The severity of her vomiting in spite of the early treatment has me quite concerned and I hope the Doc is up to the challenge - not to mention my wife. She was admitted today because the IV Zofran wasn't phasing her at all, and that was the only thing that helped during the first pregnancy.

I know she can survive a lot and so can the baby, because she was on IV fluids and TPN for most of her pregnancy before giving birth to our perfect, beautiful little girl. She lost 25 pounds while being pregnant. I have hope because I know despite the drugs, malnourishment, dehydration and overall stress on her body and mind, our baby was perfect. At the same time I worry because I know the road she's on and I know the hell she's in for. Worst of all, I know she knows too. It's a relentless condition and us fathers (as well as anyone else) are practically helpless to change things. I now have to take care of a 17 month old baby while trying to "helplessly" support my wife. I pray that she'll hang in there mentally. It's tough to hear her say she feels like she's dying and not eat, drink or even move much in several days.

Let's pray hard, be there for our wives and get our children home safe.
round 2
Tim
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Postby Beth B » Aug 07, 2005 8:22 am

Welcome, Tim!! I know a lot of us found HG to be worse in second and subsequent pregnancies, but sometimes it goes away sooner, too. Your wife is SO lucky to have you to support her! Good luck, and keep us posted on how things are going.
Beth

Mom to 2 HG babies:
William 12/02
Thomas 9/05
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Postby nomore » Aug 07, 2005 10:59 am

Tim,

Your wife is very lucky to have you, as I can tell from your post you love her greatly. Many of us have come to the conclusion that HG in 2nd pregnancys can be espeically tough... it usually hits sooner and harder. I think one of the hardest things I dealt with is the extreme anxiety and fear of knowing what lay ahead of me... where my 1st pregnanncy I was hopeful everyday that things would change... or would at those magical week numbers... that later passed and didnt bring the "promised" relief of time. Make sure you are addressing these fears... they are VERY real. Make sure she doesnt need some type of anti-depressant or even anti-anxiety med.

I also know it was very tough to deal with how terrible I felt as a Mom... how much of a let down I felt towards my 1st born.

Do you have family around that can help out with the baby? I know its been a HUGE difference to hvae my Mom around this time taking care of my little girl.

I wish you the best of luck. I know its not easy to be in your shoes. I watch my wonderfully supportive DH get frustarted more cant be done... the amount of responsbilty he has to take on in ALL aspects of our lives... and know that while he may not be throwing up, he certainly suffers in other ways right along with me. But, we just have to keep remembering, the reward of a baby will in the end be worth it all.

Robin
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Postby HGx3 » Aug 07, 2005 11:36 pm

Well said Robin, so well said.
Huge Hugs,
Lisa
HG Mom to:
Matthew, 2001
Lauryn, 2002
Joshua,2004

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Postby PamelaRose » Aug 08, 2005 12:35 am

Welcome, Tim. If you're interested in getting in touch with a volunteer in your area, just hit the email button at the bottom of this post and get me your location and I'll have someone contact you. Even if your wife is not up to speaking to anyone, perhaps support from an HGer who's been there would ease your burden some. Best wishes to your family!
Pamela

4-Time HG Survivor
*Brody (8-11-98 )
*Avery (1-24-01)
*Reilly (12-16-02)
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Postby IslandDreamer » Aug 14, 2005 2:25 pm

Hi Tim,

Congrats to you and your wife on the new babe. And I'm really sorry the HG is back. My second round with HG was the worst...nothing worked, and the docs wouldn't do a PICC...blah.

Zofran may not be the answer this time. Like I said, it didn't do a thing for me second time, but it is my magic wonder this third time. Unisom and B6 work well for a lot of us, and mixing/combining meds is important for my "success." (Success is of course relative, but I can say I am miserable but don't want to die this time...we all know that feeling too well.) If you all continue with Zofran, be sure some Colace or other stool softener is part of the protocol as the constipation can be worse (hard to imagine, I know) than the nausea. There are many treatment options: http://www.helpher.org/mothers/treatments/index.php The medication thread lists nearly 20 different options.

As Robin suggested, do check on the anti-depressants if the pressure of the HG gets to intense. And if your wife has had any history of depression or PPD, please consider avoiding Reglan...it can cause some pretty nasty side effects in women with a history of depression.

With a toddler running around, HG is definitely more stressful. But it sounds like your little one is in good hands, so your wife can concentrate of growing the new baby. That's our job for 9 months...not much else gets done :wink: .

Have you got support from friends, church, neighborhood? To help with keeping the house, playing with the toddler, etc. Also, one thing I asked my hubby to do for me, and he mostly obliged in the first tri, was to eat cereal even when away from home so no stinky smells came into the house. The blood hound nose is hideous.

One of the husbands who joined us recently (Schultzy) read his wife a thread on personal hygiene. She laughed....good medicine. And if you find yourself or your wife feeling like giving up, venture down to the Grief board and read the stories of terminations, miscarriages, and stillbirths. It's easier to keep going when the options are so horrendous. That alone has been the biggest help for me this pregnancy: I know there are worse options than HG....and some days I'm reminding myself of that every few seconds.

Praying for you and your family,
Suzanne
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