Thank you so much for bringing HG into the light. I'm so grateful to you for choosing such a topic. We women have suffered in silence. Not enough people know the horror of HG. I have 4 beautiful children. I am VERY fortunate. Most HG survivors don't get to have 4 kids. My first pregnancy was normal. So, I was blindsided when HG showed it's ugly face with baby #2 & #3. Our 4th child was unplanned and Praise God it wasn't HG. I still got VERY ILL but, I could function.
Imagine 3 months curled up in the fetal position too weak, too sick to move. It took me 4 months to be completely myself (as much as you can be 4 months pregnant) But, the worst of it lasted for 3 months. I couldn't care for myself or my children. I was unfunctional. I couldn't do anything. When I try to explain the way HG feels, I try to describe it like this. It's the feeling you get just before you're about to throw up 24/7. Throwing up doesn't bring much relief though. Thankfully, I had a good job that paid my disability. I had to fight for it. It was extreemely rough on my marriage and family. My oldest was 6 months old when I got pregnant with my first HG pregnancy. I had NO IDEA HG existed and I didn't know what I was in for. I called off work telling them I must have the flu. I lost 25 lbs. in 2 weeks. I was petite at the time so, anymore weight would have been really bad. I lived off IV fluid for 3 months. I was unable to sit or I'd vomit. I stayed in my bedroom, in the dark, alone for about 3 months until I could tolerate the TV or movement in the room. I felt like I was dying. Some thouht I was imagining the HG. I was told "Maybe if you get up and start cleaning the house you'll feel better". When, at the time I couldn't even sit up let alone walk across the floor. Going 10 feet into the bathroom took 15 minutes and I had puked twice druing my crawl there! My husband came to my defense. I had IV's inserted daily by my home health nurse. Once my veins were too damaged for another poke, a PICC line was inserted. The PICC stayed in for 12 weeks. During this time I hadn't eaten a thing. Water would come right back up. I was so weak. My husband changed my IV bags and administered the phenerghen. This was to help with the nausea. It didn't but, it did make me sleep. Sleep was the only relief.
My second HG pregnancy happened 2 years later. The doctor didn't inform me that HG could happen again. Once already pregnant with #3, the doc offered me to terminate the pregnancy. I was so offended. Another whirlwind of home health nurses, IV's, anti-nausea meds, PIC lines, and this time TPN bags. I remember one night laying there for about 30 minutes listening to the beeping of the machine unable to get up and turn it off. My husband couldn't sleep in bed with me. The smell and movement of him made me sicker. I crawled into the living room draging my IV pole behind me to get him to wake up. My second experience with HG I was given a mid-line before the PICC line. The midline made my arm swell badly and I couldn't move it. Somehow the fluid was collecting in my arm and once removed it began to heal. As if the stress of being so sick wasn't enough, there was the housework, bills, arranging childcare, finding rides to doc appts. Both HG pregnancies resulted in healthy baby girls. 1 even weighed 8lb. 15oz. !!! (thanks to the TPN)
As AWFUL as HG was, I have to say this. It is what I told myself going through it. It could be worse. I was suffering to have a baby. I wasn't dying. (It felt like it) I wasn't suffering from a terminal illness. I was going to get better. For some women HG lasts 9 months. For me, 4. Either way, HG will end at some point. Our family is complete. I'm not going to "roll the dice" anymore. I hope this gives someone hope/comfort. I've been there. I'm on the other side. I wouldn't trade it, my kids were worth it.
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Dr. Phil, Thanks again for bringing this to the public. I wish I didn't live so far from Hollywood or I'd be there on March. 1.
God Bless,
Nicole
North Canton, OH
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